About CWERC

Colorado’s water and energy resources are tightly linked. The Colorado Water and Energy Research Center (CWERC) studies the connections between water and energy resources and the trade-offs that may be involved in their use. CWERC seeks to engage the general public and policymakers, serving as a neutral broker of scientifically-based information on even the most contentious “energy-water nexus” debates.

Since CWERC’s launch at the University of Colorado Boulder in 2011, public interest and pressing scientific questions have steered the center’s work specifically toward oil and gas extraction, groundwater resources, and the importance of baseline water quality and quantity data.

CWERC's Mission:

• Provide neutral, scientific information on important energy and water resources issues for the general public and policymakers.
• Facilitate the exchange of information and expertise among researchers and regulators working on energy and water resources problems.
• Assist citizen scientists in environmental monitoring efforts, particularly as they relate to the collection of baseline groundwater quality and quantity data.

Read about the purpose of this guide and how it was developed.