In 2019, Colorado had 1,953 surface reservoirs under the jurisdiction of the State with a total storage capacity of approximately 7.5 million acre-feet.

Fire can impact a reservoir by reducing its storage capacity as sediment deposits in the pool. Deposited sediment can also impede access for maintenance crews. Fires also alter the quantity and timing of water entering the reservoir and degrade water quality of both the inflows as well as the water that was already in storage.

Before fires occur, water providers should compile a detailed inventory of assets to understand where pre-fire protection measures should be focused. Hard measures to capture sediment and larger debris can be installed above critical surface water storage features, such as debris basins, settling ponds, and rock nets.

At the same time, watershed managers can take steps to increase the health and resilience of their riparian corridors and forested areas. Restoring stream corridors upstream of reservoirs may reduce sediment and debris loads as the material is deposited on floodplains instead of in the reservoirs. Forest health initiatives may include actions that reduce the likelihood that ignition sources contact fuel loads and actions that keep low-severity fires from growing into larger or more severe events.

Where feasible, including redundant raw water diversions, intakes, or conveyance paths from a reservoir can also boost wildfire resilience by allowing water managers to choose which part of the reservoir to draw from.

Critical reservoirs should also be considered when developing and implementing fire response plans.