Bandelier National Monument News Release
Incident: Las Conchas Wildfire
Released: 7/12/2011
Bandelier National Monument News Release
Use a "short-hand" version of the site name here (e.g. Palo Alto Battlefield not Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Site).
Monday, July 11, 2011
For Immediate Release
Dena Matteson, Public Information Officer
573-707-4318
Bandelier National Monument Flood Preparations Continue
Bandelier National Monument remains closed to visitors as crews continue preparations for potential flooding in Frijoles Canyon. The Las Conchas fire, which started on June 26 and burned 56% of the Monument, consumed vital vegetation that usually provides soil stabilization. With the monsoon season upon us, water and loosened top soil could flow down canyons along with other forest debris and has potential to cause disastrous flooding throughout the Monument.
Park staff and the Burned Area Recovery Team are using historical flood data to inform current flood mitigation preparations. Following the La Mesa Fire of 1977 the creek flowed thirty-two times its usual rate, and destroyed 23 trail bridges, altered the stream bed, forced evacuations, and deposited 3 feet of silt behind the administrative buildings. NPS crews and contractors have removed trail bridges above the visitor center and the auto bridge adjacent to the visitor center to reduce the potential for these structures to act as dams and cause more damage in the canyon. In addition, sandbags and plastic barriers are being installed to protect the CCC historic district. Resource advisors are closely monitoring these efforts to ensure historic and prehistoric sites aren't adversely impacted.
This has been an extraordinarily challenging time for park staff. They have watched the Las Conchas fire alter the landscape of their park, in addition to their homes. Many employees have worked more than 14 consecutive days fighting fire, evaluating the landscape, scouting the backcountry, meeting with interagency partners to plan recovery efforts, or providing administrative support to the Intermountain All Hazard Incident Management Team, currently overseeing recovery efforts. The Team is also focusing on how to re-establish visitor services in non-hazardous areas as quickly as possible. For more information, please visit our www.nps.gov/band, or the monument's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BandelierNPS.
