Wildfire mitigation planned for 150 acres next year
Northern Water says the next phase will include forest thinning and wildfire-fuels reduction as part of an effort to protect nearby water infrastructure and water quality.
A second phase of the Chimney Hollow/Carter Lake Watershed Protection Project is scheduled for next year, with similar wildfire-mitigation work planned across 150 acres, Northern Water says.
Phase 1 took place in June and July in the Dry Creek watershed, Northern Water said. The watershed is directly adjacent to Carter Lake and the recently built Chimney Hollow Reservoir. The work covered 60 acres of private land and focused on forest thinning and wildfire-fuels reduction, including strategic thinning of dense ponderosa pines.
The release said the dense ponderosa pines had become overgrown over the years, partly because the area had not experienced fire in recorded history. The cut trees were mulched and spread across the landscape to help enrich forest soil and minimize hillslope erosion. Northern Water said it helped fund the Colorado State Forest Service-led project to help protect the water infrastructure and water quality associated with Carter Lake and Chimney Hollow Reservoir. The Loveland Fire Rescue Authority also did similar work across about 10 acres in the Chimney Hollow-Carter Lake area this summer, Northern Water said.
Severe wildfire can create long-term problems for water supplies, Northern Water said. Erosion, sediment and debris from burned areas can wash into nearby reservoirs and streams for several years after a fire, the organization said. Northern Water said it has worked with numerous partners on post-fire restoration in watersheds above its collection and distribution infrastructure. Those partners collectively spent millions of dollars, particularly after the 2020 East Troublesome Fire in Grand County, the organization said. Northern Water said the fire was the second-largest in Colorado history.
Northern Water described the project as a more proactive approach than post-fire restoration and said it may be more cost-effective. The organization said studies show that each dollar spent on proactive forest-health measures and wildfire prevention saves about $7 in wildfire response, damages and associated costs.