Monarch Pass Forest & Watershed Health Project
A proactive approach to watershed health
The spruce beetle activity across the Monarch Pass area has increased to endemic levels, deteriorating the forest at an alarming rate. The US Forest Service (USFS) is moving forward with a fuels mitigation project that will treat approximately 3,000-acres of beetle-kill on Monarch Pass by harvesting the dead trees. The Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District has joined these efforts to help secure funding and partners for approximately 600-acres that is on steep slope terrain. Generally, steep slopes are excluded from forest mitigation projects due to safety concerns and the high costs associated with using traditional methods to remove down and dead trees. Yet, treating steep slopes is imperative. Often our most critical water supplies such as reservoirs and important drainages that feed into the Arkansas River are surrounded by steep slopes. Initial research has identified over 20,000 acres of this type of terrain in the mountainous areas of the Arkansas drainage. Fortunately, the USFS has identified a new technology that can treat the steep slopes on Monarch Pass while at the same time saving money, reducing the impact to the environment and improving safety. This cutting-edge technology has never been used in Colorado, and when successful, this project will very likely become a statewide model for treating steep slopes across Colorado and hopefully encourage investment from private industry.
The Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District is taking the lead and a very active role with outreach for the project to bring more partners and money to the table to protect our local water supply, as well as to introduce this new technology to others in the state. We recognize the urgency of protecting our forest and water resources and non-federal matching dollars help expedite the process significantly. We’re excited that to date, the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District, in partnership with many other agencies and organizations, has secured the needed matching funds to apply for a Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) grant, which we were awarded. The project will receive over a half million dollars from the CWCB grant and cost share partners. The Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District is continuing to look for additional funding partners throughout the State and water community to move this project toward implementation and before a catastrophic forest fire.
As of August 2019 $1.3 million has been secured for the Monarch Pass Forest and Watershed Health Project. The USFS has signed a 5-year stewardship agreement and is actively working to layout a fuels treatment plan on steep slope acreage near Monarch Pass. Additionally, watershed health projects have been initiated with reclamation of the Old Monarch gravel pit. A tour has taken place with a cut-to-length expert from Oregon and additional tours are being scheduled with area contractors in preparation for the request for proposals process. One goal of the project is to see investment from local private industry and we are excited to report that cut-to-length technology has been purchased in Colorado. Work will continue throughout the fall of 2019- stay tuned for more details!
The Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District is taking the lead and a very active role with outreach for the project to bring more partners and money to the table to protect our local water supply, as well as to introduce this new technology to others in the state. We recognize the urgency of protecting our forest and water resources and non-federal matching dollars help expedite the process significantly. We’re excited that to date, the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District, in partnership with many other agencies and organizations, has secured the needed matching funds to apply for a Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) grant, which we were awarded. The project will receive over a half million dollars from the CWCB grant and cost share partners. The Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District is continuing to look for additional funding partners throughout the State and water community to move this project toward implementation and before a catastrophic forest fire.
As of August 2019 $1.3 million has been secured for the Monarch Pass Forest and Watershed Health Project. The USFS has signed a 5-year stewardship agreement and is actively working to layout a fuels treatment plan on steep slope acreage near Monarch Pass. Additionally, watershed health projects have been initiated with reclamation of the Old Monarch gravel pit. A tour has taken place with a cut-to-length expert from Oregon and additional tours are being scheduled with area contractors in preparation for the request for proposals process. One goal of the project is to see investment from local private industry and we are excited to report that cut-to-length technology has been purchased in Colorado. Work will continue throughout the fall of 2019- stay tuned for more details!
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