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:;. ~ OW' Take away all of the trans-mountain water diversions and reservoir releases for developed water since then, and measurements reveal that today's forests yield less. The red~ction in native flows is in the hundreds of thousands of acre feet of Why have Colorado forests grown so , water each year, dense? Figure 2. Forest Density Then Beginning in the early 19oos, changing societal needs an financial necessity led to changes in the way people cared about forests. From the time of the first settlements until the turn of the century, exploitive tree cutting and un- checked forest fires were common. Barren and charred hillsides resulted in unwelcome retribution-floods! Fires were a nuisance, but the 'floods, which invariably followed fires, destroyed domestic water and irrigation systems and disrupted commerce. People learned the connection between an adequate and protected forest cover, and favorable water flows. Society no longer tolerated forest abuse. Universities offered studies in forest conservation. Citizens formed the Colorado Forestry Association, which lobbied for National Forest Preserves. The organization that became the USDA-Forest Service was brought into existence, orest. "Put Out Those Fires!!!" It is interesting to note in Figure 4 that there was a marked drop in the magni- tude of Poudre River floods since fire control was initiated in that watershed. Foresters built the best wildland firefighting organization the world had ever seen. Today, that organization includes many federal, state and local agencies including citizens who serve as volunteer fire fighters. Absent the ravages of unchecked fires, and with minimal tree harvesting thereafter, Colo- Figure 3. Forest Density Now rado forests accrued phenomenal growth. Gradually, steadily and always staunchly defended, tree growth exceeds mortality many times over. Today, with mountains blanketed solid, a public mandate toprotecttrees is stronger than ever. Yet resource managers charged with this responsibility find the job increasingly difficult. With so much accumulated tree growth, though previously manageable, forest fires are difficult to contain, expensive to battle and dangerous. Recently, the Buffalo Creek Fire demonstrated the kind of forest fire that Colorado is likely to experience more of. Orders were sent from Washington D. C. to America's fIrst ever Forest Ranger, William Krueger, who was placed in charge of what became the Pike National .."...- ---- - :At Buffalo Creek, accumulated forest fuel fed an extremely hot wind-driven fire. The fire's extreme heat glazed the soils. Like little glass balls, these hydrophobic soils shed water in torrents. Strontia Springs reservoir is silting in, and with each passing summer thunderstorm erosion-degraded water disrupts Denver's municipal water filtering system. To date, after-the,fire, water