Developing A Systems Perspective on Wildfire Impacts to Water Resources and Infrastructure

With the increasing frequency and severity of wildfire impacts, there is an increased need to understand the impact of wildfires on water resources and infrastructure. As the agency tasked to "deliver vital public and military engineering services; partnering in peace and war to strengthen our nation's security, energize the economy and reduce risks from disasters, the Army Corps of Engineers is developing a program to address the flood risk management challenges associated with wildfires in both natural and engineered settings. The objectives of the program are to study, model, and demonstrate engineered solutions to reduce hazards and consequences of wildland fires. As such, five initial focus areas have been established to study post-wildfire conditions and hazards: numerical modeling of post-fire hydrology, post fire hydraulics and sediment transport, rain-on-snow and snow melt for flood risk management, critical zone processes, and ecology and water quality. The ultimate goal is to inform best management practices to reduce risk and improve fire recovery trajectories. Partnerships, study sites, and long term products to help the Corps, other resource managing agencies, and communities prepare for and recover from fire events are currently being planned. Modeling tools to predict hazards such as post-fire flooding and debris flows, changes in land surface processes, and resulting impacts on species and ecosystems are a major component of this effort as is the development of case studies and sites for testing and validation of numerical models. This poster will outline plans for each focus area and invite conversations around research needs and interfaces with ongoing efforts.