An epic season of wildfire across the West will leave a wide path of destruction and damage. Although many of the fires will be out by late fall, the impacts are ongoing.

When wildfires burn an area, the exposed land that has lost most of its vegetation is very susceptible to soil loss. In a short amount of time rain can cause severe erosion affecting structures, hillsides, roads, trails, and especially the health of streams, rivers, and wetlands.  Channels filled with sediment can quickly become a new flood hazard; aquatic life can be severely impaired; and stream banks can become vulnerable to accelerated erosion and sloughing.

Although wildfires occur naturally, several human-caused factors make wildfires increasingly catastrophic.  Stream dewatering is a massive problem in the West.  Streams that used to persist during dry spells, now dwindle to a trickle or completely dry up. And once-saturated riparian areas burn instead of protecting streams and providing natural firebreaks.  Human-manipulated fire regimes cause some areas to be overloaded with understory fuels, or attempts at controlled burns get out of control.  We also can’t ignore that weather patterns are changing, and droughts may occur more frequently and last longer. With these environmental events likely becoming more severe in the coming decades, the impact of wildfires is expected to steadily increase.

Trout Headwaters’ cost-effective (rapid) stream, wetland and riparian assessments can provide a clear view of what type of repair is needed and where it’s needed to help your property quickly recover from wildfire.  Healthy riparian areas and floodplains can provide a wonderful, natural buffer against the effects of wildfire on your property and from the future effects of unmitigated damage on surrounding properties.

At THI we provide:

• Prompt, post-fire assessments, including impacts and potential hazards;
• Repair to stop immediate soil loss, including natural soil-stabilizing mats, mulches, quick seeding techniques, and more;
• Restoration, including long-term soil stabilization, reseeding, transplanting;
• Monitoring to insure your property is recovering to its fullest potential.

If your property has been affected by wildfire, Contact THI  today to discuss our low-cost, rapid, post-wildfire assessment services.