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" . ..... :;;:~~;::~~~~~;;;::,:.__.~\'~~t'i1~11'lliil~llliI1Ifllitt~llt'llr@~I.'1 treatment costs are in the millions of dollars. The Buffalo Creek water, shed will not heal for decades. Dense forests are a double whammy for water users, Dense forests reduce water yield. And, w dense forests bum, they bum so hot that soils are damaged. Vegetation recovery then takes much longer than if fires were not so heavily fueled. Flooding associated with super-hot fires is very expensive, hannful to water quality and can be deadly. By looking at the results of another disastrous forest fire, one can get a picture of what the forest may have looked like before Colorado's settle- ment period, TIle Black TIger Gulch fire roared out of Boulder Canyon and "chimneyed" up the gulch consuming everything in its path. including homes. The heat here was similar to Buffalo Creek. Yet by nightfall that first day, the fire had laid down and was creeping slowly and diagonally across some hillsides. The cooler night-time fire only killed about half or more of the trees in its path. One can see parts of these "fire-thinned" stands of trees by looking up from Boulder Canyon. 20,000 .., 18,000 c ~ 16,000 fIl .. ~ 14,000 - r! 12,000 " :s 10.000 = U 8,000 6,000 10 delayed vegetation recovery that follows super-hot wildfires like Buffalo Creek. Forestry is only possible, however, with an informed citizenry possessing understanding about various affects on forests caused by human endeavors and natural processes. I suspect that if forestry is to become a useful Poudre River Floods of 6000 cfs or Greater 1860 to date ;.:, "-" " %1 11160 -70 -80 .90 1900 -10 .20 .30 -40 1950 -80 .70 -80 -90 Years Figure 4. Change in Magnitude of Poudre River Floods Should society find it acceptable, foresters can restore forest conditions much like the cool, night-time fire did at Black TIger Gulch. By design, we could have safer forests. Tree-dominated landscapes would give way to greater plant and animal diversity. Crown densities could be restored to something in between the barren and flood, prone hills of yesteryear, and the overcrowded fire and flood disaster,prone hills of today. Forestry would entail as much of a landscaping art as science-based management. The temporary and neces- sary disturbances caused by thinning, harvesting and prescribed fire would heal in a matter of years. This compares favorably to decades or more of erosion and tool to help society meet our water needs into the 21" century, it will be for reasons similar to what stimulated the fire control movement of the early 1900s. Present forest conditions make it possible that water supplies will suffer from disastrous forest fires, erosion and floods. The costs will hun. And citizens will demand appropriate forestry action. On the other hand, some research-based knowledge is available now, With citizen support, there can be forestry action to restore forest conditions favorable for water flows. - - --.".