waldo canyon fire
TRANSCRIPT
2012 Waldo Canyon Fire
EL PASO COUNTY, COLORADO
Introduction Vancel Fossinger, PE | Wilson & Company• Wildfire and Resulting Hazards • Community Outreach / Community
Support
Tim Mitros, PE | City of Colorado Springs• Challenges• Solutions
June 23, 2012
• 100 Degrees
• Fire is spotted and grows rapidly
June 26, 2012
• 101 Degrees
• Pyrocumulus Cloud Builds
June 26, 2012
• 3:45 pm: Fire jumps containment line
• 4:21 pm: 26,000 people evacuated
• Pyrocumulus cloud collapses
• 65 mph winds
June 26, 2012• Two deaths• 346 homes destroyed
Burn Area
18,247 acres burned
Pike’s Peak
Camp Creek
Camp Creek is the largest watershed on the Waldo Canyon Burn Scar• 10 square mile watershed
• 70 % burned
Landmarks along Camp Creek
Glen Eyrie Garden of the Gods Park
Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site 31st St. in Pleasant Valley Neighborhood
Hazards After the Fire
• Erosion• Sedimentation• Abrasion From Sediment • Increased Threat of Flooding
Ridge Between Camp Creek and Douglas Creek Watersheds
Queen’s Canyon/Camp Creek
Queen’s Canyon/Camp Creek
Erosion
Sedimentation
Sedimentation
Sedimentation
Approximately 15,000 cubic yard deposited in 2013 and to date in 2015
Abrasion from Sedimentation
Increased Risk of Flooding
• 100-year Pre-Fire Peak Rate = 1,800 cfs• 100-year Post Fire Peak Rate = 2,900 cfs
Community Information
Flood Hazard Awareness Meetings“City hosts meeting on Camp Creek flash-flood issues at Glen Eyrie”
Building Support
Robust Community Involvement Integrated in the development of a Master Plan for Improvements
Decision Process• Approximately 45 interviews were conducted• 150+ people in attendance• Community concerns, values, and goals were
identified
• Five design concepts for improvements were presented
• Approximately 60 people in attendance• Community likes and dislikes about the concepts were
identified
• Three alternative concepts for improvements were presented
• Approximately 125 people in attendance• Community support for each of the alternatives
identified
Camp Creek – Challenges and Solutions
Challenges• Knowing what to do after the fire
• Seek experts• Be creative
• Finding funding • FEMA, NRCS, CDBG, General , Private, Grants• Work collaboratively with elected officials
• Keeping the public informed and prepared• Community meetings• Keeping the media involved
Challenges• Psychological impacts
• Listen • Provide support and empathy
• Funding requirements• Acknowledging each source has different rules• Understanding the rules
• Maintenance• Generally you are on your own• Be prepared
• Think differently• Sustainability• Resilience is the new goal
Challenges – Sediment & Debris
Mitigation efforts• Channel widening• Debris nets• Debris basins• Log erosion barriers• Seeding • Mulching
Glen Eyrie Channel Widening
• Original Channel- 450 cfs
Glen Eyrie Channel Widening
• New Channel- 2,000 cfs
The Navigators at Glen Eyrie
• September 5, 2013
Larger Channel Installed by Navigators
Larger Channel Installed by Navigators
Pre-Project Bridge at Glen Eyrie with Insufficient Capacity
Larger Bridge Installed by Navigators
Queen’s Canyon Debris Nets
DesignNets
Construction
Two Debris Nets Installed
Upper Net
Maintenance Consideration• Camp Creek in Glen Eyrie before and after July 1, 2013 storm
• City removes debris for 10 years
Lower Net
Log Erosion Barriers
Log Erosion Barriers
Vegetation
Vegetation
Camp Creek at Garden of the Gods
• July 16, 2014- New debris basin in Camp Creek
Camp Creek at Garden of the Gods Temporary Sediment Basin
Douglas Sediment Basin•Predicted to fill in 10 years- it took 0 minutes
• Predicted to fill in 10 years, instead it took 10 minutes
• July 13, 2014
• May 3, 2015
• July 16, 2014
• May 14, 2015
Sediment Removed from Basin - $200,000
• July 15, 2015
Sustainable & Resilient Channel
Rock Veins & Steep Pools
Vancel Fossinger, PE | Wilson & CompanyTim Mitros, PE | City of Colorado Springs
Camp Creek Fire – Flood Mitigation
Questions and Answers
The Fire-Flood Connection