240 students brought Colorado’s waterways to life through art

To receive this information in another language, please contact Sabina Maniak at smaniak@bouldercounty.gov.

Key Points

• The Keep It Clean Partnership announced 12 winners and 8 honorable mentions for the 2025 Boulder St. Vrain Watershed Art Contest.

• 240 students from 45 schools submitted artwork.

• Students created art based on why they are grateful for water, highlighting our shared responsibility to protect local waterways.

• The winning entries and honorable mentions are featured on the Keep It Clean Partnership website.

Boulder County, CO — The Keep It Clean Partnership has announced 12 winners and 8 honorable mentions for the 2025 Boulder St. Vrain Watershed Art Contest, which invited students to explore their connection with Colorado’s waterways through art and storytelling.

The contest, now in its fourth year, set a record with 240 students from 45 schools submitting artwork. Students were asked to create visual art and include an accompanying sentence why they are grateful for water. Winners received cash prizes and art supplies.

For the first time, local artists judged the submissions and selected this year’s winners. Judges were:

• Basia Christ – Watercolor, graphic pencil, acrylic and acrylic pour, pastel artist
• Barbara Dobbs – Watermedia artist
• Catie Michel – Scientific illustrator and muralist
• Katie Miller – Fiber artist
• Adriana Palacios Luna – Maker, Textile, and Mexican Folk artist

Winning Entries

All winning entries and honorable mentions can be found on the Keep It Clean Partnership website.

Kindergarten - 2nd Grade

K-2 first place winner Mira with her artwork

• 1st Place: Mira, Boulder – “I am grateful for water because I love frogs and they live in it!”
• 2nd Place: Matthew, Boulder – “I am grateful for water because people, animals, and plants need it to drink, grow, stay clean, and make the Earth green. But I am most grateful for water when I dance in the rain and swim like a dolphin in the sea.”
• 3rd Place: Grizz, Boulder – “I am grateful for water because Colorado has awesome water and being around it is something I like to do with my family. My favorite water memory is fishing on the Roaring Fork River in Glenwood Springs with my dad and my brother. We spent the afternoon on the banks of the river, casting our rods, and watching them float in the current. It was fall and the leaves were changing colors and floating down into the water. It was a magical memory.”

3rd - 5th Grade

3-5 first place winner Wood with his artwork

• 1st Place: Wood, Boulder – “I am grateful for water because I've made so many great memories around Colorado waterways. My favorite Colorado water memory is from 2020 when I went to fly fishing camp for the first time. I caught my first trout on South Boulder Creek in the shadows of the Flatirons. It was a beautiful, summer day and I loved the feel of the cool water rushing by my legs. The water was so clear, I could see the fish resting in the pools by my line. Water gives me a place to play and enjoy nature.”
• 2nd Place: Rishika, Erie – “I am grateful for water because as it keeps us healthy, alive and clean. Plants need water to grow, farmers uses water to grow food. So, I believe if there is no water, there is no life.”
• 3rd Place: Lilah, Longmont – “I am grateful for water because I can swim in it. I can drink it. And I can play in the rain because of it.”

6th - 8th Grade

6-8 first place winner Zara with her artwork

• 1st Place: Zara, Boulder – “I am grateful for water because it holds so much beauty within its simplicity. One small pond can become the heart of an entire ecosystem, giving life to countless things that depend on it. Water is a support system for the world, sustaining life in ways we often take for granted. I'm grateful for it, because something so simple has the power to create, and keep our world alive.”
• 2nd Place: Parker, Erie – “I am grateful for water because it supports all living things. I am also grateful for water because it is beautiful and peaceful.”
• 3rd Place: Harvin, Boulder – “I am grateful for water because it sustains all life. It is critical for animals and nature, and we all depend on water. Even the smallest drop of water can be beautiful.”

9th - 12th Grade

9-12 first place winner Jane with her artwork

• 1st Place: Jane, Superior – “I am grateful for water because without water we would be nothing. Water flows through life in the most beautiful way possible, everything it touches flourishes. Without water, there would be nothing at all, which is why I'm grateful for it.”
• 2nd Place: Longmont Student– “I am grateful for water because exploring rivers and lakes with my dad here in Colorado sparked my love for water. Those adventures (gold panning, fishing, and swimming) created lasting memories. Water symbolizes not only life but also those cherished moments with him, it's a beautiful way to remember our time together.”
• 3rd Place: Jz, Boulder – “I am grateful for water because I can find a lot of macroinvertebrates.”

A Connection to Our Environment

“Art helps us remember the moments, people, and places we care about most,” said Keep It Clean Partnership Coordinator Cristina Ramirez. “When students create art inspired by Colorado’s waterways, they aren’t just sharing their own stories—they are reminding all of us why protecting our rivers and streams matters. KICP extends a huge thank you to every student who shared their vision this year and helped us see our watershed through new eyes.”

Winning entries can be viewed on the Keep It Clean Partnership website. High-resolution images of the winning artwork can be downloaded from Google Drive.

For more information about the contest, contact Cristina Ramirez at cramirezbentley@bouldercounty.gov.

About the Keep It Clean Partnership

The Keep it Clean Partnership (KICP) represents the cities of Boulder, Lafayette, Louisville, and Longmont; the town of Superior; and Boulder County, who have come together to collaborate on water and environmental health initiatives in their shared watershed.

The KICP’s mission is to protect, promote, and improve watershed health in the Boulder St. Vrain basin through sharing resources, building community awareness, and collecting and using data. To learn more about how to protect our watershed, visit the KICP website.

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