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<br />COLO
<br />
<br />FOREST SERVICE
<br />
<br />The mission of the Co
<br />environment through fore
<br />
<br />Stale Forest Servke is to achieve stew
<br />ouJreaeh and servke and to:
<br />
<br />. Provide for II(J/UraJ resource protection in mounUI
<br />insects, disease, wind, water, and people.
<br />. Achieve improvement of Colorado's renewable 1Ultura1
<br />while being sensitive to future needs.
<br />. Achieve publk understanding offorestry's role
<br />
<br />rban settJngsfrom dllmaging effects ofj"e,
<br />
<br />e base for values the publk regards as important,
<br />
<br />The Colorado Stale Forest Servke (CSFS) . organizJzdon of active suppo roJher than a regulatory agellCY. In
<br />recent years, because of rapid populDJUJ wth, increasing dertUUlllsfor U' ntis, and growing publk interest,
<br />CSFS hlls developed a more holistic roaeh toward the malUlgement of Colorado raJ resources. By taking a
<br />stewardship role, CSFS enco s landJJwners to meet their individlUll objectives and . . or improve the overaII
<br />resource condition while co ring all values. The stale'sforestry function came to Colo tate University in
<br />1955, as the Colorado S Forest Servke.
<br />
<br />
<br />..
<br />
<br />FORESTRY CAN HELP SOLVE WATER PROBLEMS
<br />
<br />
<br />by Ron GosneU, Forester
<br />
<br />Colorado forests have changed dramatically through
<br />the past century. These changes affect everyone's
<br />water, This article explains how. It also presents
<br />ideas about forestry to improve stream flows and
<br />protect water quality.
<br />
<br />All vegetation stores water in plant tissues and transpires
<br />additional water during growth and photosynthesis. Very
<br />dense accumulations of vegetation hold and consume
<br />more water than does less vegetation. Compared to
<br />forest with open space between tree crowns, dense
<br />timber:
<br />
<br />With respect to forest conditions and water, the
<br />hydrologic cycle shown in Fil!Ure I (see next page)
<br />puts water cycle processes in perspective. Almost
<br />90 percent of Colorado's water is from snow melt
<br />Therefore, when you think about forest influences
<br />on water flows, think primarily how a forest affects
<br />snow-pack accumulation.
<br />
<br />'Reduces the amount of water that reaches the soil, and
<br />'Consumes more of the water stored in the soil.
<br />
<br />As forests grow, the crowns of trees get larger, and
<br />eventually branches from adjacent trees touch. A
<br />dense, closed, forest canopy forms and precipitation
<br />through fall decreases. Instead of reaching the
<br />ground to accumulate snow pack, snow lodges in
<br />tree crowns.
<br />
<br />The overall affect of undisturbed and accumulated forest
<br />growth is that a smaller percent of precipitation ends up
<br />in streams. The fraction of precipitation that ends up as
<br />stream flow is called a forest's water yield. And water
<br />yield varies by forest type. A forest type is really a plant
<br />community, For example, the Front Range ponderosa
<br />pine forest type may include ponderosa growing in
<br />association with gamble oak, rocky mountain and com,
<br />mon juniper, mountain mahogany. sumac, buck brush,
<br />rabbit bush, kinickinic and numerous forbs and grasses.
<br />
<br />This airborne snow sublimates moisture back into
<br />the atmosphere. Snow pack accumulated on the
<br />ground, however, mostly melts eventually. And,
<br />most snow melt becomes run-off and storage.
<br />
<br />The difference in what a ponderosa pine forest type
<br />yields (about 17 percent of precipitation) and spruce
<br />forest yield (about 48 percent of precipitation) is due to
<br />differences in temperature, humidity, winds, soils, tree
<br />
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