Beetles called threat to water, power supplies

Record outbreak in West could fuel wildfires, experts warn

WASHINGTON – Hoping to get some attention and more federal money, experts on beetle-ravaged forests in the Rocky Mountains argued that wildfires there would threaten water and power supplies to millions of people across the West.

The headwaters of the Colorado River, an important water source for residents of 13 states, are in the middle of 2.5 million acres of dead or dying forests in Colorado and southern Wyoming, U.S. Forest Service official Rick Cables told a House panel on Tuesday.

Severe fires, fueled by these trees, could damage or destroy reservoirs, pipes and other infrastructure that supply water to millions of people in the Rocky Mountain region, he said. […]

Power outages feared

Another concern is the 13,000 miles of electricity transmission lines that run through the forests. There is a possibility that multiple fires at the same time could cause widespread regional power outages, Ron Turley, special projects manager for the Western Area Power Administration, told the committee.

MSNBC