Multi-Agency Group Working To Reduce Flooding And Mudflow Threat
Release Date: November 29, 2003
Release Number: 1498-40
» More Information on California Wildfires
PASADENA, Calif. -- In Southern California, decades of post-fire broadcast seeding over hundreds of thousands of acres have provided land managers and researchers with many examples to observe and study, and they have learned a surprising lesson: post-fire seeding on steep mountain slopes in Southern California doesn’t work very well.
Observations and formal research conducted independently by the U. S. Forest Service, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, and universities show that seeding has a low probability of success in reducing soil erosion, mudflows, and flash floods in the burned-over areas of Southern California.
“The burn areas in Southern California present a unique challenge,” said Dallas Jones, director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES). “Grass seeding has been ineffective because of the steepness of the mountains, the climate and other factors.”
“In many of the recent fire areas, the wind caused the fires to be so fast-moving that heat did not penetrate deep into the ground,” said David Heilig of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. “Native seeds naturally stored beneath the surface will germinate and grow after the first rains of the season, and will reduce erosion and provide for natural recovery.” Heilig is part of a multi-agency support group (MASG) established by OES and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to reduce the potential impact of flooding and mudflows in Southern California burn areas.
“It wouldn’t be prudent to risk the protection of lives and property on ineffective measures to stabilize the watershed,” said Rob Griffith, an erosion and sediment control specialist with the U.S. Forest Service and also a member of the support group.
Instead, actions such as mulching, building diversion structures and sediment catch basins, and developing effective early warning systems will probably be used to reduce threats to the public and conserve resources.
“Some seeding may be used in conjunction with mulching or other measures in cases where success is likely, but general broadcast seeding of burned areas from aircraft would be wasteful,” Griffith said. “It also could lead to a false sense of safety to those who may be in harm’s way when fall and winter rains come.”
“Regardless of what actions are taken, mudflows and debris flows are expected to occur in the areas burned by the recent fires,” said Bill Schultz, a post-fire revegetation specialist with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Schultz is a member of the support group.
Planning after the disaster focuses on reducing the number of slides and flows, redirecting flows away from property and people at risk, catching and holding sediment in basins, and providing early warning to people living in the area so they can move to safety.
“Reducing the impact of flooding and mudflows is a major effort,” said OES Director Jones, state coordinating officer for the recovery effort after the fires. “Coordination of local, state and federal agencies is critical, and the support group will play a vital role in insuring that.”
“These planning programs show that we are looking at long-range as well as short-range effects of disasters, and planning strategies to meet the needs that become evident,” said William Carwile, III, federal coordinating officer for the recovery effort.
The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services coordinates overall state agency response to major disasters in support of local government. The office is responsible for ensuring California’s readiness to respond to and recover from natural, manmade, and war-caused emergencies, and for assisting local governments in their emergency preparedness, response, mitigation and recovery efforts.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA’s continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 09-Dec-2003 12:26:46