Rock gabion, rock armoring, and culvert treatments contributing to and reducing erosion during post-wildfire flooding - Schultz Fire 2010

Abstract

The Schultz Fire burned 6,100 ha on the eastern slopes of the San Francisco Peaks of the Coconino National Forest in north-central Arizona. The fire burned between June 20th and 30th, 2010, across moderate to very steep ponderosa pine and mixed conifer watersheds. One of the Burned Area Emergency Response treatments on Coconino National Forest lands consisted of the placement of large rock armoring on targeted fill slopes of a high elevation road that carries a water pipeline supplying water to the city of Flagstaff, Arizona (Robichaud et al. 2000). Other Forest treatments consisted of culvert removal at 30 channel crossings on another Forest road that transects the Schultz Fire at a lower elevation. On urbanized private lands below the Fire, no road culverts were initially removed or upgraded. A major, unarmored drainage ditch was fitted with sixteen rockfilled wire cage gabions to reduce channel incision in unconsolidated alluvial fan sediments. Rainfall beginning in mid-July after the wildfire produced a typical series of floods that caused substantial soil erosion, debris flows, and channel incision (Neary et al. 2008).

Citation

Neary, Daniel G.; Koestner, Karen A.; Youberg, Ann. 2011. Rock gabion, rock armoring, and culvert treatments contributing to and reducing erosion during post-wildfire flooding - Schultz Fire 2010. In: Goncalves, Antonio Bento; Vieira, Antonio A. B., eds. Proceedings of the 3rd International Meeting of Fire Effects on Soil Properties; 15-19 March 2011; University of Minho, Guimaraes, Portugal. Guimaraes, Portugal: Universidade do Minho, NIGP e CEGOT. p. 128-131.