A River of Chocolate Milk

Check out this new Fireforest blog post by our partners at City of Fort Collins Utilities about the impacts of peak runoff on water quality in a post-fire watershed.

“It is not unusual for the clarity of the Poudre River to change with snowmelt runoff. The color of the water normally turns light brown, like tea; however, the changes this spring have been much more drastic due to the continued impacts from the Cameron Peak Fire. The extreme amount of sediment and ash stored on the bottom and banks of the Poudre River in 2021 is now being resuspended in the water as the river rises and its flow intensifies.”

Sediment from the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire accumulates in the Cache la Poudre Riverbed from July 27 – November 17, 2021. Video by Evan Barrientos/Platte Basin Timelapse.

CPRW is proud to sponsor Fireforest, a long-term multimedia project that aims to help Coloradans understand that fire is an essential part of the solution to megafires, that fire is a natural part of Colorado’s forests, and that forests have a natural ability to recover from it. It will also help Coloradans understand that not all fire is the same, and the right kind can promote forest health. To learn more visit https://www.fireforestphoto.com/