Funding coming to Southern Colorado for water supply protection projects from wildfire risk

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Wildfire poses a risk to the water supply in Colorado and impacts more than a million Coloradans.

The Colorado State Forest Service recently received $3 million in funding from the legislature to begin 3 projects to reduce that risk.

Each area designated will receive $1 million for each project.

One of the areas is the North Slope of Pikes Peak in Teller County. This will help protect essential drinking water and water infrastructure for the City of Colorado Springs.

Reservoirs on the North Slope provide about 15% of the City's drinking water supply, and the Pikes Peak watershed is noted as a high-priority area in plans by the Colorado Springs Fire Department, the U.S. Forest Service, and Colorado Springs Utilities.

Work there will add to more than 3,5000 acres of prior fuel treatments on Colorado Springs Utilities' Municipal Lands and fill an important gap in treated areas around North Catamount Reservoir and the headwaters of North Catamount Creek.

It will also help protect infrastructure that conveys water from the utility's blue river collection system to the reservoir.

The other 2 areas in the state to receive the funding are Fraser Valley in Grand County and Staunton State Park in Park and Jefferson Counties.