Upper Black Hollow
Cameron Peak Post-Fire Restoration
Project Overview
Upper Black Hollow was determined to be a high priority site to meet CPRW water quality objectives and US Forest Service values. This site ranked in the top five in post-fire prioritization. It is located downstream of high severity burn areas outside of Wilderness designation areas. Approximately 42% of the watershed was mulched in 2021. Additionally, NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) structure protection and grade control structures were completed along Black Hollow just upstream of the confluence with the Cache la Poudre River. Because headwater streams are important water quality and quantity controls, low-tech process-based restoration as part of this project is expected to benefit downstream post-fire projects that were conducted by the NRCS EWP Program. The combination of aerial and point mitigation treatments is a proactive strategy to improve water quality and roadway resiliency within severely burned watersheds like Black Hollow.
Upper Black Hollow Burn Severity (Courtesy of Ayers Associates)
Upper Black Hollow Post-Fire Mitigation Plan (Courtesy of Ayers Associates)
Post-Fire Treatment(s)
Log Structures (26 total) – Burnt trees were felled, placed, and interlocked in the channel to increase roughness, reduce flow velocity, and enhance sediment deposition. These features will limit flow velocities and shear stress that result in erosion. Tree felling will also return flow to the overbanks, reducing incision and rehabilitating the small floodplain. On-site burnt material were primarily used. These features were field fit by the design team and placed to encourage sediment deposition.
Project Goals
Improve water quality and ecological functioning by providing opportunities for sediment storage, nutrient uptake, and enhanced aquatic and riparian habitats.
Improve roadway resilience
Use process-based restoration techniques to meet the project objectives.
Project Collaborators
U.S. Forest Service
Ayres Associates
AloTerra Restoration Services
Funder(s)
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE)
Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association
Project Timeline
Complete - June 2023