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Upper Dolores wildfire-ready plan maps post-fire flood and erosion risks, seeks mitigation funding
Summary
Dolores Watersheds Collaborative presented hydrologic modeling that maps debris-flow, post-fire flooding and hillslope erosion hazards across the Upper Dolores watershed; a public workshop is set for Aug. 5 and the completed plan is expected by the end of September, with funding options through the Colorado Water Conservation Board.
Miss Williams, representing the Dolores Watersheds Collaborative (DWC), briefed commissioners on a wildfire-ready action plan (WRAP) for the Upper Dolores watershed that models post-fire hydrologic hazards and identifies mitigation priorities.
She described the project's data work: SNOTEL comparisons and three locally installed "snowtography" stations in Chicken Creek, House Creek and near Lizard Head Pass that measure snow water equivalent and soil moisture across different forest structures to improve understanding of how thinning and fuels treatments affect snowpack and runoff.
The WRAP provides mapped outputs for debris-flow hazard, post-fire flooding and hillslope erosion, and overlays those risk layers with values at risk such as reservoirs, diversions, roads, evacuation routes and water infrastructure (including the Dove Creek pumps). DWC is developing a menu of pre-fire mitigation options ranging from fuels reduction higher in the watershed to gully stabilization, wet-meadow restoration and downstream infrastructure upgrades; the priority projects will be chosen through stakeholder engagement.
"We work to promote forest, watershed, community, and ecosystem resilience through collaboration," Miss Williams said, summarizing the initiative.
Miss Williams said the analyses are complete and the plan will enter a public/stakeholder review phase: a workshop open to the public and stakeholders is scheduled for Aug. 5, and the DWC expects to finish the plan by the end of September. The Colorado Water Conservation Board is the primary funding partner identified for project implementation and requires matching funds; other federal grant programs may also apply.
The presentation also revisited early-detection camera data: AI-Pano vendor maps presented to the collaborative show that two cameras would not cover the full watershed above Boggy Draw, and Empire Electric and other partners discussed cost and coverage limitations.
Why it matters: the plan identifies specific reaches and values at risk from post-fire hydrologic hazards and provides a prioritized set of mitigation options that stakeholders can pursue for funding and on-the-ground work.
DWC will return with public outreach dates and funding strategies for prioritized projects, and requested county input on how to contact private landowners whose parcels include identified hotspots.
