coalition for the poudre river watershedprti.colostate.edu/files/2016-18-16_presentationtwo.pdf ·...

Watershed Resiliency Metrics in Action

Jen Kovecses

Executive Director

Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed

Brad Piehl

JW Associates

© Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed

CPRW Structure and Mission

Society of American Foresters Ctr for Collab. Conservation City of Fort Collins City of Greeley Colorado Natural Heritage Program

Larimer County Larimer County Conservation Corps

Trout Unlimited Unaffiliated local residents, and

Wildlands Restoration Volunteers

To improve and maintain the ecological health of the Poudre River Watershed through community collaboration

STAKEHOLDER ADVISORY TEAM

Our Approach

• Collaborate broadly

• Plan strategically

• Prioritize

• 2014 – began working with broad range of stakeholders to identify areas of upper watershed in need of restoration

• Worked with stakeholders to develop what watershed values & hazards to prioritize

Watershed Plan for the Upper Poudre

Stakeholder driven spatial analysis

Goal identify highest priority areas for restoration & resilience building

Prioritizes hazards to critical watershed values

Watershed Values at Risk

From: PROTECTING FRONT RANGE FOREST

WATERSHEDS FROM HIGH-SEVERITY

WILDFIRES AN ASSESSMENT BY THE

PINCHOT INSTITUTE FOR CONSERVATION

USFS

beer industry of Fort Collins produces more than 2 million barrels per year and employs a 1500 people

$950k-$2.7M whitewater economic value

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

• Post fires of 2012 and flood of 2013 • CDBG-DR DOLA funding for disaster recovery and resilience

building

• CPRW awarded funds to create an Upper Poudre Recovery & Resilience Plan

• Funding would be used to help us move towards some of the goals articulated by the stakeholder committee

AIMS

1. Remaining post fire unmet needs

2. Build watershed resiliency which watershed values are not resilient to the most pressing hazards?

STRATEGY

• Set goals

• Rely on existing spatially-explicit datasets

• create metrics for each dataset

• Relatively rank outcomes

• Had to eliminate some desired conditions/values • lack of good data across whole planning area

Resilient Upland Habitat Resilient River Corridor Reliable Water Supply

Watershed Value (not ranked or

prioritized) Definition/Attributes to protect or maximize Ecosystem benefit/services they provide

At Risk From (not

ranked/prioritized)

naturally functioning river

aquatic ecosystems that can maintain key hydrological function such as floodplain connection, instream flows,

and diverse aquatic habitat structure; appropriate water quality conditions (physical, biological, chemical)

Biodiversity, recreation, downstream flood/erosion protection; lower cost drinking/irrigation supply, protection

of roads/highways

wildfire, drought, floods, pollution

upland habitat

upland habitats that maintain key forest ecological characteristics such as [resilient/historical] disturbance

regimes appropriate canopy/age structure, wildlife habitat, soil health, native vegetation; healthy & diverse soil characteristics to maximize precipitation infiltration

& slow down surface runoff

Biodiversity; carbon sequestration; natural resource extraction (timber); recreation; healthy soils; wildlife

habitat & migration corridors; agriculture/grazing; protection against invasive species encroachment; reduced

sediment delivery to receiving waters

wildfire, drought, floods

water supply clean water that is free of excess sediment or other

pollutants reliable/predictable source of drinking & irrigation supply

wildfire, drought, floods, pollution

cultural values historical connections, religious/spiritual/aesthetics

identities,

diverse community identity, passive recreation opportunities, human health benefits (lower stress, higher

likelihood to exercise) wildfire, drought, floods

Watershed Values & Threats to Consider For Planning

Forests, Fire, & Elevation

ADAPTED FROM THE FRONT RANGE ROUNDTABLE

General elevations1

>~11,500’

~9,000-9,500’ to ~11,500’

~8,000’ to ~9,000-9,500’

~6,000’ to ~8,000’

~5,500’ to ~6,000’

Sub-alpine

Upper Montane

Lower Montane

Lower Ecotone

Alpine

Dominant overstory composition

• No trees

• Lodgepole Pine • Spruce/Fir

• Mesic Ponderosa Pine

• Mesic Mixed Conifer2

• Dry Ponderosa Pine

• Dry Douglas-fir

• Transition to Ponderosa Pine

Front Range life zones

11

Lg, high intensity; 100 yrs

Mixed sml -mod size & intensity;

20-40 yrs

Wildfires: drivers of landscape change

www.puggerruner.com

Physical

Biological

Removing Fire Changes System

Defining Planning Metrics

• Historical Range of Variability

vs

• Resilient Conditions

Forests, Fire, & Elevation - Historical Range of Variability

ADAPTED FROM FRONT RANGE ROUNDTABLE 16

General elevations1

>~11,500’

~9,000-9,500’ to ~11,500’

~8,000’ to ~9,000-9,500’

~6,000’ to ~8,000’

~5,500’ to ~6,000’

Sub-alpine

Upper Montane

Lower Montane

Lower Ecotone

Alpine

High

Mixed

Low

Difference from HRV2?

