USGS FRONT RANGE INFRASTRUCTURE RESOURCES PROJECT

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Front Range Infrastructure Resources (FRIR) Project is a 5­year effort by the USGS to improve the understanding of the location and characteristics of natural aggregate, water, and energy resources that are vital to sustaining the Colorado Piedmont and its infrastructure. The project will provide the public and decision makers with objective scientific information to determine the rate that infrastructure resources are being preempted by conflicting land uses.

The project encompasses a swath approximately 30 miles wide along the Front Range from Cheyenne, WY to Pueblo, CO (112 1:24,000-scale USGS quadrangles). A demonstration area has been selected to develop data sets and methodologies. This demonstration area extends from the south end of the Denver Metropolitan region to just north of Fort Collins/Greeley (45 1:24,000-scale USGS quadrangles). Models will be developed that relate resource occurrence to quality, quantity, and availability based on environmental and land use impacts. The determination of landscape processes and conditions using historical landscape patterns will be used to forecast which areas are likely to experience future development and to determine the effects of the development on local infrastructure resources. The land will be characterized by the various data sets and techniques will be developed for determining landscape change.

Carol Mladinich is the FRIR Project Manager for the NMD.