Pacific Southwest

Title: Emergency burn rehabilitation: cost, risk, effectiveness

Author: Miles, Scott R.; Haskins, Donald M.; Ranken, Darrel W.

Date: 1989

Source: In: Berg, Neil H. tech. coord. Proceedings of the Symposium on Fire and Watershed Management: October 26-28, 1988, Sacramento, California. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-109. Berkeley, Calif.: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station: 97-102

Station ID: GTR-PSW-109

Description: The fires of 1987 had a heavy impact on the Hayfork Ranger District. Over 50,000 acres were burned within the South Fork Trinity River watershed, which contains an important anadromous fishery. Major problems within the burned area were found to be: (1) slopes having highly erodible soils where intense wildfire resulted in a total loss of ground cover, and (2) burnout of the natural woody sediment barriers in stream channels. Emergency watershed treatments included aerial seeding of selected slopes with species selected for their ability to germinate quickly and re-establish ground cover. Success was mixed depending on aspect and elevation. Mulching and contour felling were also used. Of the slope treatments, aerial seeding was the most cost effective, while mulching gave best results with least risk. Contour felling was costly and not effective. Channel treatments included straw bale check dams, which were effective in trapping sediment and stabilizing ephemeral stream channels. Log and rock check dams were installed in larger intermittent and small perennial channels, where large woody debris had burned, resulting in the release of large quantities of transportable sediment. This treatment was very successful in trapping sediment and stabilizing channels. Both channel treatments had acceptable costs and risks.

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Citation

Miles, Scott R.; Haskins, Donald M.; Ranken, Darrel W.  1989.  Emergency burn rehabilitation: cost, risk, effectiveness.   In: Berg, Neil H. tech. coord. Proceedings of the Symposium on Fire and Watershed Management: October 26-28, 1988, Sacramento, California. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-109. Berkeley, Calif.: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station: 97-102.