Risk of ignition / fire

spread HRV2 well

understood? Front Range ecosystems

Resilience

Ecological Definition

• The capacity of a system to absorb disturbance and reorganize while undergoing change so as to still retain essentially the same function, structure, identity, and feedbacks.

State of Colorado

Stakeholder workshop outcomes

• Consensus to not use historical pre-European condition as reference • Historical range of variability- may not be applicable

• Resilient condition- consensus from groups that this condition was the best option

• Spatial planning that identifies greatest departure from resilient conditions

Seventh Level Watersheds (14 code HUCs)

• 317 Watersheds

• Average 2,173 acres

• Total 688,679 acres

• Minimum 180 - Maximum 6,300 acres

Forest Resiliency Healthy Upland Habitat

• Diversity of forest types

• Diversity of canopy density

• High wildfire hazard areas disconnected

Owl Canyon

Livermore

Red

Feather

Lakes

Spencer

Heights

Idylwilde

Kinikinik

Indian

Meadows

Rustic

Glen Echo

Goodell

Corner

EggersMishawaka

Bellvue

Horsetooth

Heights

Poudre

Park

Gould

Glen Haven

Drake

Masonville

Laporte

Fort Collins

Wellington

Buckeye

Tie Siding

Glendevey

SevenmileCreek-Cache LaPoudre River

Elkhorn Creek

Youngs Gulch

Skin

Gu

lch-C

ache La

Po

ud

re River

Gordon Creek

Hill Gulch-Cache

La Poudre River

North Fork

Cache La Poudre

River-Panhandle Creek

Sheep Creek-NorthFork Cache LaPoudre Creek

No

rth

Fo

rkC

ach

e La

Po

ud

reR

iver

-Bu

ll C

reek

Trail Creek-North

Fork Cache La

Poudre River

Beaver Creek

Headwaters South

Fork Cache La

Poudre River

Pennock

Cre

ek

LittleBeaverCreek

Pendergrass

Creek-South Fork Cache

La Poudre River

Hague Creek

Hea

dwat

ers C

ache

La P

oudreRiv

er

La P

oudrePass

Creek

Joe

Wrig

ht

Cre

ek

Willow

Creek-Cache La

Poudre River

Sheep Creek

Roaring

Creek

Black Hollow-CacheLa Poudre River

Bennett Creek

South

Fork Lone

Pine Creek

North ForkLone Pine

Creek

Lone Pine

Creek

Rabbit Creek

Stonewall

Creek

Mito

n S

eam

an

Reservo

ir-No

rth F

ork

Cach

e La Po

ud

re R

iver

Ow

l Cre

ek

Ho

rsetoo

th

Reservo

ir

City of Fort

Collins-Cache

La Poudre River

FishCreek-Dale

Creek Low

er

Dale

Cre

ek

De

adm

an

Cre

ek

Halligan

Reservoir

Sources: Esri, HERE, DeLorme, TomTom, Intermap, increment P Corp., GEBCO, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, IGN, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri

Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), swisstopo, MapmyIndia, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community

Legend

Upper Poudre Project Area

6th Level Watersheds

Vegetation Class

Agriculture

Aspen

Douglas-fir

Grassland

Juniper

Lodgepole Pine

Mixed Conifer

Pinyon-Juniper

Ponderosa Pine

Riparian

Sagebrush

Shrubland

Snow Ice

Spruce-fir

O

0 4.5 9 13.5

Miles

Map2.2 VegetationTypesintheUpperPoudreWatershed.

