Post-fire Treatment Effectiveness for Hillslope Stabilization
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EROSION BARRIER TREATMENTS
Erosion barriers, made from natural and engineered materials, have been used for decades to mitigate post-wildfire runoff and erosion (Robichaud and others 2000). These structures are designed to slow runoff, cause localized ponding, and store eroded sediment. Common post-wildfire hillslope erosion barriers include contour-felled logs (LEBs), straw wattles (10 in [0.25 m] diameter, 13 to 20 ft [4 to 6 m] long nylon mesh tubes filled with straw), contour trenches (hand or machine dug trenches), and straw bales (blocks of straw bound with twine). To eliminate long uninterrupted flow paths, erosion barriers are generally installed in staggered tiers with the center of each erosion barrier directly downslope from the gap between the two erosion barriers above it.Erosion barrier treatment effectiveness (the reduction in sediment yield at the base of the hillslope) is impacted by the erosion barrier performance. Erosion barrier performance is highest when they are new and have little or no sediment stored behind them. Not surprisingly, post-fire LEB hillslope treatments are most effective for the first few sediment-producing events with effectiveness declining over time.
[factors that affect post-fire watershed response and treatment effectiveness] [erosion barrier treatment effectiveness]
Post-fire Treatment Effectiveness for Hillslope Stabilization
Peter R. Robichaud, Louise E. Ashmun, Bruce D. Sims
USDA Forest Service - RMRS - Moscow Forestry Sciences
Laboratory
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