The South Platte Natural Capital Assessment is a collaborative natural capital assessment involving over 50 public and private stakeholders. The goal of the partnership is to engage stakeholders in protecting and restoring the watershed's lands and waters. For this report the team catalogued existing data sources, identified the most important natural assets, mapped natural capital, and valued the ecosystem services produced throughout the watershed. A decision-support tool was produced to assist stakeholders with prioritizing future investments, whether for preservation or conservation.
This report suggests that the watershed provides extensive value, approximately $7.4 billion per year in ecosystem services, to the economy and residents. By better understanding the Watershed's network of natural assets, the Urban Waters Partnership can better communicate with decision-makers and funders. Stakeholders can use the data and tools from this assessment to prioritize and invest in preservation and restoration activities that will increase the quality and value of natural capital in the watershed.