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Mitigation Measures Bring Results
Gustafson said the results of these efforts are beginning to be seen with reduced erosion and improved water quality , but there ’ s still much that can be done .
“ The areas that we have done mitigation , we ’ re seeing results . But we did mitigation on 5,000 acres of a 200,000- acre fire ,” he said . “ The areas we ’ ve done have held and have protected the watershed . Even if we ’ re only able to do 10 %, it has a big impact on that 10 %.” Jennifer Dial , water resources operations manager with the City of Greeley , agreed : “ Every little bit helps ,” she said . “ We ’ re hoping to do at least as much if not more this year . If we weren ’ t doing anything , we ’ d be seeing much less improvement in the water quality .”
Todd Boldt , who has been leading EWP work for the NRCS since 2015 , credits Greeley ’ s effort to step in and sponsor the EWP effort as a driving force for its success .
“ One common theme in terms of any project you ’ re dealing with is you need to have a great sponsor that is dedicated , leads , sets priorities , and are heavily involved with the work ,” he said . “ They need to be at the forefront of the process . In this case with Greeley , they have done a tremendous job leading the project .”
Coordination Key to Project Success
By far the biggest challenge getting an EWP program to be successful is the coordination that such an effort entails , Boldt said . In this case , the NRCS coordinated with not only Greeley and Ayres but also the Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed ( CPRW ), the Colorado Water Conservation Board , the U . S . Forest Service , Big Thompson Watershed Coalition , Larimer County , Colorado Department of Transportation , Colorado State University , and others . All need to be moving in the same direction , even though each has their own goals .
“ We ’ re trying to get all the entities on the same page ; that ’ s the biggest challenge you have ,” Boldt said . “ They all need to understand the limits of the EWP program and understand the process . We don ’ t just cut a check and go to work . My job is to communicate with the entities to understand what can and can ’ t be done .”
With the first phase of the mitigation nearing completion , work has now moved onto its second phase with a new round of mitigation measures , Dial said . This work entails partnering with the USFS on high-hazard burn areas within USFS boundaries and also focusing mitigation efforts higher up in
10 | TRENDS Ingenuity , Integrity , and Intelligence .