Forest Vegetation

Owl Canyon

Livermore

Red

Feather

Lakes

Spencer

Heights

Idylwilde

Kinikinik

Indian

Meadows

Rustic

Glen Echo

Goodell

Corner

EggersMishawaka

Bellvue

Horsetooth

Heights

Poudre

Park

Gould

Glen Haven

Drake

Masonville

Laporte

Fort Collins

Wellington

Buckeye

Tie Siding

Glendevey


Elkhorn Creek

Youngs Gulch

Skin

Gu

lch-C

ache La

Po

ud

re River

Gordon Creek

Hill Gulch-Cache

La Poudre River

North Fork

Cache La Poudre



No

rth

Fo

rkC

ach

e La

Po

ud

reR

iver

-Bu

ll C

reek

Trail Creek-North

Fork Cache La

Poudre River

Beaver Creek

Headwaters South

Fork Cache La

Poudre River

Pennock

Cre

ek

LittleBeaverCreek

Pendergrass


La Poudre River

Hague Creek

Hea

dwat

ers C

ache

La P

oudreRiv

er

La P

oudrePass

Creek

Joe

Wrig

ht

Cre

ek

Willow

Creek-Cache La

Poudre River

Sheep Creek

Roaring

Creek


Bennett Creek

South

Fork Lone

Pine Creek

North ForkLone Pine

Creek

Lone Pine

Creek

Rabbit Creek

Stonewall

Creek

Mito

n S

eam

an

Reservo

ir-No

rth F

ork

Cach

e La Po

ud

re R

iver

Ow

l Cre

ek

Ho

rsetoo

th

Reservo

ir

City of Fort

Collins-Cache

La Poudre River

FishCreek-Dale

Creek Low

er

Dale

Cre

ek

De

adm

an

Cre

ek

Halligan

Reservoir



Legend




Life Zones

Lower Ecotone

Lower Montane

Subalpine/Alpine

Upper Montane O

0 4.5 9 13.5

Miles

Map2.1 ForestLifeZonesintheUpperPoudreWatershed (basedonKaufmannetal.2006)

Forest Life Zones

1900 1999

Buffalo Park

Forest Type Resilient Canopy

Closure (%)

Xeric Ponderosa Pine 15-25

Mesic Ponderosa Pine 20-35

Xeric Mixed Conifer 20-35

Mesic Mixed Conifer 35-50

High Elevation Forest Resiliency

• Spruce-fir and Lodgepole Pine forests

• Tend to mature into dense forests

• Have less frequent disturbances

• Diversity is still important

• Used Simpson’s Diversity Index

Forest Resiliency

• Value A - Resilient Upland Habitats

• Canopy Closure

• Comparison to Resilient Conditions

• Wildfire Hazard

Owl Canyon

Livermore

Red

Feather

Lakes

Spencer

Heights

Idylwilde

Kinikinik

Indian

Meadows

Rustic

Glen Echo

Goodell

Corner

EggersMishawaka

Bellvue

Horsetooth

Heights

Poudre

Park

Gould

Glen Haven

Drake

Masonville

Laporte

Fort Collins

Wellington

Buckeye

Tie Siding

Glendevey


Elkhorn Creek

Youngs Gulch

Skin

Gu

lch-C

ache La

Po

ud

re River

Gordon Creek

Hill Gulch-Cache

La Poudre River

North Fork

Cache La Poudre



No

rth

Fo

rkC

ach

e La

Po

ud

reR

iver

-Bu

ll C

reek

Trail Creek-North

Fork Cache La

Poudre River

Beaver Creek

Headwaters South

Fork Cache La

Poudre River

Pennock

Cre

ek

LittleBeaverCreek

Pendergrass


La Poudre River

Hague Creek

Hea

dwat

ers C

ache

La P

oudreRiv

er

La P

oudrePass

Creek

Joe

Wrig

ht

Cre

ek

Willow

Creek-Cache La

Poudre River

Sheep Creek

Roaring

Creek


Bennett Creek

South

Fork Lone

Pine Creek

North ForkLone Pine

Creek

Lone Pine

Creek

Rabbit Creek

Stonewall

Creek

Mito

n S

eam

an

Reservo

ir-No

rth F

ork

Cach

e La Po

ud

re R

iver

Ow

l Cre

ek

Ho

rsetoo

th

Reservo

ir

City of Fort

Collins-Cache

La Poudre River

FishCreek-Dale

Creek Low

er

Dale

Cre

ek

De

adm

an

Cre

ek

Halligan

Reservoir



Legend




Value A Rank

Lowest

Low

Moderate

High

Highest O

0 4.5 9 13.5

Miles

Map12. UpperPoudreWatershedValueA-ResilientUplandHabitatRanking

Forest Resilience Rank

Other resiliency aspects of planning

• Value B - Resilient River Corridor • Factor 1 – Roads • Factor 2 – Debris Flow Hazard • Factor 3 – Soil Erodibility/Granitic Parent Material

