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<br />. Soil formed from granitic parent material is sensitive to erosion. The erosion rate is a <br />function of the bum intensity. <br />. For recently burned watersheds, peak streamflows have been reported to be 2 to 60 times <br />greater than normal after a heavy rain. <br /> <br />Unfortunately, the Buffalo Creek area fits all of those categories. Strategic planning and mitigation <br />can help to reduce the adverse affects caused by the fue. Previous research suggests that the natural <br />break-up of the hydrophobic soils can occur as soon as I to 2 years after the fue. The return of <br />certain grasses and forbs should occur fairly rapidly as well. It will take a much longer time for <br />larger trees and shrubs to develop in the burned watershed. It is likely that flash flooding could be a <br />high risk over the next several years, and could then be a moderate risk for many years thereafter. <br />After the Black Tiger Run fire in Boulder County, the Bureau of Reclamation observed that <br />sediment production and runoff were most significant immediately following the fue. By the next <br />summer season, sediment production had decreased significantly. <br /> <br />C. PRE-FIRE MANAGEMENT <br />In order to help prevent losses from future fires and floods, the following pre-fire mitigation <br />techniques are suggested: <br /> <br />Defensible Space <br />The implementation of this measure is can dramatically improve the survival rate of a structure <br />during a fue. It involves the reduction of fuel loading by thinning or eliminating certain types of <br />vegetation adjacent to the building. The distance required for the defensible space around the <br />perimeter of the building is dependent on several factors including topography and fuel type. The <br />minimum defensible space is generally recommended to be 30 feet. <br /> <br />Building Materials <br />The type of materials used for the construction of a building can also have a significant effect on its <br />survivability during a fue. A roof covering consisting of clay or concrete tile, composite shingle, or <br />metal can help to protect the building from a fue. A roofing material such as cedar shake shingles <br />will reduce the chance of the building's survival. Exterior finishes such as brick or stucco are more <br />fue resistant than finishes such as wood siding or logs. <br /> <br />Fuel Breaks <br />Fuel breaks, as the name implies, provide a line of defense where a fire theoretically will not cross <br />and continue to burn on the other side of the break. A roadway can be used as the basis for a fuel <br />break, combined with forest thinning on one or both sides of the road. The required width of <br />thinning depends on factors such as topography and fuel type. The minimum recommended width <br />for a fuel break is 200 feet. <br /> <br />Forest Wide Thinning <br />The objectives of forest wide thinning are to reduce fuel loading, increase forest health, and <br />improve aesthetics. In dense forests, fires quickly change from relatively harmless ground fires to <br /> <br />13 <br />