The Outcomes

Peaks to People Water Fund is committed to conservation that achieves measurable outcomes and is based on strong science. To that end, we have completed work at several demonstration sites to assist with initial data gathering, testing and process development. Each site is located in either the Big Thompson or Cache la Poudre watersheds and is unique in design and function. All operating and certification procedures used to measure ecological benefits and returns on investments are being documented and compiled into our Watershed Investment Tool, which will be used to understand outcomes and inform future projects. We have also developed a web-based performance tracking system, the Watershed Health Outcomes Tracker.

Watershed Health Outcomes Tracker

Fostering collaboration among local conservation organizations, public agencies and community stakeholders is the most important step in the water fund process. To that end, Peaks to People and Sitka Technology Group have developed a Watershed Health Outcomes Tracker. This valuable tool enables implementers, landowners and funders to track proposed and active projects designed to improve forest health and protect water in Northern Colorado. Equally important, it will allow citizens to see the benefits of all the work that is being done by the conservation community to restore our forests and protect water supplies.

This tool provides a wealth of information such as project maps, proposals, performance measures, funding sources and much more. Our Tracker generates fact sheets for each project which include: key accomplishments (performance measures), changes in fire behavior, funding, photos and other relevant information. Performance Measures demonstrate cost effectiveness and improve transparency of publicly-funded investments. Most of the performance measures will be provided by Peaks to People via our Watershed Investment Tool and Co-benefits tools.

• How to apply for funding through Peaks to People Water Fund
• How to register for access to the Watershed Health Outcomes Tracker
• How to add a project to the Peaks to People Watershed Health Outcomes Tracker

Accomplishments

Accomplishments as of October 2022*

• $3,933,875 Total Funding Secured to Date for Projects
• 2,087 treatment acres funded (Fuels Reduction/Forest Restoration)
• 660 acres Active Crown Fire Reduced
• 2,420 Homes Influenced (within 1km of treatment areas)
• 13,665 metric tons of Avoided Sediment in Water Supplies
• 1,269 acres Crucial Wildlife Habitat protected from Wildfire
• 368 acres Parks and Open Space Protected from Wildfire

* Accomplishments are modeled with Peaks to People’s Watershed Investment Tool and Co-benefits Module. Most calculations do not account for probability of fire.  For more information, please visit https://peakstopeople.org/our-solutions/

Demonstration Sites Monitoring Summaries

The analyses of modeled fire behavior by the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute (CFRI), CSU and The Nature Conservancy suggest that Peaks to People forest restoration treatments enhanced forest resilience to wildfire within most management areas by changing conditions at demonstration sites to support low- to mixed-severity fire regimes.

See summary reports below for more detail about the results of treatment monitoring at the demonstration sites:

Monitoring Summary Elkhorn 2021
This report presents monitoring results from the Ben Delatour Scout Ranch Elkhorn 4 prescribed fire to measure how well site level project goals were met, and to compare field-based outcome measures with modeled landscape data inputs for the Watershed Investment Tool.

Monitoring Summary Demonstration Sites 2018
The analyses of modeled fire behavior by the Colorado Restoration Institute, CSU and The Nature Conservancy suggest that Peaks to People forest restoration treatments enhanced forest resilience to wildfire within most management areas by changing conditions at demonstration sites to support low- to mixed-severity fire regimes.

Monitoring Summary_Ben Delatour Scount Ranch – Burn Only

Monitoring Summary Ben Delatour Scout Ranch — Thin and Burn

Monitoring Summary Ramsay Shockey Unit B

Monitoring Summary Ramsay Shockey Unit C

Photo Credit: © Peter M. Brown, Rocky Mountain Tree-Ring Research