The Chatfield Watershed Authority was established in 1984, under the authority of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), to promote the protection of water quality in Chatfield Reservoir. The Authority is also the designated Clean Water Act Section 208 Management Agency responsible for reviewing site applications for all new and improvements to wastewater facilities in the Chatfield watershed.

The Chatfield Watershed Authority is required to meet water quality standards for phosphorous and chlorophyll, which can be indicators of harmful algae blooms, as prescribed by Colorado Control Regulation 73. The revenue generated from the Water Quality User Fee will help to fund water quality projects in the watershed which are designed to reduce pollutant inputs into the reservoir.

Chatfield State Park is one of the most popular recreation areas in the Denver metropolitan region and in all of Colorado and offers numerous recreational activities, including swimming, boating, paddleboarding, fishing, and wildlife viewing. The Water Quality User fee not only helps to protect these recreational opportunities but also protects water quality for drinking water supplies.

Senate Bill 23-267-Chatfield State Park Water Quality Fee was passed in the Colorado Legislature in 2023 and was subsequently signed by Governor Polis. The bill authorized the Chatfield Watershed Authority to request a Water Quality User Fee for daily pass purchasers for Chatfield State Park through formal rulemaking in the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission approved the Water Quality User Fee in November of 2024. The two-dollar Water Quality User Fee went into effect at Chatfield State Park on January 1, 2025.

The Chatfield Watershed Authority has identified opportunities within Chatfield State Park and the watershed to address the chemical, physical, and biological pollutants that impact water quality, including controlling runoff from wildfire burn areas, reducing phosphorus quantities by stabilizing degraded shorelines and streambanks, mitigating runoff from agricultural lands, minimizing leachate from septic systems, and providing public education for reducing contamination from the actions of people.

The Chatfield Watershed encompasses approximately 400 square miles in Douglas, Jefferson, and El Paso Counties. Major drainages in the watershed include the South Platte, Plum Creek, Deer Creek, and Massey Draw.