After two years of robust collaboration, the Big Thompson Wildfire Ready Action Plan (WRAP) is complete—a major step toward ensuring our watershed can withstand and recover from wildfire.
This science-based roadmap, developed through Colorado’s Wildfire Ready Watersheds initiative, helps communities reduce the risks of post-fire flooding, erosion, and water contamination. It’s about being ready before disaster strikes—protecting people, forests, and water across the Big Thompson watershed.
A Collaborative Effort from the Start
From day one, the WRAP was a collective endeavor, guided by an engaged group of local, state, and federal partners. More than 30 organizations contributed their data, expertise, and vision.
Peaks to People Water Fund served as the Project Sponsor, working closely with a Core Team consisting of:
- Big Thompson Watershed Coalition,
- Estes Valley Watershed Coalition, and
- Larimer Conservation District
This collaboration built upon the foundation of the Big Thompson Watershed Health Partnership (BTWHP)—a coalition of agencies and organizations united by a shared goal: to protect the health and resilience of the Big Thompson watershed.
Together, we strengthened existing relationships and forged new ones, creating a network of partners committed to long-term watershed resilience.
Building the Plan
Over 24 months, the team worked hand-in-hand with technical experts from Matrix Design Group to assess post-fire risks across the 800+ square mile watershed. We combined cutting-edge hazard modeling with local knowledge to identify areas most vulnerable to post-fire flooding and debris flow.
Stakeholders helped define shared values—Safety, Resiliency, Environment, Community, Sustainability, and Water—that guided every decision. The process led to the identification of over 100 potential mitigation projects, which were then refined and prioritized based on stakeholder input. This hands-on approach fostered transparency, collaboration, and a true sense of shared ownership.
The top 17 projects were developed into Project Cut Sheets—high-level project summaries that include goals, benefits, location, and readiness and will help us secure funding and support landowner outreach.
What We Learned
Developing a watershed-scale WRAP was both rewarding and challenging. Engaging such a large and diverse group required patience, communication, and creativity—but the result was worth it. The process deepened trust among partners, improved data-sharing practices, and built momentum for continued collaboration.
As one of the first WRAPs completed in Colorado, our experience will help inform similar efforts across the state. The support of the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) was instrumental in bringing this plan to completion.
Looking Ahead
The WRAP is not an endpoint—it’s the beginning of coordinated, on-the-ground action. Resulting projects may include stream corridor stabilization, post-fire flood mitigation, forest health treatments, and landowner outreach.
Peaks to People Water Fund will continue to bring partners together to implement these projects, share updates, and track progress through the Big Thompson Watershed Health Partnership.
Serving as project sponsor was a natural role for Peaks to People. Our experience facilitating the BTWHP since 2022 positioned us to connect a large and diverse network of stakeholders and align efforts across the watershed. This process strengthened our capacity for trust-building, strategic planning, and multi-partner project development—skills that will carry forward into implementation.
We’re proud to serve as the connecting thread, ensuring the WRAP continues to guide collaborative action that protects our forests, water, and communities for generations to come.