Three Drop Thursday: Watersheds, Wildfire, Water (yes, again!)
Friends of Confluence West -
Welcome to Three Drop Thursday, a snapshot of what we’ve been paying attention to this week. In this issue, wildfires, forest health, the health of watersheds, and our water supply. We highlight two new important studies: Building water resilience in the face of cascading wildfire risks and the report of the National Wildfire Commission.
At the bottom of the page is a timeline cleanser - a lovely picture (from one of my favorite places) for us all to, for at least a few moments, forget about the horrors in the world.
In case you missed everything you ever wanted to know about Navigating Communities, Environmental Experts of Color, and beauty, death, and hope, check out our September 27 Three Drop edition brought to you by our always fab stylish sheep.
For the West,
Kimery
Water Resiliency & Wildfire
It’s hard to know where to start with the many essential points in this study, Building water resilience in the face of cascading wildfire risks (Ajami et al.) The authors looked at 212 publications and from there extracted salient findings and recommendations. (An important note: They classify water systems as natural infrastructure, which for the American West means primarily National Forest lands.)
Some of the toplines (which will come as no surprise to practitioners): the need for a holistic framework to assess interactions and feedback loops between water quality and quantity, and addressing the evolving threat of wildfires to water systems. They call for more research (they are scientists after all) and cite the need for multi-stakeholder collaborations and partnerships.
Since we’re on a roll
Since we’re on a roll with wildfire and water supply reports, The National Wildland Commission (a commission with some great folks on it) is out with their seminal document (all 189 pages) On Fire: The Report of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission.
Chapter Two puts community water supplies in the context of protecting public health and, like the report cited above, calls for interagency coordination (there’s a radical notion!), shifting the emphasis from reactive to proactive investments, and for greater support of partnerships and collaborations.
In Beauty May I Walk
Mc Gee Creek, Inyo land - “Dwelling Place of a Great Spirit” (in the Paiute language)
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