Hazard • Factor 4 – Sediment Transport

• Value C - Reliable Water Supply • Factor 1 - Land Use Impacts on Water Quality • Factor 2 - Existing Water Quality Impairment • Factor 3 - Source Supply Areas • Factor 4 – Sediment Deposition

Value A -

Healthy

Upland

Habitat

Value B –

Resilient

River

Value C –

Reliable

Water

Supply

Owl Canyon

Livermore

Red

Feather

Lakes

Spencer

Heights

Idylwilde

Kinikinik

Indian

Meadows

Rustic

Glen Echo

Goodell

Corner

EggersMishawaka

Bellvue

Horsetooth

Heights

Poudre

Park

Gould

Glen Haven

Drake

Masonville

Laporte

Fort Collins

Wellington

Buckeye

Tie Siding

Glendevey


Elkhorn Creek

Youngs Gulch

Skin

Gu

lch-C

ache La

Po

ud

re River

Gordon Creek

Hill Gulch-Cache

La Poudre River

North Fork

Cache La Poudre



No

rth

Fo

rkC

ach

e La

Po

ud

reR

iver

-Bu

ll C

reek

Trail Creek-North

Fork Cache La

Poudre River

Beaver Creek

Headwaters South

Fork Cache La

Poudre River

Pennock

Cre

ek

LittleBeaverCreek

Pendergrass


La Poudre River

Hague Creek

Hea

dwat

ers C

ache

La P

oudreRiv

er

La P

oudrePass

Creek

Joe

Wrig

ht

Cre

ek

Willow

Creek-Cache La

Poudre River

Sheep Creek

Roaring

Creek


Bennett Creek

South

Fork Lone

Pine Creek

North ForkLone Pine

Creek

Lone Pine

Creek

Rabbit Creek

Stonewall

Creek

Mito

n S

eam

an

Reservo

ir-No

rth F

ork

Cach

e La Po

ud

re R

iver

Ow

l Cre

ek

Ho

rsetoo

th

Reservo

ir

City of Fort

Collins-Cache

La Poudre River

FishCreek-Dale

Creek Low

er

Dale

Cre

ek

De

adm

an

Cre

ek

Halligan

Reservoir



Legend




Overall Watershed Priority Rank

Lowest

Low

Moderate

High

Highest O

0 4.5 9 13.5

Miles

Map3.24 UpperPoudreWatershedOverallPriorityRanking

Overall Priority

Owl Canyon

Livermore

Red

Feather

Lakes

Spencer

Heights

Idylwilde

Kinikinik

Indian

Meadows

Rustic

Glen Echo

Goodell

Corner

EggersMishawaka

Bellvue

Horsetooth

Heights

Poudre Park

Gould

Glen Haven

Drake

Masonville

Laporte

Fort Collins

Wellington

Buckeye

Tie Siding

Glendevey

HorsetoothReservoir

Lone PineCreek

LowerPoudre-Hill

Gulch

Meadow Creek

Pennock Creek

UpperPoudre-BlackHollow



Legend




Target Areas

Overall Watershed Priority Rank

Lowest

Low

Moderate

High

Highest O

0 4.5 9 13.5

Miles

Map 27. Upper Poudre Watershed Overall Priority Rank

Map4.1 UpperPoudreWatershedTargetAreas

Target Areas

Opportunities & Constraints ✓Land Ownership

✓Road Access

✓Wilderness, Roadless, or Special Areas

✓Areas of forest outside resilient conditions

✓Past and Planned Projects

Pros and Cons of Resiliency

• Resilience is challenging frame to define quantitative spatial analysis

• Hard to “get away” from historical condition but that is not a bad thing

• Thinking about resiliency at watershed scale offers framework that helps underpin the importance of the role of ecosystem form and function

• Climate change particular challenge

Next Steps

• Monitoring framework

• Completing review of technical report

• Defining priorities within priorities • Criteria for working within high priority zones

PUTTING PLANS INTO ACTION

• Already implementing resiliency projects based on prioritization

• Ben Delatour

• Horsetooth

• Post fire projects

Thank you!

Questions?

[email protected]

970-222-5754

[email protected]

970-406-0085

© Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed

mailto:[email protected]





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