What is the Bear River Wildfire Ready Action Plan (WRAP)?
The vision is to prepare critical water supply watersheds in the Bear River project area to withstand and be resilient to wildfires. By integrating pre-fire actions and post-fire planning, WRAP fosters collaboration among stakeholders to ensure clear roles and responsibilities for wildfire preparedness and response.
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The project covers
52 sq miles
What is a resilient watershed?
Resilient watersheds are those that can experience disturbances like wildfire or drought while moderating the intensity and recover relatively quickly afterwards. By understanding the characteristics of a resilient watershed, watershed managers can proactively make decisions that minimize impacts of disturbances to hydrologic systems, riparian zones, and the natural flux of water and sediment in streams when disturbances like wildfire inevitably occur. Taking action to build resiliency in our watersheds can protect them from existing and future stresses, such as wildfire and climate change.
Why is the Bear River watershed critical?
The Bear River Watershed is a critical water-supply and is susceptible to wildfire. It received the highest priority classification for Watershed Protection in the ColoradoState Forest Service (CSFS) 2020 Forest Action Plan (FAP). Areas identified as high priorities for Watershed Protection in the 2020 FAP represent priority areas where opportunities exist to improve and maintain water quality and quantity, improve resiliency of critical water infrastructure, and sustain or restore fundamental ecological functions for watershed health.
Stillwater Reservoir, owned by the Bear River Reservoir Company and Yamcolo Reservoir, owned by the Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District, are primarily agricultural water storage facilities. These reservoirs deliver all of their water storage to water users in Routt County, within the operational boundary of the UYWCD. Yamcolo reservoir also provides municipal and augmentation water storage for Yampa River basin water users. The town of Yampa is located at the downstream extent of the Bear River Watershed. The Town of Yampa’s municipal water supply facility is located in the lowest portion of the watershed and is supplied by both direct diversion and infiltration galleries drawing from the main channel of the Bear River.
Goals
- Define key characteristics of resilient, wildfire-ready watersheds and ecosystems.
- Manage wildfire as a natural disturbance rather than aiming for its elimination.
- Identify priority watersheds for pre- and post-fire actions.
- Implement pre-fire actions to enhance watershed resilience.
- Collaborate with stakeholders to share data, analysis, and planning efforts.
- Integrate watershed treatments that connect hillslopes with streams and reservoirs.
- Explore innovative treatments and technologies that combine forest management and low-tech process based (LTPBR) restoration techniques.
- Adapt and align with existing projects to maximize funding efficiency.
- Provide public education and opportunities for community engagement around WRAP initiatives.
Objectives
- Maintain ongoing stakeholder engagement and communication.
- Create plans and identify funding for multiple watershed resilience projects within two years.
- Integrate public education and community outreach into completed projects when possible.
- Collaborate with partners to establish a five-year plan to continue watershed resilience efforts.
- Track annual progress in advancing wildfire readiness across watersheds.
Pre-fire Projects
Project Type: Road Crossing
Watershed: Outlet Bear River
Project Description: Upgrade the culvert to a large bottomless arch or bridge in order to increase the stream’s ability to modify its channel in higher flow situations, rather than overtopping the culvert and flowing over the road.
Ownership: County Road
Partners: County Road and Bridge
Status: Not Started
Project Type: Road Crossing
Watershed: Outlet Bear River
Project Description: Consider adding overflow culvert or two instead of trying to change current bridge/culvert which also has stream gage on it.
Ownership: County Road
Partners: County Road and Bridge
Status: Not Started
Project Type: Road Crossing
Watershed: Outlet Bear River
Project Description: Consider increasing road crossing capacity here. Current capacity is 257cfs, and 2yr post-fire peak flow is 425cfs. Work with County to add this crossing to priority list for upgrades.
Ownership: County Road
Partners: County Road and Bridge
Status: Not Started
Project Type: Road Crossing
Watershed: Gardner Creek
Project Description: Upgrade the capacity of the culvert in this location. If the Stillwater Ditch blows out from high peakflows off Gardner Creek, the high volume of flow would likely blow out the current culvert and road section.
Ownership: USFS Road 900
Partners: USFS
Status: Not Started
Project Type: Infrastructure Upgrades
Watershed: Upper Bear River
Project Description: Leverage the UYWCD ditch piping project to create a wider road along the ditch that could be utilized as a fire line. In addition, incorporate forest management work to create a large fire break along the ditch.
Ownership: USFS
Partners: USFS
Status: Planning In Progress
Project Type: Wildfire Severity Reduction
Watershed: Upper Bear River
Project Description: Leverage forest treatments around Stillwater Ditch to reduce the wildfire hazard in these areas and alter the wildfire behavior to create more resilient watersheds.
Ownership: USFS
Partners: USFS
Status: Planning In Progress
Project Type: Floodplain Improvement
Watershed: Coal Creek
Project Description: The beaver were removed from this watershed when CPW reinstated the cutthroat trout population. Recommend supporting and expediting the reinstatment of the beaver population.
Ownership: USFS
Partners: CPW, USFS
Status: Not Started
Project Type: Floodplain Improvement
Watershed: Lower Dome Creek
Project Description: Current dams are constructed with small material because of lack of larger material avaialble. Consider reinforcing/augmenting the current dams with posts. Consider enclosure fencing for apsen and willows to reduce ungulate grazing and improve woody vegetation. Consult CPW about the design and approach.
Ownership: USFS
Partners: CPW, USFS
Status: Not Started
Project Type: Future Analysis
Watershed: Lower Dome Creek
Project Description: How do we accomplish ecological uplift when there are currently active beavers? Recommend monitoring the area using drone imagery or game cameras to understand how it is continuing to improve or whether it needs to be helped along.
Ownership: USFS
Partners: USFS
Status: Planning In Progress
Project Type: Wildfire Severity Reduction
Watershed: Dome Creek, Ram’s Horn
Project Description: Forest treatments in the dense spruce-fir and beetle killed forest to the south of Yamcolo Reservoir.
Ownership: USFS
Partners: USFS
Status: Project In Progress
Project Type: Wildfire Severity Reduction
Watershed: Yamcolo Reservoir
Project Description: Review campsites and locations and conditions of fire rings. Consider upgrading fire rings, develop
recommendations about potential vegetation clearing around fire rings and campgrounds.
Ownership:
Partners: USFS
Status: Not Started
Project Type: Road Crossing
Watershed: Lower Mandall Creek
Project Description: Upgrade the culvert to allow higher flows to pass through without taking out the road. Rehabilitate the downstream side of the culvert and riparian area below the crossing which would help to slow flows and drop sediment before it reaches Bear Lake.
Ownership: USFS Road 900
Partners: USFS
Status: Not Started
