When the Missionary Ridge Fire in 2002 burned more than 70,000 acres, 57 homes and came within a mile of the city’s water intake on the Florida River, it was a wake-up call to local officials what a threat wildfire poses to area rivers.

“Wildfire sediment and runoff can turn a clear river the color of ink or blood,” said district forest ranger Kent Grant with the Colorado Forest Service.

This sediment can choke off a river’s oxygen, destroying aquatic life and causing toxins such as mercury to be released into the ecosystem.

Colorado’s Mountain Studies Institute studied climate change here and found the wildfire threat to La Plata County is getting worse. Southwest Colorado summers are getting hotter. By 2050, average summer monthly temperatures will be as warm as the hottest 10 percent of summers from 1950 to 1999.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration puts it simply: By 2050, La Plata County summers may be like Phoenix in July.

Sandra Henderson coordinates a project that relies on “citizen scientists” to collect crucial data for the National Ecological Observatory Network in Boulder.

“Durango residents can help scientists fighting to protect the river and the environment,” Henderson said.

Three years ago, the network put out a nationwide call for volunteers to track the onset of early spring.

“The volunteer keeps a detailed journal of when leaves and buds of various plants appear,” Henderson said.

The project is called Operation BudBurst, and the science is phenology, the study of plant and life cycle of animals. Volunteers can choose to be occasional or regular observers and whether to track grasses, trees, flowers, fruits or herbs. They must note details about what is around the plant. For example, how close the plants are to asphalt or streams.

The data helps scientists document climate change and understand how an ecosystem can adapt and defend itself.

While some agencies collect clues as to how the climate is changing, Grant focuses on the immediate impact. He needs to prevent wildfires and clean up their aftermath before the ash, toxins and debris hits the Animas,

“Normally, the forest floor around the Animas is like a sponge retaining groundwater and rain; after a bad fire, the sponge is dry or gone,” Grant said. “If the fire penetrates deeply into the ground, it can kill tree roots. There’s nothing to keep soil from sliding into the river. There’s a real chance rivers can be destroyed for years.”

After the Missionary Ridge Fire, severe rain storms sent mud slamming into rivers. The Colorado Forest Service built retaining walls from tree limbs and used helicopters to drop grass seed on burned areas. Grass can hold some soil in place while trees and shrubs recover.

Not all Durangoans have the skills to defend the Animas from wildfire, but almost everyone can do something.

Grant urges all homeowners to clear underbrush and overgrowth away from their homes.

The process can be transformative, said Jon Westrup, owner of Fire Smart.

“When a homeowner hires me for wildfire mitigation, they end up falling in love with their land and their home all over again,” says. “With the overgrowth cleared, they can see wildlife and sunlight can get to vegetation that needs to be nourished.”

ledwards@durangoherald.com