FRISCO - Pine beetles have killed hundreds of thousands of trees in Colorado and now they threaten the drinking water for millions of people.
Vast areas of beetle killed trees in Colorado have created dangerous wildfire conditions around many reservoirs and rivers.
Thursday, forest, water and fire experts from across the state gathered in Frisco to talk about what can be done to protect that water.
Denver Water is already spending millions of dollars to cut down dead trees around reservoirs.
"The significant risk from the mountain pine beetle is catastrophic wildfire. We have seen that accord in the Hayman Fire and Boulder County Fourmile Fire area," John Duggan with the Colorado Department of Environment said. "High-intensity fires will destroy the lower vegetation and also scorch the soil. When that happens, the soil erosion increases significantly."
Many areas hit hard by the pine beetle epidemic are being treated with the help of the U.S. Forest Service.
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