The health and function of a watershed is tied to the condition of its forests. Forests blanket much of the of the rugged mountains of the Southern Rockies - the upper reaches of the water collection and distribution system that is a watershed. Forests filter water as it comes down the mountain from snowmelt and storms in the alpine. The forest's trees, soils and shade hold water, protecting it from evaporation, and slowly releasing it to the animals, plants, lands and people that rely on it. Dying, overstocked, or intensely burned forests are damaged, translating to reduced function of the watershed. Impacts of overuse that cause erosion, loss of vegetation and habitat, or contamination of water translate to impairments that ripple throughout the watershed affecting the entire system. These impacts directly affect wildlife and fisheries, plant communities, recreation, agricultural producers and all waters users downstream.
Because forest health, wildfire, and watershed health are inextricably linked, ARWC engages in projects that holistically view the entire watershed as a system - each part equally important as the others and with changes to each part impacting all the others. Because people are a central part of this system, we work with the communities that depend on and care for the water that sustains them.
Because forest health, wildfire, and watershed health are inextricably linked, ARWC engages in projects that holistically view the entire watershed as a system - each part equally important as the others and with changes to each part impacting all the others. Because people are a central part of this system, we work with the communities that depend on and care for the water that sustains them.
