Waldo Canyon Fire

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