Source Water Map, Pics & Words - Happy September!
Friends of Confluence West -
Welcome to Three Drop Thursday, a snapshot of what we’ve been paying attention to this week. The USFS finally releases its updated climate resiliency map, some nasty pictures of ongoing post-wildfire debris flows, and a primer on the proper terminology when writing about Native American and Tribal issues.
If you were having too much fun over the summer (we hope you were!), you may have missed “Class Five Rapids on the CRB.”
For the West,
Kimery
Map Geeking - USFS’ climate resiliency/water source map
Manna for us map geeks - and western water managers and watershed advocates - at long last it’s been released: the USFS map that overlays muni source water with the designated ‘firesheds.’ This means you can now look at a critical western watershed and determine if it’s in a ‘fireshed.’ If so, you can advocate with your DS/RF for inclusion in restoration funds in upcoming fireshed allocations ($591M spent so far out of $3.5B.) The map also includes overlays for biodiversity and at-risk species, carbon, reforestation, old growth and mature forests. Want to know more? Our Watersheds for Firesheds project has answers!
Avoided costs anyone?
Around here, we like to ‘accent the positive,’ but these pics are too important not to share. Three years after the Cameron Peak wildfire in Colorado, the Poudre - water supplies for Fort Collins, Greeley, and a portion of the CO-Big Thompson Project - continues to run black with sediment after every rain event. Our thanks to filmmaker Evan Barrientos for sharing his important work with us.
Please capitalize!
From our friends at Native Americans in Philanthropy. They add: Also, it’s okay (not just okay, welcomed) to ask the Indigenous people in your life how we prefer to be referred to. Natives are not a monolith! Asking for information is respectful, and can help avoid harmful speech or furthered stereotypes.
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