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Last week s mudslides that closed Colorado Highway 14 through the Poudre Canyon are evidence that the impacts of last year s Cameron Peak Fire will be long lasting.
Nowhere is that damage more critical than the Poudre and Big Thompson watersheds. Both were heavily damaged by the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires, the largest and second-largest wildfires, respectively, in Colorado history. Combined they scorched more than 400,000 acres.
In response to the devastation, the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado s NoCoFires Fund grant committee awarded $670,000 to three nonprofits working to mitigate damage to the watersheds through protecting the rivers health, the area s water supply and public safety.
More trails closed by the Cameron Peak Fire reopened Friday after assessment work by U.S Forest Service staff and volunteers.
Trails that reopened Friday include the North Fork, Stormy Peaks, Mummy Pass and Emmaline Lake trails as well as land around Alexander Mountain and the CSU Mountain Campus, the Canyon Lakes Ranger District stated in a news release.
District staff and volunteers from Poudre Wilderness Volunteers and Cameron Peak Nordic Rangers continue to evaluate areas as the snow melts.
More than 120 miles of trails and 350 miles of forest service roads are within the 325-mile perimeter of the fire. The largest wildfire in state history, believed to be human caused, was declared 100% contained Dec. 2, 112 days after it started. Much of the burn scar remains closed.
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Fort Collins Utilities is asking customers to voluntarily reduce their water use because of anticipated water quality impacts from the Cameron Peak Fire.
The water shortage watch starts Thursday and will continue until conditions get better, which would end the watch, or worse, which could prompt mandatory water restrictions.
Some of the suggested water-saving actions include:
Limiting lawn-watering to two days a week
No watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The organization started a GoFundMe campaign and within nearly a month has received more than $28,000, about $3,000 more than its initial goal, for materials and supplies.
With 42 miles of trails severely impacted by the fire and 120 miles moderately impacted, group member Jerry Hanley said the task is daunting but less so thanks to the support shown by the community. As far as you can see up there are burnt trees on both sides (of the Poudre Canyon); it s just sickening to me, said Hanley, who heads the organization s funding development committee. But I ve been delightfully shocked and overwhelmed by the generosity of folks when we reached out like this for the first time in our history. And 80% to 90% of the donors to the site are not PWV members, which is outstanding.