Introduction

Introduction

Watershed Wildfire Protection Group

January 25, 2013  Initiated by Under Secretary Harris Sherman  Signed in December 2012  Signatories . U.S. Forest Service . Colorado State Forest Service . Bureau of Reclamation . Northern Water  Restore forest and watershed health and preplan post-wildfire response to protect C-BT facilities and water supplies

 Northern Water is a public agency created in 1937 to contract with the federal government to build the Colorado-Big Thompson Project

. C-BT Constructed by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 1938-1957

. Today, Northern Water and the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation jointly operate and maintain the C-BT Project

 The C-BT Project provides supplemental water to Northern Colorado:

. More than 640,000 acres of irrigated farm and ranch land

. About 60 cities and domestic water districts serving 850,000 people

Willow Creek Reservoir Grand Lake and Shadow Mountain

Lake Granby

Windy Gap Reservoir Green Mountain Reservoir

Horsetooth Reservoir

Lake Estes Big T Siphon

Flatiron Reservoir

Carter Lake Distribution Canals Pole Hill

Flatiron Penstocks

Estes Power Plant Mary’s Lake Flatiron 1957 2012

Population = 150,000 Population = 850,000

C-BT Deliveries: C-BT Deliveries: 98% Agricultural 66% Agricultural 2% Municipal-Industry 34% M & I

C-BT Ownership: C-BT Ownership: 85% Agricultural 33% Agricultural 15% M & I 67% M & I (~60 M&I Allottees) Average Annual Delivery 213,000 ac-ft

Horsetooth Reservoir

Horsetooth/Carter Watersheds

Middle Big Thompson Watershed

Big Thompson River Lake Estes Lake Estes Watershed

Granby/Grand Lake Watershed

Carter Lake Reservoir

Grand Lake Willow Creek Watershed

Area

Willow Creek Major Watershed (acres) Reservoir Lake Granby Grand Lake/Granby 199,600 Willow Creek 90,600 Windy Gap Windy Gap Watershed Colorado River Reservoir Windy Gap 71,100 Lake Estes 122,100 Middle Big Thompson 117,800 Horsetooth/Carter 22,500 Total 623,700 Horsetooth Reservoir

Horsetooth/Carter Watersheds

Middle Big Thompson Roosevelt Watershed National Forest

Lake Big Thompson River Lake Estes Estes Watershed Arapaho Granby/Grand Lake National Forest Watershed Carter Lake Reservoir Grand Willow Creek Lake Watershed

Rocky Mountain National Park

Willow Creek Reservoir Lake Granby

Other Windy Gap NPS Windy Gap Watershed 26% 35% Colorado River Reservoir

USFS 39% Horsetooth Reservoir

Horsetooth/Carter Watersheds

Middle Big Thompson Watershed

Big Thompson River Lake Estes Lake Estes Watershed

Granby/Grand Lake Watershed

Carter Lake Reservoir

Grand Lake Willow Creek Watershed

Willow Creek Pon- Reservoir Lake Granby derosa Other 15% 28% Windy Gap Windy Gap Watershed Colorado River Reservoir Lodge- pole Alpine 28% 13% Spruce- Fir 16%  Public, Employee and Firefighter Safety  Protect Infrastructure  Protect Water Quality . Dams . Sediment, Debris . Power Plants, Pump . Ash Stations . Total Organic Carbon (TOC) . Power Lines . General Treatability . Canals, Pipelines Poudre River following . Other Structures High Park fire

(USDA / CreativeCommons/Flickr) CSFS/USFS Treatments in Green Ridge Area  Planning . Update/refine watershed assessments . Develop 5-year operating plan  Activities  Coordination . Conduct forest treatments . Education, technical and . Post-wildfire response financial incentives preparation . Engage other partners . The MOU does not commit to specific budgets Communication/media or funding levels – will need to be discussed campaign during operating plan development.  Jerry Gibbens, Northern Water . [email protected] . 970-622-2299