Front Range Region Research Articles

A timber‐water simulation model for lodgepole pine watersheds in Colorado Rockies

A deterministic, dynamic joint production simulation model was developed to predict annual timber and water yields over an extended time period. The model provides for testing the long‐term effects of various managerial strategies and thus acts as an aid to analyzing and studying proposed management plans. The simulation may be applied to lodgepole pine subalpine watersheds along the Colorado Rocky Mountain Front Range region. The input requirements for the simulation include initial stand conditions, stable site characteristics, watershed location along the Front Range, and the proposed timber‐harvesting schedule. The simulator was tested by comparing model predictions to observed records of two Colorado watersheds. The average error of estimation in predicting long‐term water yields was about 14%.