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<br />FEB-20-97 THU 09:46 <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY <br /> <br />FAX NO. 3077782764 <br /> <br />p, 03 <br /> <br />EROSION A SEDIMENT CONTROL <br /> <br />Buffalo Creek, Colorado, Fire <br />and Flood of 1996 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. Cy lI'iIItam .1,qntw, Roben E. Labn and <br />MicbMI V. Htmilng <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />lFlUll'1RBS have always been a tIneat <br />10 popuIaIed, IIlOUIlI>!nous COIDlIlWlld.. In <br />QliQra(Io, however. for the pasl80 YeaJS fa:- <br /><<S:lIIlIllllgelS have ~y undenakon <br />wildland 6n: BtIppl'<OSiOo1, t<8Ullillg ill """"'" <br />umIly high fuel.loodmg wilhin the Iixct aod <br />pt3itlB~. '\1lese raao", eoil>- <br />hinf.d wid11be unp...:<deDled devek>pment <br />wilIlln Ibe 'IIUU<;IlmdIUrllan 1ntcrl1ce" areas <br />have <igr>;&"""y _ the tbn:ateX..n. <br />0Ui propaty d.mase aod persoaal itljury, <br />"p""iaIly along rhe densely populated <br />"Front Range Corridor". As thls Urban <br />lntemlre 00DdnIleS to ~. the poren1ild <br />fa: a =;nophic event will ""P"nd l""P"'" <br />, lIonaIIy. <br />As med by [jspA Fotest Sem:e. SoD <br />Scienli!l, TlIll Sullivan. 'It iln" """l!!t of if <br />~ illBia <'a~ <:Iamage 10 pe0- <br />ple and property along the front nose of <br />Colorado - the queslion is, whm will k hap- <br />pen?" . <br />. .. On May 18, 1996, just such an <M!llt <br />ClCaJll'ed. "h!llll3O In<luced wBdflte butn<d <br />nearly'12,OOO acres of rhe Pike Na~ona1 <br />Forest and SwrOWlding private lands, <br />deslroyiog 10 dweIIJnss and <Ditin8 milIials <br />in suppt<:OSion """" and property ~ <br />!.eM th<n two months Ialer on July 12. 1996. <br />a high inteDSity thundor ...,..,;; dumped <br />Ippmxilnalely <.> lnc:hes 0( raio. on the lire <br />mvsged temin causing ....ere flooding, <br />whicl1 reouked in the washout of Jelfman <br />..CI:JJwj lllghv.ay 1215 and the ~ Ii <br />the Oly oflluffillo Creek's pomble........ anii" <br />. telepbcne 61d1i1i... '!he!tllnl1 aI30 resuIred <br />in the'deposilion of hulldteds of thousands <br />of tons of sediment into Sttontia Springs <br />Ilc3em>it (15 yeot oedDno1t Ioad), the 1"", of <br />miles of priotine riparian h.bitllt along <br />lluffiIlo cn:ett and Spring Creek dtainage's <br />aod the deaths of 2 Bulfalo Cteek cesidem. <br />. Most midents of Buffalo Creele had lire <br />insur.a.nce. howev~rl ne:Jrly no one: was <br />. Mu.d agaimt the impact ofllooding. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />fast fire SlOnn flooding .nd related <br />iJnpoo;s are the secOIld dis;wer that chal. <br />""'goo letIeraI. ""'" and local go.'1!lIllllOIIIS. <br />This challi!nge Is C<l<llposecl eX organi2:ing <br />and aJIoca1lng human and financial """'= <br />to develop p06t.6n: disa>ter p1llllI1ing and <br />implementltion 1""'8"'Il-' in . timely and <br />0Jl!;t effective rIUUlniCt. <br />'fhi, .article presetlD infoanation on <br />po5l-llrelllood haza!d ='" 2nd nUli- <br />gation planning cooduae4 by the USDA <br />Forest _ and the lXlll1lIIIlfIil of BuffiIlo <br />Creek. Woodwatd-clyde and REVEG <br />li'nlllronmencll 0:xlsuhIng. Inc:. donated pro- <br />fe&1;lonal.....1ces to ald 1lI1be resroraxionand <br />miIigmion elf""" following the firelllood dio- <br />I5ler eX 19')6. <br /> <br />sediment and contaminants and provides <br />SlI\IctUte (roool co hold the soll io place. <br />After fires, soils arc 1lO Iorlg<r prob>:Ied by <br />~ """" and ate subject to nccelern.. <br />cd erosion ~ TUrbulent air can blow <br />s1q>e:s dan ofloo>eooa pattidcs, depasidng <br />mattrialln down slope areas and <tre:lm <br />dwmcl> fer IalI:T IrlDlI<:lnOTll by lbe fuJ= of <br />fhwlnsW2/er. <br />'!be orosive impact of water on bare <br />-Jios;.fue soils iJ accdc3!ed by ...... lIlOdel'- <br />... prec:lpIl>I!on........ The development eX <br />, <br />dIIs aOO gullies lite evident on steep sIapes <br />llDd ...;lbin dmimge c:hnnnels. lnfiIltation <br />rates decrease on bare slopes causing <br />increased OUlOfF and =lemed >edlau:nt <br /><=ying c;apocity. The resulting sediment <br /> <br /> <br />PosO-litemrzard <br />V"l;dll.jon b the kx:y faclor tIat llmil>l <br />Ihr impact of <:ruaion in !lIall.,.... PIms <br />provide <:over th3l inI..-cepcs and reduces <br />I2infaIl impact and slows win:! to<:Iocities, the <br />prim:uy meclunJC5 for .oll 010.10"- <br />Vegetltioo aho inCIe:l5CS w:ner infiInatIon <br />inIo Ihr 5"11. redu"", nmoIf veloclI1... ft!rers <br /> <br />w debris movement Illlo $ll\!1m ch>nnds <br />awC1 doggiog within the channcb and <br />mud and debris fIoM. which """r =per <br />cbannel segmetllS and cncourige signilican< <br />deposiIion 2Iong llmer ..... of the ._m <br />coaidor. To <:anJlC'Ul'<! the h:=d poutntial, <br />soils are subject ro slipping or 1Iump~ dur, <br />log lOlny perIods.men super "'tIlllItion ""'y <br /> <br />Undand- <br /> <br />]fl1llJ.ary/February 19970 Z7 <br /> <br />