Helicopter performs seeding and mulching to aid in wildfire recovery

Not the usual type of “bird” I photograph but this was something I had never seen before and I spent hours watching and photographing the action.

One of the biggest hazards after a wildfire is the potential for erosion, mudslides, water supply contamination and further damage due to a bare, plant-less landscape. To help speed recovery, large areas need to be reseeded.

Grand County’s Northern Water began a project using helicopters. The Kaman K-MAX helicopter is perfectly matched for the task.

Capable of hoisting up to 6,000 pounds and being highly maneuverable, the chopper initially made passes with a large “bucket” dispensing what I presume was seed. The days that followed saw it carrying nets full of mulch which it was then dropping on the same areas.

It was pretty impressive to watch these pilots operate with amazing speed and precision and is just another step toward recovering from last year’s devastating blazes.