Watershed Symposium 2022

Resilient watersheds are capable of withstanding and responding to natural disturbances, including wildfire. Collaborative, cross-boundary forest management that creates fire adapted ecosystems and communities will aid our efforts to protect vulnerable water resources and ensure long term water security.

In August of 2021, the Parleys Canyon Fire started alongside Interstate 80. Beginning with two small brush fires, by mid afternoon, the fire spread to 500 acres. Driven by winds and dry conditions, the fire forced residents of the surrounding areas to evacuate from over 5,000 homes. Multiple agencies responded to the fire and were able to fully contain the blaze after eight days. The Parleys Canyon fire presents an example of how a rapid, coordinated response to fire, and some luck, prevented a more severe fire event from destroying communities and threatening water security. Wildfire is a natural and expected occurrence in Utah’s forests, and it plays an important role in the ongoing health and resilience of Utah’s water resources. Past fire suppression practices have contributed to the increase in large, severe wildfires that cause detrimental impacts to habitats, homes, and vulnerable water resources. In the face of climate change, long-term water security is a growing concern, and the impact of catastrophic wildfires on the natural resource we depend on for drinking, irrigation, fishing, and recreation cannot be ignored. Wildfires impact air quality and may also affect available water quality and quantity, both during an active wildfire event and for years afterwards. Past fire events, including the Dollar Ridge Fire, demonstrate the disastrous impacts severe wildfires can have on Utah’s watersheds and the challenges these events present to water resource managers.

The connection between resilient, disturbance adapted forests and a sustainable supply of water is especially evident in Utah and similarly arid states. About half of the water supply in the southwestern United States comes from forests. Approximately 80% of the freshwater resources in the U.S. originate on forested land, and more than 3,400 public drinking water systems are located in watersheds on national forest lands. As we have seen an increase in the number of acres of important forested water-supply watersheds burned in the past 30 years, we have also seen an increase in flooding and erosion that can impair already vulnerable water supplies. Fire events, such as Parleys Canyon, provide homeowners and land managers with an opportunity to recognize the need for wildfire mitigation planning that protects communities and water sources along the Wasatch Front. Through shared stewardship, Utah partners with agencies, entities, and organizations to actively mitigate the impacts of catastrophic wildfire on a landscape scale, with the express purpose of protecting communities and watersheds. Central Utah Water Conservancy District (CUWCD) manages the Central Utah Project (CUP) and District network of water facilities to ensure citizens and businesses along the Wasatch Front receive clean, reliable water. Operating three water treatment facilities, two hydroelectric plants, nine reservoirs, and overseeing water supply to eight counties, CUWCD recognizes the vulnerabilities of our water infrastructure and the need for collaborative watershed management.

This presentation will highlight both the impact severe wildfires can have on water treatment facilities and the need for collaborative wildfire management to maintain Utah’s current water quality and quantity.