Upper South Platte Watershed Risks and Challenges

Upper South Platte Watershed is highly important as it provides approximately 80% of the water used by 1.5 million Denver metropolitan residents. Most of the Upper South Platte Watershed is located within the Pike National Forest southwest of the city of Denver. This area is known to experience severe droughts and high wildfire risk. Due to its reliability as a drinking water source for the Denver metropolitan area, the watershed has been identified by the Colorado Unified Assessment as a critical watershed in need of restoration. In addition, due to its location within the Pike National Forest, the Upper South Platte Watershed is critical to Colorado as it faces many threats and challenges. 

Wildfire Risk and Challenges

Prior to European settlement, Colorado experienced wildfires that cleared dead forest floor and promoted new growth. After European settlement, landscape changes from its historic condition such as grazing, logging, and fire suppression created denser forest conditions at greater risk of catastrophic wildland fires. 

Historic fires and tree recruitment periods following the fires resulted in considerable spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the historic forest landscape. Large fires that occurred in 1723, 1851, and 1880 were quite extensive but low in intensity. Today’s fires burn in more homogenous, dense forest conditions that result in much more intense fire behavior and subsequent adverse effects.

1996 Buffalo Creek Wildfire

Summer of 1996: For the past 80 years, forest managers had aggressively undertaken wildland fire suppression, resulting in unnaturally high fuel loading within the forest and prairies ecosystems. It had been 126 years since the last wildfire occurred at Buffalo Creek when an unattended campfire in the Pike National Forest started a fire that would forever change forest management in Colorado. Driven by high winds, the fire grew rapidly - forcing residents to evacuate their homes. In spite of fire fighting efforts, the fire made its way across the road, burning several structures and 18 homes. The blaze continued burning 11 miles of forest in 5 days until it stopped at the South Platte River. Although ponderosa pine trees can often survive low burning ground fires, the Buffalo Creek fire burned very hot, crowning in the tops of the trees and killing many of them. Sadly, the fire was not the only catastrophe that occurred that summer. Two months after the fire, a devastating flood swept through the recently burned area causing further damage.

Rehabilitation efforts began shortly after the flood. By 1997 a new water system was completed, a fire station was constructed on higher ground, and communities were rebuilt. By 1998 roads were complete, including destroyed bridges. Buffalo Creek continues to be a highly visited area for the outdoor enthusiast. As you travel along the creek you can still see the burn mark on some of the boulders, a reminder of the 1996 catastrophe. 

A Forest Management Plan is Born

The 1996 Buffalo Creek Fire and Flood changed the way in which Colorado forests were managed. Different government and private sector entities (Partners*) united to assess and identify areas of improvement. One of the assessments conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, concluded that the Upper South Platte forests today are generally much denser with a higher portion of small trees compared to the forests before 1900. The small trees serve as ladder fuels permitting surface fires to climb into the tree canopy and become crown fires (the most intense type of fire) thus, leading to more frequent and severe wildland fires. 

By 1999, a landscape assessment was completed for the 645,000-acre Upper South Platte Watershed. The landscape assessment identified the dominant ecological processes and developed a management plan. The primary goal is to reduce the risk of catastrophic fire to protect human life, property, and water quality. The goal can be accomplished by restoring the vegetation to an ecologically sustainable condition while balancing other uses. Partner’s management actions focus on reducing the potential for crown fires, sediment transport, and risks to life and property in the urban/forest interface, and creating sustainable forest conditions in the Upper South Platte Watershed.

The following included are some of the major risks identified in the assessment and proposed management actions:

• Vegetation Pattern: "The structure, composition, and landscape pattern of vegetation is altered from its pre-European conditions by cumulative human impacts" -  Lowering stand densities and creating more openings in ponderosa pine/Douglas fir and lodgepole pine forests reduces the risk of large-scale catastrophic fires. Maintaining vigorous forest stand conditions reduces the severity of other disturbances. Reduction in existing fuel loadings by prescribed fire and mechanical treatments reduces the threat of high-intensity wildfires and the associated risks of flooding, erosion, and downstream sedimentation.
• Soil Development and Movement: "Soil development and movement in the Upper South Platte Watershed may be changed significantly due to human influences on disturbance processes" -  Soil erosion is correlated to road and trail density, vegetation, and drainage patterns. Paved and non-paved roads and trails with inadequate maintenance, inadequate drainage, or improper engineering can lead to considerable erosion and increased sedimentation. Realigning or improving drainage and maintenance of existing roads and trails reduces soil erosion and sedimentation, and improve road and trail safety.
• Water Quality, Quantity, and Aquatic Habitats: "Catastrophic events resulted in excess sediment in streams, causing harmful impacts to water quality, aquatic habitat, and valuable municipal water systems" -  Restoring Upper South Platte landscape vegetation to more sustainable conditions reduces the potential for high intensity fires and subsequent flooding that have adverse effects on water quality and aquatic habitats. Abandoned mine reclamation and drainage control provides a positive impact on aquatic habitat.

