It's Your Water.
Do You Know Where it Comes from?
By Liz Schnackenberg, Kimberly Vogel, and Rick Henderson,
US Dept of Agriculture
Photos Courtesy of United States Forest Service—
Routt National Forest
Water—it flows out of our faucets, we wade in it when fishing, we enjoy watching it flow over river rocks and down the mountain and into the hay fields that sustain the cows, horses, pigs, chickens, wild critters—and us.
For something so central to our life, so critical to our existence, and so vital to our lifestyle, we think so little about where it comes from and how it gets to our faucets.
Did You Know…
Across the nation, forests provide approximately two-thirds of the nation's fresh drinking water, supplying high-quality water and watershed values. The National Forest System's mandate is to improve and conserve the forests, provide a continuous supply of timber, and maintain favorable conditions of water flow. The U.S. Forest Service is a steward of the Nation's watersheds.
Here in Routt County, the Routt National Forest provides water for agriculture, domestic drinking water, aesthetics, skiing, fishing, boating, and other downstream uses. These uses rely both on the high flows during spring runoff as well as the slow release of this water into the stream system throughout the summer and fall.
When thinking of water storage, reservoirs such as Stagecoach come to mind. However, the largest water storage in the basin is in the form of snow pack, watersheds, and riparian areas – all on your lands – the Routt National Forest. These lands provide naturally clean water, regulate stream flow, and restore groundwater.
Those beloved powder days on the Steamboat ski area replenish this natural water reservoir. The snow that is so much a part of the Yampa Valley's lifestyle, accumulates and packs through the winter months. When spring arrives, the snow melts and the water is slowly released into the stream system. This spring melt is stored in the soil profile on the forest floor for slow release as baseflow into the stream system throughout the summer. These baseflows are important for fish habitat, wildlife species, and to prevent drying of the stream.
Climate Change and Water
Rising temperatures brought about through climate change may be responsible for a shift in the snowpack reservoir. As more precipitation falls in the form of rain, less is stored as snow, and more runoff occurs in the spring or immediately following a rain event. Less water storage as snow in the forest means less water is stored for slow release throughout the summer to supply continuous flows to streams. With the potential loss of this natural storage reservoir, it is important to recognize and maintain other natural storage reservoirs and favorable conditions of flow.
In good condition, forest wetlands and riparian areas also store large quantities of water in the soil while providing critical habitat for land and water species. In addition to providing habitat for these species, healthy riparian areas and wetlands are natural water treatment plants that remove metals and toxins from water.
Maintaining favorable conditions of flow, means watersheds must be cared for to sustain their hydrologic function as “sponge-and-filter” systems, absorbing and storing water and naturally regulating runoff. In healthy watersheds, the soil represents the sponge. Healthy watersheds have good vegetation and ground cover which promote the soaking of this spongy soil. Water saturates the soil sponge during spring snowmelt and summer rains. The water then moves slowly through the pores of the soil sponge toward the stream system where it contributes to late summer base flows. If the sponge is compressed or pinched off, perhaps through road cuts or rutting, the flow is disrupted. The sponge loses its water and the streams flow less water, impacting all dependent species.
Functional flood plains which allow excess water to spread out and recharge groundwater are important for keeping downstream flooding in check. All these elements - good groundcover, an intact sponge, floodplains, and groundwater recharge are important for high quality water and watershed amenities.
Managing the Routt National Forest for sustained flows means that roads and trails must be designed properly to allow for proper water flow across the landscape. As we provide for many multiple uses on the national forests, (i.e., timber harvesting, livestock grazing, recreation, special uses, etc.), maintaining groundcover in proper proportion, and keeping compaction to a minimum are important elements of our project design. While often unpopular, closures and restoration of poorly located, user created roads and trails are a big workload for the agency.
The next time you look up at a snow covered Mount Werner, or look out across the Yampa River floodplain, or one of those high alpine wetlands, think about that soil sponge - the water reservoir that stores and filters your water, making it continuously available for a cool sip, a little tubing excitement, fat cows, big fish, and lazy August picnics accompanied by the sound of a babbling brook. 
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