East Troublesome Fire Watershed Recovery

JHL is delivering key watershed restoration improvements in fire-impacted areas of Grand County following the 2020 East Troublesome Fire through CM/GC delivery. This work is part of an ongoing, multi-year effort to stabilize burned landscapes, protect infrastructure, and restore natural stream function.

The project includes the construction of 108 post-assisted log structures (PALs)—man-made features that mimic beaver dams to slow water, capture sediment, and reduce downstream erosion. Additional work involves streambank stabilization using boulders, log vanes, root wads, and soil lifts, as well as sediment and debris removal, upland and riparian revegetation, and alluvial fan reactivation.

Infrastructure improvements include culvert replacements, roadway and river crossing enhancements, aquatic organism passages (AOPs), and erosion control features to improve long-term watershed resilience.