STREAM TRACKING IN THE ARAPAHO & ROOSEVELT NATIONAL FORESTS
Do you like hiking and exploring your national forests?
We are seeking volunteers to record stream conditions throughout the
Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests along the Colorado Front Range
We are looking for observations of streamflow presence or absence, as well as photos of flow conditions, of any small streams that intersect hiking trails and roads throughout the Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests (ARNF). There are multiple ways you can participate:
- Hike a priority trail- we have selected sites along trails across the forest that are of interest
- Hike any trail or road- we are interested in any and all sites on USFS land so take Stream Tracker with you every time you explore!
- Adopt a trail or site
Why we need your help!
Intermittent streams make up 69% of the total stream lengths on National Forests* and yet these smaller streams are rarely monitored and often poorly mapped. Your observations will be used to improve the mapping of where streams are located and how often they flow. Improved maps and increased monitoring of intermittent streams will then aid in management decisions made for the ARNF such as where streamside buffers are needed, road construction and culvert sizing, and source water protection plans.
Priority Trails
Download Anecdata.org app
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MAPS.ME app
Poudre Canyon (Highway 14)
Young Gulch: Thirteen points (Young_1 to Young_13). Total distance ~7 miles.
Dadd Gulch: Five sites (Dadd_1 to Dadd_5). Total distance ~4.4 miles.
Big South: Thirteen sites (BS_1 to BS_13). Total distance ~19 miles.
Blue Lake: Seventeen sites (BL_1 to BL_17). Total distance ~9.4 miles.
Pingree Park Road (County Road 63E)
Emmaline Lake: Eleven points (eml1-11) along trail. Access from Forest Road 145. Total distance 8.6 miles.
Big Thompson Canyon (Highway 34)
Crosier Mountain: Five sites (Crosier_1-5). Total distance ~4.6 miles.
Highway 119
Forest Lakes and South Boulder Creek: Access from Gilpin County Road 16. Trail splits ~1.1 miles after trailhead at East Portal. Right (N) fork is Forest Lakes Trail with 5 sites (Forest_1-5), last of which is ~1.4 miles from fork. Left (S) fork is South Boulder Creek trail with 5 sites (SBoulder_1-5), last of which is ~2.4 miles from fork.
Highway 72
Jenny Creek: Access from Eldora Mt. Ski Area. Four points (Jenny_1-4). Total distance ~7 miles.
Other Trails
Captain Mountain
Resthouse Meadows
Chicago Lakes
Herman Gulch
Bard Creek
Doe Creek
Morgan Gulch
Tipperary Creek
*As mapped in the National Hydrography Dataset