Project Narrative

The Crow Creek Collaboration represents an innovative model of corporate environmental stewardship, bringing together technology industry leaders Microsoft and Meta with the City of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and environmental technology company Frog Creek Partners to address critical water quality challenges in an impaired urban watershed. Through three successive phases spanning from 2021 to 2025, this collaborative effort has deployed 374 Gutter Bin® stormwater filtration devices across Cheyenne to protect and restore Crow Creek, a waterway on the Environmental Protection Agency's 303(d) list of impaired waters due to sediment and E. Coli pollution. The Challenge Crow Creek faces significant water quality challenges typical of urban watersheds. Stormwater runoff from city streets carries sediment, debris, heavy metals, tire treads, and bacterial contamination directly into the creek without treatment. The creek's 303(d) listing triggered regulatory requirements for the City of Cheyenne to reduce pollution levels to meet Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality's total maximum daily load (TMDL) limits, creating both a compliance challenge and an opportunity for innovative solutions. Building a Solution Through Partnership Frog Creek Partners, a Casper, Wyoming-based environmental technology company, brought together the public and private sector partners necessary to address this challenge at scale. The company's flagship product, the patent-pending Gutter Bin® stormwater filtration system, offered a proven solution with documented performance across North America. The Gutter Bin functions as a catch basin insert, intercepting stormwater at the point of entry into the drainage system and capturing pollutants (including debris, cigarette butts, sediment, heavy metals, and tire treads particles) while allowing filtered water to continue downstream. Phased Implementation: Building on Success The initiative launched in 2021 with Phase 1, when Microsoft partnered with the Laramie County Conservation District and Cheyenne Rotary Club to install 67 Gutter Bins across strategic locations in the city. This initial deployment demonstrated the technology's effectiveness and established baseline performance data. Jeff Geyer of the Laramie County Conservation District confirmed the pilot's success: "Gutter Bins, if properly maintained, have proven time and time again to be an extremely effective Best Management Practice (BMP) for capturing sediment and many other stormwater pollutants running down the streets of Cheyenne. We have the data to prove it." The proven performance of Phase 1 built confidence for expanded investment. In August 2025, Microsoft funded Phase 2, deploying an additional 127 Gutter Bins across the city. Shortly thereafter, Meta announced Phase 3, funding 180 additional Gutter Bins as part of the company's broader commitment to become water positive by 2030. Measurable Environmental Impact The Cheyenne initiative delivers quantifiable environmental benefits that support both corporate water replenishment goals and municipal regulatory compliance. The system prevents over 10 tons of pollution from reaching Crow Creek annually. Meta's 180-unit installation alone is expected to restore 10.9 million gallons of water per year. The existing Gutter Bins deployed since 2021 have already captured tens of thousands of pounds of pollution and filtered millions of gallons of water. These results are tracked and verified through Frog Creek's Field Asset Manager app, which provides pollution data collection. This technology-enabled monitoring supports regulatory compliance reporting, enables adaptive management decisions, and provides the transparency necessary for corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting. Municipal Leadership and Infrastructure Development The success of this initiative extends beyond the physical filtration devices. The City of Cheyenne demonstrated exceptional leadership by establishing its first-ever stormwater department and launching a stormwater utility to support long-term watershed protection. Late in 2024, the Cheyenne City Council adopted a resolution specifically aimed at cleaning Crow Creek, creating the policy framework for sustained environmental improvement. Brian Deurloo, founder of Frog Creek Partners, noted the significance of this municipal commitment: "We're fortunate to work with a city like Cheyenne that's stepping up in a big way to protect its water resources. From partnering on this project to launching a stormwater utility and forming its first-ever stormwater department, the City—along with the Mayor's Office, City Council, Engineering, and Public Works—is showing real leadership." Corporate Water Stewardship in Action For Microsoft and Meta, the Cheyenne project demonstrates how technology companies can meaningfully contribute to environmental protection in the communities where they operate. Stefanie Woodward, Head of Water Restoration at Meta, emphasized this approach: "Meta is proud to invest in projects that restore and protect local water resources. We believe that restoring water to local communities reflects our commitment to responsible innovation and caring for the places where we live and work." Deurloo highlighted the broader trend this represents: "This model of community benefits is becoming quite popular. Companies are partnering with local governments on these kinds of projects to emphasize that they're not just using land and resources—they're active stakeholders in the community." Long-Term Vision The ultimate goal of the Cheyenne Water Replenishment Initiative is restoring Crow Creek to a fishable, swimmable, and ecologically healthy waterway, a natural asset that enhances quality of life for current residents and future generations. The project demonstrates that corporate water replenishment commitments can deliver tangible local benefits when paired with proven technology, municipal leadership, and collaborative implementation frameworks. As water stress increases globally, such partnerships will become increasingly critical for protecting and restoring the watersheds that support both human communities and natural ecosystems.