Proactive Planning Tool to Reduce Wildfire Sedimentation Risks

David, Scott R; Belmont, Patrick; Murphy, Brendan

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Proactive Planning Tool to Reduce Wildfire Sedimentation Risks

2025-04-01
By David, Scott R ; Belmont, Patrick ; Murphy, Brendan

File Language:

English

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Creators:

David, Scott R ; Belmont, Patrick ; Murphy, Brendan
Corporate Creators:

Utah State University. Department of Watershed Sciences
Corporate Contributors:

Utah Department of Transportation ; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration
Subject/TRT Terms:

Debris Flows Disaster Preparedness Disaster Resilience Fire Severity Prediction Infrastructure Post-Wildfire Geohazards Proactive Planning Random Forest Risk Management Sedimentation Wildfires
Publication/ Report Number:

UT-25.13
Resource Type:

Tech Report
Geographical Coverage:

Utah ; United States
Edition:

Final August 2022-May 2025
Corporate Publisher:

Utah Department of Transportation
Abstract:

The geospatial modeling framework includes Direct Geohazard Impact Tools, which estimate debris flow triggering rainfall intensities and sediment erosion along transportation corridors based on predicted wildfire burn severity scenarios, and Downstream Impact Tools, which assess sediment delivery from hillslope erosion and debris flows to river networks. The outputs from these analyses are structured for seamless integration with watershed-scale sediment transport models, such as the Network Sediment Transporter (NST), to further evaluate downstream infrastructure risks. To demonstrate the utility of this approach, it was applied to five high-risk transportation corridors across Utah. These case studies illustrate how proactive assessments can inform infrastructure planning by identifying locations most vulnerable to post-fire sedimentation impacts. The proactive planning framework outlined in this report provides transportation agencies with a scientifically robust and user-friendly method for mitigating future wildfire-induced sediment hazards, enhancing infrastructure resilience, and supporting data-driven decision-making.
Format:

PDF
Funding:

23-8196
Collection(s):

US Transportation Collection
Main Document Checksum:

urn:sha-512:293759d76ab070995fa4b8668fbeb944d83069dafde0ded63b3e5b9f95e2df721d4d29cea59b310a11f1a3fb635798a0baec490e3341955d47f3bd64359c6083
Download URL:

https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/85294/dot_85294_DS1.pdf
File Type:

[PDF - 8.11 MB ]

File Language:

English

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