The management plan continuously uses data and analysis contained in landscape assessments to develop action plans that address vegetation conditions and erosion problems. Actions include but are not limited to: thinning, fuels reduction, prescribed fire, reforestation, sediment control, and other treatments to improve habitats and reduce noxious weeds.

Between 2000 and 2005, approximately 2000 acres of high-risk forest was restored to sustainable conditions; 10 acres of noxious weeds treated; 1 mile of stream bank stabilized; 10

miles of road stabilized or obliterated.

It is expected that between 2025 and 2050, the Upper South Platte goals of

reduced sediment and crown fires, defensible space in the urban/forest interface, and sustainable forest conditions in the Upper South Platte Watershed will be fully accomplished.

Brief Audio of Thomas Veblen, geography professor,CU Boulder, talks about Front Range wildfire study

* Partnership is composed of:

Unites States Forest Service (USFS): Responsible for National Forest Land Management on a sustainable basis while also being fiscally responsible.

Colorado Forest Service (CFS): Responsible for providing forest management advice and assistance on state lands and to private landowners.

Denver Water Department (DWD): Responsible for providing drinking water to the Denver metro area.

Upper South Platte Watershed Protection Association (USPWPA): Stakeholder group addressing watershed issues on the entire 1.7 million acres South Platte River drainage area. 

Water Risk and Challenges

Annual precipitation in Colorado averages only 17" statewide. The majority of the state is considerably drier with only 12-16" of precipitation annually. But Colorado benefits from much higher precipitation amounts on the ranges of the Rocky Mountains that cover the state from north to south. Most of the areas above 10,000' in elevation average more than 25" of moisture annually, with more than 50" in a few isolated high-mountain locations. 

With great effort and proper planning, Colorado has adapted to its dry climate conditions, such that the state successfully maintains a large agricultural industry, large and growing urban population areas, vast recreational industry, all while supplying large volumes of water to downstream states on the major rivers. Prone to severe droughts, fires, and floods, Colorado is challenged by both, water quantity and water quality. 

1996 Buffalo Creek Flood

Sadly, the wildfire was not the only catastrophe that occurred in the summer of 1996. Two months after the Buffalo Creek Fire, an intense thunderstorm poured 2.5" of rain in just two hours. The fire left little vegetation to protect exposed slopes and saturated-water resistant soils increased flood risk when they could not absorb any more water. Regardless of human intervention, the massive influx of water could not be stopped. Heavy sediment rushed into Buffalo Creek, Sand Draw, and Spring Creek and then into the South Platte River. As a result, the debris and water raised the river level by 10', creating walls of water that rushed downstream. The surge left behind a 12 mile trail of ashy mud, splintered pines, and tumbled boulders.

The flood caused devastating damage, a nearby community was pushed 8' from its original foundation, utilities were out of service for days, homes and other structures were completely destroyed, accessibility to some of the towns was not possible due to debris or complete destruction of the road. In addition, two lives were lost that day. In spite of the increased flood risk after the Buffalo Creek Fire, there was no flash flood warning issued by the National Weather Service. One man died when his truck was swept off the Highway. Another man died while sleeping in his camper, which was parked next to Buffalo Creek and was washed away by the swift current. 

The stormwaters deposited tons of coarse sediment and debris into a reservoir downstream of Buffalo Creek and on the South Platte River. It is estimated that approximately 15 years worth of sediments were deposited in the lake that day, reducing the reservoir’s storage capacity by 1/3. Riparian wildlife habitat along the affected creeks and the South Platte River was destroyed for miles.

It is estimated that the fire, flood, and rehabilitation projects cost approximately $35 million. The DWD reported clean up efforts of 6 reservoirs affected to have cost $1 million. Clean up doesn't stop there. They estimate spending an additional $10-15 million on future clean up, dredging, and water treatment modifications.

Water Quality Plan

The DWD is responsible for providing drinking water to 1.5 million residents of the ever growing Denver metropolitan area. Recent census data indicates an expected 53% increase in population by 2030. Due to the negative impacts of the Buffalo Creek Flood and expected population growth, the Denver Water Department developed a Source Water Protection Plan (SWPP) for the Upper South Platte River (USPR) Watershed. 

