Wildfire’s threat to water in the Western United States

A Clear & Present Danger

Waldo Canyon Fire2012

Waldo Canyon Fire

• 2nd most destructive

fire in state history

• Burned 18,247 acres

of land

• 347 homes were

destroyed

• 2 casualties

• Cost $20 million to

contain

Waldo Canyon Fire2012

Wildfire & Terrorism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFHM0rd9cX8

Black Forest Fire2013

Black Forest Fire

• Most destructive fire

in state history

• 511 homes were

destroyed

• 2 casualties

• Cost $9.3 million to

contain

Hayman Fire2002

Hayman Fire$42 million dollars in firefighting costs, 133 homes, 138,114 acres

Hayman Fire2002

CheesmanReservoir• Directly serves 2

million people in

Denver area

• Hayman Fire burned

8000 acres adjacent to

the reservoir

• 56% of the burned

area drains directly

into the reservoir

• As of 2012, Denver

Water has spent $28

million dollars in

remediation

South Platte River after Hayman Fire

At the burn site Downstream

Greater ImplicationsFire and the Colorado River

Colorado River• 2/3 of surface water

generated in Colorado

is legally obligated to

downstream users

• Provides drinking

water for 40 million

people

• Southern California

receives 60% of its

water from the

Colorado River

Water in the West

Colorado Firefighting Air Corps

SB13-245

• Provided for the

creation of the

Colorado Firefighting

Air Corps

• Funding was made

discretionary

• Black Forest Fire

started one month

later

Next Steps

• Three type 1 helicopters for 2014 fire season

• Four C-130s (retrofitted for firefighting) by 2015 fire season

• CFAC Center of Excellence