Stream water quality concerns linger long after the smoke clears: Learning from Front Range wildfires

Charles C. Rhoades; Susan Miller; Tim Covino; Alex Chow; Frank H. McCormick

Treesearch

Stream water quality concerns linger long after the smoke clears: Learning from Front Range wildfires

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Charles C. Rhoades, Susan Miller, Tim Covino, Alex Chow, Frank H. McCormick

Year:

2017

Type:

Magazines or Trade Publications

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Source:

Colorado Water. March/April 2017: 22-26.

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Download (PDF 3.24 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/55536.pdf

Abstract

Large, high-severity wildfires alter the ecological processes that determine how watersheds retain and release nutrients and affect stream water quality. These changes usually abate a few years after a fire but recent studies indicate they may persist longer than previously expected. Wildfires are a natural disturbance agent, but due to the increased frequency and extent of high-severity wildfires predicted for western North America, it is important to better understand their consequences on surface water.

Keywords

stream quality, watershed, wildfires, ecological processes

Citation

Rhoades, Chuck; Miller, Susan; Covino, Tim; Chow, Alex; McCormick, Frank. 2017. Stream water quality concerns linger long after the smoke clears: Learning from Front Range wildfires. Colorado Water. March/April 2017: 22-26.