The Lee fire's effects on Colorado ranchers reaches far beyond the 137,758 acres burned

The Lee fire's effects on Colorado ranchers reaches far beyond the 137,758 acres burned

The Lee fire west of Meeker, Colorado destroyed grazing land for dozens of ranchers' cattle, and some monetary effects and costs from the wildfire's devastation are beginning to add up. From burned fences to cattle lost, wildfires carry a heavy burden on ranchers, especially heading into fall and winter.

Mud, silt, ash from run-off damaging water resources in rural Rio Blanco County — Steamboat Pilot & Today #WhiteRiver

A flume and ditch is covered with silt, mud, rocks and debris along the White River following run-off damage from rains after the Lee Fire in Rio Blanco County. Colorado Division of Water Resources/Courtesy photo Click the link to read the article on the Steamboat Pilot & Today website (Suzie Romig). Here’s an excerpt: September 6, 2025 Irrigation ditch structures can be seen buried under mud in rural Rio Blanco County. Some livestock ponds are…