Efforts continue all across the Waldo Canyon burn scar to help reduce the effects of flooding. Colorado Springs Utilities expects to wrap up initial work in the Northfield Watershed on Rampart Range within the next month or so. But Project Manager Kim Gortz with Utilities says it’s really an ongoing effort.
"Hayman’s still seeing issues 10 years post-fire, so I think we’re starting in our planning phase as far as what do we do for long-term restoration, what do we do for monitoring each time we have a monsoon season."
Colorado Springs Utilities has been working with the US Forest Service, Coalition of the Upper South Platte, and volunteers to help protect water infrastructure. Work includes catchment basins and vegetation seeding. Utilities has put in about $3.5 million for this hillside mitigation work. Some of that has been reimbursed by federal emergency watershed protection funding.
