Science & Monitoring
We evaluate the conditions of the Poudre River Watershed through a range of collaborative monitoring efforts with partners and community scientists. These monitoring efforts incorporate water quality as well as watershed conditions. Data collected can be used for many purposes, such as determining source(s) of impairment, to provide input for management tools, to evaluate the effectiveness of post-fire restoration treatments, and to support scientifically-based decisions for preserving or improving the quality of the Cache la Poudre River.
River Health Assessment Framework (RHAF)
The RHAF was developed to meet the needs of land managers, community members, policymakers, river advocates, scientists, and others concerned about the state of the Poudre River and the myriad of challenges the river faces. It incorporates eight years of field assessments from the river’s headwaters to its confluence with the South Platte River. The RHAF provides a unified and consistent approach to collecting data and monitoring river health to guide restoration and management actions for the entire watershed.
Community Science Water Quality Monitoring Program
CPRW’s Community Science Program utilizes volunteers to gather baseline water quality data throughout the Upper Poudre River Watershed and to track potential changes following wildfires and prescribed burns.
Post-Fire Monitoring
We use a variety of monitoring techniques upstream, within, and downstream of our post-fire restoration projects to help estimate and quantify sediment storage and water chemistry trends.