Rocky Mountain Research Station

Title: Measuring effectiveness of three postfire hillslope erosion barrier treatments, western Montana, USA

Author: Robichaud, Peter R.; Pierson, Frederick B.; Brown, Robert E.; Wagenbrenner, Joseph W.

Date: 2008

Source: Hydrological Processes. 22: 159-170.

Description: After the Valley Complex Fire burned 86 000 ha in western Montana in 2000, two studies were conducted to determine the effectiveness of contour-felled log, straw wattle, and hand-dug contour trench erosion barriers in mitigating postfire runoff and erosion. Sixteen plots were located across a steep, severely burned slope, with a single barrier installed in 12 plots (four per treatment) and four plots left untreated as controls. In a rainfall-plus-inflow simulation, 26 mm h-1 rainfall was applied to each plot for 1 h and 48 L min-1 of overland flow was added for the last 15 min.

Keywords: erosion mitigation, silt fence, contour-felled log, straw wattles, contour trenches, rainfall simulation

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Citation

Robichaud, Peter R.; Pierson, Frederick B.; Brown, Robert E.; Wagenbrenner, Joseph W.  2008.  Measuring effectiveness of three postfire hillslope erosion barrier treatments, western Montana, USA.   Hydrological Processes. 22: 159-170..