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https://hdl.handle.net/11681/43601| Title: | 2011 Las Conchas Fire Post Fire Hydrological Modeling Results for Bland Canyon |
| Authors: | United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. Albuquerque District |
| Keywords: | New Mexico--Wildfires Hydrology |
| Publisher: | United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. Albuquerque District. |
| Abstract: | In July 2011, the Las Conchas Fire burned 156,548 acres in and around many watersheds including Bland Canyon. During and after precipitation events, these watersheds are affected by increased runoff with debris and accelerated rates of erosion, which typically occur after a fire. Surface infiltration is greatly decreased by the heat of the fire physically altering the surface permeability and destroying forest floor vegetation. This results in significant loss of rainfall storage in the soil, with a consequent reduction in runoff attenuation capability. Ash accumulation on the forest floor further reduces soil infiltration and enhances precipitation runoff. The magnitude of large stormflows increases dramatically after wildfires. After the La Mesa Fire in 1977, peak flows at the most downstream streamflow-gaging station in Frijoles and Capulin Canyons increased to about 160 times the maximum recorded flood prior to the fire. The purpose of this analysis is to compute existing conditions discharges for the various watersheds impacted by the Las Conchas Fire (2011). The resultant discharges will be used for planning of future projects, developing Emergency Action Plans (EAP) and Early Warning Systems (EWS). The methods and assumptions used to compute the flowrates for the Bland Canyon watershed are described in this report. This analysis uses a numerical model to generate the discharges. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Hydrologic Engineering Center’s (HEC) Hydrologic Modeling System (HMS) is used to transform the precipitation estimates into a runoff hydrograph. A flood frequency analysis was not completed as part of this report, since gage data is not available for Bland Canyon. |
| Description: | Technical Report |
| Rights: | Approved for Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited |
| URI: | https://hdl.handle.net/11681/43601 |
| Appears in Collections: | Technical Report |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Conchas Fire Post Fire Hydrlogical Modeling - Bland Canyon_2011.pdf | 638.26 kB | Adobe PDF |  View/Open |