WILDFIRE IMPACTS ON RESERVOIR SEDIMENTATION IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES

摘要

Wildfires change the soil properties and hydrologic conditions of watersheds upstream from reservoirs. If a wildfire is soon followed by high-intensity rainfall, then runoff and erosion can increase to a degree that depends upon the tectonic and geologic characteristics of the burned watershed. We develop a wildfire impact index covering a large scale (10~6 km~2) to identify reservoirs expected to experience post-fire sedimentation. Reservoirs in the western United States that are most likely to be affected by wildfire are in the mountains of the southwest and along the tectonically active west coast.