Wildland fire and post-fire flash flooding are devastating partners, as witnessed in California recently. Rain falling on a rugged, severely burned watershed can produce runoff and erosion orders of magnitude greater than what that same rainfall would produce on an unburned watershed. The greatest post-fire threats to public safety and infrastructure are debris flows — fast-moving slurries of water, sediment and car-size boulders.
Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey have developed predictive models that indicate the likelihood, extent and volume of post-fire debris flows. These models have been used to develop disaster-response and mitigation strategies for several Colorado communities.
Critical to continued implementation of any federally funded research is the opportunity for all scientists to share their findings in peer-reviewed publications, technical symposia, and face-to-face meetings with the public. Any politically motivated restriction on dissemination of federally funded research is not in the best interest of our nation.
dz.dzٳ, Lakewood
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