Denver Water, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), and the Coalition for the Upper South Platte (CUSP) appointed a Steering Committee for the design and development of the USPR SWPP. The Source Water Protection Priorities and Best Management Practices (BMPs) are as follows:

High Ranking Issues and BMPs

1. Agricultural Practices
• Identify sensitive drinking water areas adjacent to and downstream of agricultural operations
• Develop standardized language and policies for grazing contracts between large landowners, land use managers, and ranchers
• Using targeted education tools, develop effective agricultural practices materials to inform landowners and real estate industry of BMPs
• Identify and promote funding opportunities for landowners to improve agricultural practices
• Research the availability of augmentation water or regulatory alternatives for off channel livestock watering
2. Transportation Roads and Maintenance
• Identify sensitive areas and sediment potential occurring in proximity of these areas
• Identify maintenance entities that work in sensitive areas and provide maps of sensitive areas to maintenance crews
• Coordinate with road owners and trade organizations that deal with grading roads to do coordinated outreach and training of operators
• Apply USFS Road Construction BMPs and integrate where appropriate
3. Transportation Emergency Response and Hazardous Waste
• Identify and raise awareness to sensitive areas and the potentially hazardous activities occurring in proximity
• Outreach to emergency responders and dispatchers to help them understand the potential impacts of spills and hazardous waste to source water quality
• Conduct spill kit inventory and provide spill kits to emergency responders in sensitive areas
• Encourage development of hazardous waste disposal and recycling programs in watershed
4. Forest Health
• Define setbacks and firebreaks for critical infrastructure and resources to coordinate emergency response
• Identify funding resources for forest health projects and participate in research and outreach related to forest health topics 
5. Hydrogeomorphic Issues
• Identify and map existing Watershed Assessment of River Stability and Sediment Supply (WARSSS) and similar type studies and reports within the watershed
6. Graphic Information System (GIS) Mapping
• Create an online GIS tool to share information related to source water protection with stakeholders
7. Outreach & Education
• Create an outreach and education campaign to inform stakeholders about source water protection priority issues
• Enter into a Memorandum of Understanding regarding source water protection

Medium/High Ranking Issues and BMPs

1. On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS)
• Coordinate GIS overlays and mapping to identify sensitive areas
• In sensitive areas, perform surface water monitoring for nutrients and other potential contaminants
• Using targeted public outreach, develop effective OWTS awareness to inform landowners and realtors of BMPs
• Apply OWTS regulations and standards 
• Encourage OWTS inspections and record submittals on property transfers
2. Oil & Gas Exploration
• Work with other counties to raise awareness of BMPs for oil and gas development
• Monitor oil and gas leasing on Denver Water properties
3. Mine Drainage and Uranium Development
• Research and partner with groups and agencies already working on abandoned mine issues
• Develop a method to monitor and track mine permit applications 
• Define setbacks from water sources and critical infrastructure
4. Monitoring 
• Increase monitoring of source water priority constituents with special monitoring projects 

The potential financial and water supply risks of possible contamination of Denver's water sources are a concern to water suppliers in the Upper South Platte River watershed and downstream cities reliant upon water from the Upper South Platte River. 

Voluntary implementation of water management approaches provides an additional level of protection to the drinking water supply by taking preventive measures at the local level. Therefore, DWD places a high priority on the implementation and maintenance of the USPR SWPP in order to maintain high quality water and reduce the need for additional water treatment costs in the future.

Colorado Drought Mitigation & Response Plan

Colorado is susceptible to droughts that can have significant long term impact to the state’s environment, economy, and population. Drought impacts vary depending on where the drought occurs and how long it persists. 

The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) is responsible for the development, modification, and implementation of the Colorado Drought Mitigation & Response Plan. The plan provides an effective means to reduce the short and long term impacts of water shortages. The plan outlines procedures for drought monitoring, impact assessment, emergency response, and mitigation of long term drought impacts. There are three major components of the plan: vulnerability assessments, mitigation, and response.

1. Vulnerability Assessments
• Identification of drought hazards
• Mapping of drought hazard location
• Monitor drought
• Drought indicator modernization
• Analyze drought history
• Monitor other drought implications
• Identify vulnerability based on local and state risk assessment
• Identify jurisdictions most threatened and most vulnerable to damage or loss
• Monitor changes in development pattern
2. Mitigation
• Develop hazard mitigation goals
• Reassessment of goals for validity or need for revision
• Develop and maintain State Drought Mitigation Capability Assessment
• Develop and maintain Pre-disaster Hazard Management Policies, Programs, and Capabilities
• Develop and maintain Post-disaster Hazard Management Policies, Programs, and Capabilities
• Implement State Policies Related to Development in Drought Prone Areas
• Develop State Funding Capabilities for Drought Hazard Mitigation Projects
• Assess the effectiveness of Local Mitigation Policies, Programs, and Capabilities 
• Evaluate and select Mitigation Actions and Activities
• Integrate Local Mitigation Plans into Mitigation Strategy
3. Response
• Drought monitoring, warning, and information sharing
• Potential impact analysis across sectors:
• Agricultural
• Energy
• Municipal Water
• Water Availability
• Wildlife Impact
• Implement response actions depending on drought severity
• Procurement and resource tracking
• Develop public information messages
• Implement applicable state drought programs
• Request for Presidential Disaster Declaration
• Long-term drought recovery planning

