Colorado Springs Utilities Watershed Partnership

Colorado Springs Utilities Watershed Partnership

Project Summary

2016 - Present

Partners

Colorado Springs Utilities
US Forest Service
Colorado State Forest Service
Coalition for the Upper South Platte
Arkansas River Watershed Collaborative

Colorado Springs Utilities has a working partnership with the US Forest Service, Colorado State Forest Service, Coalition for the Upper South Platte and others. This partnership has the goal of reducing the impacts of wildfires on water supply watersheds. The partnership is currently revising its 5-Year Plan that identifies priorities for forest management treatments throughout CSU's large water supply watershed areas.

Project Actions

JW Associates is helping Colorado Springs Utilities implement the following actions:

Watershed protection treatments
Prioritization of watershed hazards
Review, evaluation, and recommendations for road/stream crossing hazards
Development of pre- and post-fire plans to protection critical reservoirs and other water supply infrastructure
Creation of strong partnerships through collaboration with stakeholders

Benefits

Increased watershed resilience
Reduction of fuels in critical areas
Restore riparian areas and connect floodplains
Increased forest health and resistance to insect outbreaks
Better post-fire outcomes in critical watersheds

Project Maps

Detailed analysis of hazards leads to creation of watershed maps that are a core part of JW Associates’ assessment process, providing critical information regarding prioritization of watersheds and hazard ranking. These maps cover the Pikes Peak and Western Slope analysis areas of the Colorado Springs Utilities water supply areas.