Integrating Freshwater Protection and Restoration into Wildfire Risk Reduction, Fire-Fighting Strategies, and Post-Fire Recovery Programs  

Given the increasing severity of wildfires and their associated impacts across the country, there is significant attention to the tools available to address these challenges. Recent research highlights that the conservation and restoration of freshwater ecosystems may play an important yet overlooked role in wildfire management.

 

Warming temperatures, persistent drought, and aridification are key drivers of increased wildfire risk and severity. New science is revealing the important role wetlands, healthy riparian systems, and beaver complexes play before, during, and after fires. When in a healthy condition, the saturated soils, braided stream channels, and vegetation associated with these freshwater systems do not readily burn. Thus, the y can slow fire movement, provide refuge for wildlife and wildland firefighting crews, and serve as natural firebreaks. After a fire, freshwater systems filter out sediment, ash, and other pollutants that are left in a fire’s wake, decreasing the amount of sediment that ends up in reservoirs and water treatment facilities. Fire refugia can also aid wildfire recovery by sustaining vegetation and facilitating seed germination, thereby supporting post-fire reforestation efforts.  

 

This panel will explore the latest science on the intersection of wildfire risk mitigation and riparian system restoration and conservation, with a focus on beaver-modified riverscapes and wetland complexes. The panel will also touch on efforts underway within the United States Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management regarding developing more formal guidance and training processes to support integrated stream restoration and wildfire risk reduction processes, and near-term opportunities for practitioners to work with these federal agencies to advance collaborative projects designed to reduce wildfire risk while enhancing the health of aquatic ecosystems. A spotlight of this discussion will include an overview of an active effort by organizations on the panel to model wildfire behavior responses to aquatic restoration and managed wetland projects that can inform federal agencies' approaches to better aligning wildfire risk mitigation efforts, where aquatic co-benefits may be better realized. The panel will also include interactive elements to learn more from the audience about potential projects where wildfire risk mitigation efforts could be incorporated into planned riparian treatments, unlocking new financial resources that were previously only available for more traditional wildfire risk mitigation efforts.