Catastrophic wildfires have been one of the main headlines of the summer.

Every year millions of dollars are spent fighting wildfires in the West. Across our region, from Colorado to Utah, fires have burned through communities and watersheds. Social media is littered with videos of the tragic impacts on landscapes and homes. After a fire is contained, communities face another challenge: rebuilding post fire.

While rebuilding structures and roads is an obvious challenge, there are less obvious issues that must also be addressed – like the impacts on our water.

The rivers of the West are facing a constellation of threats in 2026. Drought, pollution and overuse all come to mind. Fire, not always as much.  For fish, water managers, and municipalities however, it is high on the list of concerns, and it should be for you, too. Uncontrolled wildfire is one of many modern threats that not only damages ecosystems in the West but also creates expensive water quality problems for our communities.

Today we're looking at how we can keep rivers in the West healthy, how we can solve for the threats of catastrophic wildfire before they become crises, and how to make sure that this work is getting done on the scale needed to protect Colorado and the West.

Welcome back to our series of conservation funding. We're looking at all the way that we can use dedicated sources of money to protect our home in the West. 

On today’s episode: Watershed health.

2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.

2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.

On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.

It is Hosted by Dave Papineau

Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?

• Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
• Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
• Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
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