Helicopters flying just west of Fort Collins above Horsetooth Reservoir will soon wrap up a three-day project aimed at preserving one of northern Colorado’s key water sources.
Sitting on the west side of the reservoir, 40 acres of the Soldier Creek area sustained the most severe soil damage in the 87,284-acre High Park fire last month.
By dropping a mix of seed and straw mulch on the area, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) officials hope to trigger plant growth and create a filter that will keep debris, erosion and sediment runoff from getting into the reservoir.
According to a news release, the $91,320 project is part of the Emergency Watershed Protection Program and is sponsored by Northern Water, the cities of Greeley and Fort Collins, and the North Weld County, Fort Collins-Loveland and East Larimer County water districts.
With the Poudre River compromised by ash and sludge in the wake of the fire, NRCS district conservationist Todd Boldt said preserving Horsetooth Reservoir is of the utmost importance.
“Think of the Poudre (River) as the hose, and Horsetooth (Reservoir) as the bucket,” Boldt said, explaining that the river provides drinking water for more than 300,000 people in the area. “They rely on the hose, but when they can’t, they turn to the bucket. That’s why it’s crucial to maintain Horsetooth.”
Boldt said he’s seen the helicopters, which are staged in Lory State Park, dropping seed and mulch since the project began Thursday morning.
