The Lee and Elk Fires, along with subsequent post-fire debris runoff in Rio Blanco County, burned through critical watersheds and agricultural lands, damaging infrastructure and leaving natural resources highly vulnerable. Through District outreach, landowners identified key needs to help return operations to normal, including:

• Ditch cleaning to restore water delivery to pastures and fields;
• Diversion infrastructure improvements to ensure continued agricultural production, protect water rights, and reduce sediment and debris downstream; and
• Re-seeding to provide long-term erosion control, restore lost habitat values, and help suppress weed invasion.

These recovery efforts are made possible through the White River Conservation District, in partnership with local producers, state and regional agencies, and generous recovery funders, including the Yampa Valley Community Foundation, Yampa-White-Green Basin Roundtable, Colorado Water Conservation Board, Tri-State, Colorado Independent CattleGrowers Association, Colorado River District, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

See Links for additional Wildfire Recovery Resouces