Partners
Colorado State University, U.S. Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the City of Fort Collins
Key researchers
Brian Bledsoe
Project description
The Ecological Response Model (ERM) was initiated by the City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department in collaboration with a team of nine scientists to better understand past, present and potential future conditions of the Poudre River through Fort Collins. This effort supports a community-driven quest to manage for an ecologically healthy and resilient Poudre River. This integrated model was designed to improve our overall understanding of the Poudre River ecosystem and the many factors that influence it and to model the status and trends of its key resources. The ERM can serve as a decision support tool and will contribute to more informed dialogue about the river through both the broad trends presented in the results and in the discipline specific analyses completed within the model. It can help quantify conditions necessary to realize the integrated vision of clean water; vibrant plant and animal communities; and, a river that provides for the economy and the community’s lifestyle.
Project goal
To improve our overall understanding of the Poudre River ecosystem and the many factors that influence it and to model the status and trends of its key resources.
Project status/outcomes
Complete
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