ANGELES
NATIONAL FOREST
It will take a minimum of five
years and $4 million to stabilize the forest in the wake of
the Curve and Williams fires, forest officials said.
Also, in a county report, another
$1.3 million will be needed to protect seven dams and
reservoirs from potential sediment once the anticipated
rainy season approaches.
It's estimated another $1 million
will bring electrical and telephone wires back into working
order.
Experts say a heavy rainy season
could result in 187,000 to 376,000 cubic yards of debris
collecting in basins.
Another 7 to 22 million cubic
yards, or enough to half-fill the Rose Bowl, could possibly
come to rest in the Puddingstone Diversion Reservoir.
It will be a major task to keep
sediment from roaring down the mountain, officials said.
Retaining walls, oversized drains
and road barricades are part of the plans.
The Los Angeles County Board of
Supervisors voted Oct. 8 to spend $1.25 million to make some
of the improvements.
Nearly 60,000 acres burned in the
September wildfires above Azusa and Glendora. In addition,
149 cabins and outbuildings were destroyed and it cost more
than $30 million to fight the fires.
The fires, which keep the entire
forest closed to the public, are 100-percent controlled but
victory won't be declared until Mother Nature drops enough
rain to make officials feel more comfortable, forest
spokeswoman Kathy Peterson said.
Forest personnel have already taken
steps toward stabilization by keeping channels and culverts
free of debris. It's one of their top priorities along with
cabin protection, officials said.
"We are cleaning 200 feet up
to the streets and 200 to 400 feet on the sides of the
river,' forest resource technician Luanne Schupbach said.
"We are stabilizing the recreational residences (with)
different treatment plans for protection from the rolling
sediments coming off the slopes. We are looking at slopes
closest to Highway 39 and recreational residences.'
Debris-catching fences have been
placed around cabins.
Hazardous trees have been cut down,
keeping cabins out of harm's way, along with 40.2 miles of
trails, which also could be washed out in the rains.
Sensitive plants and wildlife,
roads and trails are among other areas studied in the
recently released reports by the Burned Area Emergency
Rehabilitation team comprised of forest recovery experts.
"The bottom line is that the
report is necessary to ID areas where we've have a good
chance of success in prevention,' District Ranger Marty
Dumpis said. "This report helps focus our direction in
areas where the treatment would be most successful.'
Much of the forest is steep,
unstable and inaccessible and to toss seeds or vegetation
anywhere doesn't make sense, Dumpis added.
Marianne Love can be reached at
(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2108, or by e-mail at marianne.love@sgvn.com.
