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In this study, ash is analyzed as a geological material; in particular, we focus on ash produced by the burning of Ponderosa pine, a conifer that is widespread throughout mountainous landscapes of western North America. One set of ash samples used…
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The decision of whether or not to apply post-fire hillslope erosion mitigation treatments, and if so, where these treatments are most needed, is a multi-step process. Land managers must assess the risk of damaging runoff and sediment delivery events…
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Many forests and their associated water resources are at increasing risk from large and severe wildfires due to high fuel accumulations and climate change. Extensive fuel treatments are being proposed, but it is not clear where such treatments…
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In the past decade, wildfires around the world have continued to increase in size, severity, and cost. The number of people living in wildland areas has also increased, putting public safety, homes, roads, public infrastructure, water quality, and…
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Empirical models to estimate the probability of occurrence and volume of postwildfire debris flows can be quickly implemented in a geographic information system (GIS) to generate debris-flow hazard maps either before or immediately following…
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In southern California and the intermountain west of the USA, debris flows generated from recently-burned basins pose significant hazards. Increases in the frequency and size of wildfires throughout the western USA can be attributed to increases in…
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The 2000 Bitterroot Valley wildfires provided an opportunity to measure post-fire effects and recovery rates. We established 24 small (0.01 ha [0.02 acre]) plots in four high-severity burn sites. We measured sediment yields at each site with silt…
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There has been an increasing public concern over forest stream pollution by excessive sedimentation due to natural or human disturbances. Adequate erosion simulation tools are needed for sound management of forest resources. The Water Erosion…
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The purpose of this paper is to quantify climatic controls on the area burned by fire in different vegetation types in the western United States. We demonstrate that wildfire area burned (WFAB) in the American West was controlled by climate during…
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Recently burned basins frequently produce debris flows in response to moderate-to-severe rainfall. Post-fire hazard assessments of debris flows are most useful when they predict the volume of material that may flow out of a burned basin. This study…
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Ash formed by the combustion of vegetation and the litter and duff layers may affect runoff and erosion rates in the period immediately following wildfires, but only a handful of studies have specifically measured its effect. Approximately 1 month…
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In the fall of 2001, an intense thunderstorm in southwest Montana triggered many debris flows in the burned area of Sleeping Child Creek. In most instances, the debris flows cut deep gullies into previously unchannelized colluvial hollows and…
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The vulnerability of recently burned areas to debris flows has been well established. Likewise, it has been shown that many, if not most, post-fire debris flows are initiated by runoff and erosion and grow in size through erosion and scour by the…
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After prescribed burns at three locations and one wildfire, rainfall simulations studies were completed to compare postfire runoff rates and sediment yields on ash-cap soil in conifer forest regions of northern Idaho and western Montana. The…
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Accelerated runoff and erosion commonly occur following forest fires due to combustion of protective forest floor material, which results in bare soil being exposed to overland flow and raindrop impact, as well as water repellent soil conditions.…
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Fire in sagebrush rangelands significantly alters canopy cover, ground cover, and soil properties which influence runoff and erosion processes. Runoff can be generated more quickly and in larger volume following fire resulting in increased risk of…
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The decision of where, when, and how to apply the most effective post-fire erosion mitigation treatments requires land managers to assess the risk of damaging runoff and erosion events occurring after a fire. To aid in this assessment, the Erosion…
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Evaluation of post-wildfire debris flow mitigation methods and development of decision-support tools
In this study we analyzed the effectiveness of erosion control treatments in reducing post-fire debris-flow volume. We used detailed surveys of series channel cross sections in 46 basins in Colorado, Utah and California to develop graphs of the…
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Wildfire can lead to considerable hydrological and geomorphological change, both directly by weathering bedrock surfaces and changing soil structure and properties, and indirectly through the effects of changes to the soil and vegetation on…
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Successful fire exclusion in the 20th century has created severe fire problems across the West. Not every forest is at risk of uncharacteristically severe wildfire, but drier forests are in need of active management to mitigate fire hazard. We…
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