Single Publication

BAER SPECIALISTS ASSESS ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN THE HERMITS PEAK & CALF CANYON BURNED AREAS

Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) specialists are currently evaluating Forest Service roads within the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon burned areas for potential threats to the roads from flash flooding, debris flows impacting drainage crossings and the overall infrastructure due to increased erosion, sedimentation, and water flows. Roads and trails are BAER critical values that need to be assessed for these threats. BAER teams recommend emergency stabilization treatments and actions to minimize those threats.

In the 1st photo below, BAER specialists Paul Brown (Watershed Program Manager from the Apache-Sitgreaves NF), Edgar Martinez (Hydrologist from the Gila NF), Sarah Smith (Recreation Specialist from the Santa Fe NF) and Alex Makic (Hydrologist from the Tonto NF), along with Lisa Archuleta (Transportation Manager and Civil Engineer for the Santa NF and Carson NF) are inspecting and evaluating risk at one of the many bridges on Forest Service NFSR 263 Road in Gallinas Canyon.

In the 2nd photo, Sarah Smith is evaluating conditions at a culvert along NFSR 156. The BAER team needs to determine whether road culverts have sufficient capacity to pass post-fire modeled increased water and debris flows—in particular, they look to see if they are clogged, collapsed, or could get clogged after major rainstorm events.