How the Bircher Fire of 2000 Affected Erosion in Mesa Verde National Park
Bouchier A. 2000. How the Bircher Fire of 2000 Affected Erosion in Mesa Verde National Park. Mesa Verde, CO
During the end of July and the beginning of August, 2000, the Bircher Fire burned 19,332 acres of land within the boundaries of Mesa Verde National Park. During the month of October, an erosion project was conducted along three burned drainages and one unburned drainage, all surrounding the Morfield Campground. This project consisted of multiple transects along each , drainage as well as a sediment catchment at the base of each drainage. Results of this study show that erosion definitely increased within drainages found in the burned area as compared to the unburned study area. Because most of the erosion occurred in the form of rills from the hillslopes, with sediment being transported through the drainage path instead of incising of the drainage itself, future studies of the hillslopes might be more conclusive.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Bouchier, Aurora
- Date of Issue
- 2000
- Units
- MEVE
- Keywords
- FIRE, Fire Effects, Soil Erosion