Wildfires threaten water quality for years after they burn
Associate Professor Ben Livneh
Years after wildfires burn forests and watersheds, the contaminants left behind continue to poison rivers and streams across the Western U.S. — much longer than scientists estimated.
A new study led by CIRES researchers, published today in Nature Communications Earth & Environment, analyzed water quality in more than 500 watersheds across the Western U.S., and is the first large-scale assessment of post-wildfire water quality.
Ben Livneh, an associate professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering, CIRES fellow and Western Water Assessment director, was the principal investigator and co-author of the study.