EFFECTS OF FUEL REDUCTION PROGRAMS ON LONG-TERM WATERSHED FUNCTION IN THE SOUTHWESTERN U.S

Fuel reduction programs have been initiated across the western United States to decrease the susceptibility of watersheds to catastrophic wildfire events. Through the manipulation of vegetation, or fuels it is assumed that fire severity and magnitude will decline, thereby reducing undesirable or dangerous impacts on public and private resources. Vegetation is an important parameter in many hydrologic processes (e.g. erosion, overland flow, ET). Previous research has shown that vegetation manipulation can affect water yields and snowpack. However, these studies did not concern themselves with other watershed attributes (e.g. habitat), or the cumulative, long-term effects on watershed function. The objectives of this presentation are: 1) to present initial results on fuel reduction treatment effects on post-fire hydrologic response in southwestern watersheds, and 2) to describe the study framework to examine the effects of vegetation manipulation on long-term watershed function.