 Colorado Drought Plan Implementation Cycle

Drought Phase, Impacts, & Response

• Normal Conditions
• Regular Monitoring
• D0 - Abnormally Dry
• Regular Monitoring
• Short-term dryness slowing planting, growth of crops, or pastures
• D1 - Moderate Drought
• More close monitoring of conditions for persisting or rapidly worsening drought; Official drought not yet declared
• Some damage to crops, pastures; streams, reservoirs, or wells low, some water shortages developing or imminent; voluntary
• D2 - Severe Drought
• Drought Task Force and Impact Task Forces are activated; Potential Drought Emergency Declared
• Crop or pasture losses likely; water shortages common; water restrictions likely to be imposed
• D3 - Extreme Drought
• Drought Emergency is declared by Proclamation of the Governor
• Major crop/pasture losses; widespread water shortages or restrictions very likely to be imposed
• D4 - Exceptional Drought
• Drought Emergency is declared by Proclamation of the Governor
• Exceptional and widespread crop/pasture losses; shortages of water in reservoirs, streams, and wells creating water emergencies

Current Colorado Drought Challenges

As of 15 October 2020 - According to the National Drought Mitigation Center of Nebraska, Colorado drought phases range between D2 and D4. The following are current drought related challenges affecting Colorado:

D2 - Fire bans took effect for Pike and San Isabel National Forest lands as drought and winds increased fire danger; All campfires are banned.

D1/D2 - The Cameron Peak Fire, which began on Aug. 13, scorched 128,149 acres and was 42% contained on Oct. 7. 

The Mullen Fire, one of the largest in Wyoming history, has consumed at least 29 homes and 31 outbuildings. The blaze burned in a drought-stricken area of dead trees killed by mountain pine and spruce beetles. The Mullen Fire has burned 151,711 acres and was 14% contained as of Oct. 7.

D2 - Stage 1 fire restrictions continued in the Rio Grande National Forest as the hunting season began. Under Stage 1 restrictions, campfires and charcoal fires were banned, except in permanent metal or concrete fire pits at maintained Forest Service campgrounds. 

D2 - Fire bans took effect for Pike and San Isabel National Forest lands as drought and winds increased fire danger; All campfires are banned.

D2 - Stage 1 fire restrictions began in the San Juan National Forest on Aug. 20, due to minimal monsoon precipitation. Fires were prohibited in the forest, as was smoking and other activities.  

Effective 30 September 2020, as drought conditions worsened in Colorado, with an area of exceptional drought appearing in the western part of the state, Gov. Jared Polis expanded the second phase of the state’s drought response plan to all counties. A drought task force will assess initial damages and drought impacts and make recommendations on mitigation measures. Polis also requested that the U.S. Department of Agriculture provide emergency relief for Colorado producers as they endure financial losses.

Drought curbed Colorado’s winter wheat harvest, amounting to 46.5 million bushels, which was half of the 98 million bushels harvested in 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Overall yield in 2020 was 30 bushels per acre (bpa), compared to 49 bpa in 2019. Nearly 2 million acres of wheat were planted in the Centennial State, but only 1.55 million acres were harvested. Colorado’s corn crop is forecast to be about 152 million bushels, down 5 percent from the 2019 harvest of almost 160 million bushels. Twenty-five percent of the corn was rated very poor or poor as of Aug. 2. Irrigation water was short for junior rights holders on the Bessemer Ditch near Pueblo. Irrigation water from the Paonia Reservoir in southwest Colorado ended a month early.  Southeastern Colorado ranchers were considering significant herd reductions as the lack of rain severely limited available forage and water for livestock.

Effective 29 September 2020, the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association issued their first call for water use cuts. Users must reduce their use to 90 percent of normal. Earlier in the spring, water cuts seemed likely in July, but the dry April and May hastened the cuts. Forage production was also low on the rangelands after a dry fall, low snowpack at lower elevations, and the dry spring. Ranchers have turned their cattle out on the Bureau of Land Management areas, but the cattle were moving through pastures more quickly than normal.