Public Domain Picture: 20120720-NRCS-LSC-1062

Panorama photo of Seaman Reservoir, drinking water resource for the City of Greeley, on Friday, July 20, 2012. The continuing aerial application of straw to mitigate soil and ash runoff from the mountainous terrain leading to this body of water. Helicopters operate from a landing zone at the foot of the reservoir spillway, where they lift and drop them onto barren, burned out tributary lands. Forest Service lands received straw, while private and other lands receive a seed mix and straw to promote ground cover plant growth on ash-covered lands. In total, 1,800 tons of straw will be applied during the 14-day operation. One quarter of the cost was paid by the City of Greeley and the U.S. Department of Agriculture funded the remainder. The Hewlett Gulch Fire was started by a camper who admitted using an alcohol-stove and accidentally started the fire on May 14. At its peak, more than 400 firefighters were battling fires being pushed by 50 mph winds that helped blacken over 12-square-miles of dry ground cover, brush and trees. Many of the trees were already dead and tinder dry from beetle-kill. The water in the reservoir remains clean and clear, while downstream water flow has gone from famous Colorado clear water to nearly black flows of water heavily laden with ash, silt, and burnt debris that recent thunderstorms have already washed down from the mountainsides. USDA Photo Illustration by Lance Cheung.

651

2

Aerialapplication, Astar, Bale, Bell204, Blackend, Canyonroosevelt, Cargonet, Cityofgreeley, Collins, Conservation, Coverbrushtreesbeetlekillwatercoloradoashsiltdebrisnatural, Departmentofagriculture, Drinkingwater, Forest, Gulch, Landground, Landingzone, Mitigate, Mountainous, National, Reservoir, Resource, Runoff, Seamanreservoir, Servicenrcsfort, Spillway, Straw, Terrain, Trailpoudre, Uh1h, Usda, Usdepartmentofagriculturehewlett

May 8, 2014