In 2012, the Upper Poudre River Watershed experienced extreme devastation to the ecological health of the area from two wildfires in the same year. The High Park Fire and Hewlett Gulch Fire Watershed Assessment & Mitigation Projects provided context for JW to continue working in the Poudre River Watershed.

The 2017 Recovery & Resiliency Plan had two components – first, identify the remaining post-fire priorities for restoration from the High Park Fire of 2012 and second, develop a watershed plan to create a more resilient Upper Poudre Watershed. This project was completed for the Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed (CPRW) in 2017.

After completion of this project, CPRW used this analysis and prioritization to plan their forest health and watershed resilience work across the watershed. Having this plan also helps CPRW apply for funding that would support work on forest thinning and other wildfire mitigation efforts across the Upper Poudre River Watershed.

Then, Colorado’s largest wildfire to date burned a significant area of the Upper Poudre River Watershed in 2020. JWA was called to prioritize the recovery efforts with limited funding and capacity for these immediate post-fire projects and assist with post-fire mitigation, hillslope treatments, and watershed recovery efforts.

Now, JWA is embarking on a new version of the 2017 Resilience Plan to take into account the major changes in the Upper Poudre River Watershed since 2017.