In the outdoors, signs of nature’s terrific power are always there to see. It’s just that they’re usually hard to read, overgrown by moss and trees, or coded in the geologic history of canyon rock.

These signs are plain as day in the watersheds of the northern Front Range right now, devastation writ large in the form of tumbled buildings, lost homes, and washed-out roads. September’s floods tore chunks from canyon walls, moved house-sized boulders hundreds of yards downstream and flushed tons of sediment into the plains.

As people begin to recover, and rebuild, Colorado’s wildlife biologists are examining the implications for the northern Front Range’s rivers, their surrounding ecosystems, habitat and wildlife.

“When we look at the implications on wildlife habitat, it’s nothing in comparison to people who have lost homes or loved ones in these scenarios,” said Randy Hampton of the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife. “People see the situation and assume the worst (for our wildlife), but whether it’s fire or flood, or whatever Mother Nature throws at you, wildlife evolved in this system, and they can very readily adapt.”

As any angler on the Big Thompson, Little Thompson, St. Vrain or Coal Creek can attest, fishing is currently a low priority. On the other hand, the flood’s effect on fish and habitat may bring a small ray of sunshine to warm this otherwise flood-soaked area.

“Yes, this was big water, and it was flowing rough and tearing things out up above, but down on the bottom of the river you’re still seeing velocities that these fish are used to seeing, so they’re hunkering down in spots where they can get the adequate velocities that they’re used to,” said Ken Kehmeier, senior aquatic biologist for the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife.

“Where we have these nice riparian areas along the river, as the river came up and went into those floodplains, those fish went up in those floodplains, too, because that’s where all the power’s going to be taken out of the water,” he said. “Then, as the water starts to recede, they come back into the channel just like they should.”

Kehmeier said Parks and Wildlife researchers have netted fish on lakes and ponds in the Longmont and Boulder areas, and while fish numbers have dipped slightly, the main effect of the flood has been a mixing of species from stream to pond, pond to lake, and back again.

In the rivers, the charging flows have scoured the riverbed of sediment left over from wildfires of recent years. This has restored the water to a clear, cobblestone-lined state of grace, where fish and other wildlife thrive. The fish, mostly undeterred by the flooding, have stayed around to enjoy it.

“Instinctively, these fish know what to do,” Kehmeier said. “It’s pretty cool how they’re able to sense that stuff, and move with the water where they need to and find the velocity shelters that they need.”

In the aftermath, the effects of man-made or natural habitat structures, including some riparian areas, can be evaluated to see how well they functioned during the flood. Based on evidence so far, the hard work of protecting, maintaining or creating these habitats means a quicker recovery for the rivers’ ecosystems.

“We’re really happy to see that our habitat improvement structures came through this process,” Kehmeier said. “And, with a little maintenance, they’ll be even better than they were before, even better because of that flushing process that removed sediment.”

Rebuilding roads and access to these areas is another issue. By next spring, however, Kehmeier thinks the watershed will be back to its old self again. Or, perhaps more accurately, it will be fishing well and living healthy — but each river will look a whole lot different.

“From the standpoint of the anglers, this habitat that they’ve been used to fishing may change,” he said. “So, where you fished on the Big Thompson River last year may not even be a nice piece of habitat next time. The anglers are going to have to relearn the river.”

Eventually, fishermen will find new pockets and pools to find the fish. Long after they do, signs will remain of the forces of nature that reshaped those rivers.