After the Pole Creek Fire: Lessons from 10 years of Big Fires in Central Oregon
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Presentation from Deschutes Land Trust's Nature Night series. Maret Pajutee talks about fire and fire recovery after 2012's Pole Creek Fire near Sisters, Oregon. Maret is the District Ecologist for the Sisters Ranger District in Deschutes National Forest.
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After the Pole Creek Fire: Lessons from 10 years of Big Fires in Central Oregon
- 1. After the Pole Creek Fire Effects and Lessons from Fire 10 years of Big Fires in Sisters Maret Pajutee District Ecologist Sisters Ranger District Deschutes National Forest - US Forest Service
- 2. Fire is a natural process in eastside forests
- 4. Historic accounts tell of frequent fire “When I came to eastern Oregon in 1905… each summer there were many wildfires… caused by lightning. As there was no underbrush, these fires consumed nothing but the dead pine needles, cones and twigs… the little blaze only a few inches high crept slowly over the ground… but did no damage whatever to green trees.” Dr Urling Coe, Frontier Doctor
- 5. Fire suppression • Began with European settlement • Fire Lookouts staffed since early 1900
- 7. Good Fire?
- 8. Bad Fire?
- 9. Weather Patterns Insects and Disease Rainfall Gradient Its Fire Suppression Climate Change Complicated! Past Timber Harvest Aspect and Slope Forest Type
- 12. Forest types & Fire regimes vary with elevation and moisture Fire Regime= Frequency on any given acre 5 different Fire Regimes are present
- 13. Fire Regime 5 High elevation –High Severity, Low frequency >200 years
- 14. Missed 0-? Fire cycles
- 15. Fire Regime 4 Lodgepole pine –High Severity Think Lower frequency, reset forest stands Yellowstone 35-100+ years
- 16. Missed 0-3 Fire cycles
- 17. Fire Regime 3 Mixed Conifer -Mixed Severity, Mixed frequency 35-100+ years
- 18. Mixed Severity fire creates diverse forests with complex patterns Missed 0-3 Fire cycles
- 19. Fire Regime 2 Grasslands- Mixed and high severity, high frequency fire 0-35 years Missed 3 or more Fire cycles
- 20. Fire Regime 1 Ponderosa Pine- low intensity, high frequency fire 0-35 years
- 21. Missed 3-10 or more Fire cycles
- 22. Fire Scars tell the stor y
- 24. Fire is… a part of life in Central Oregon ‘ and always will be.
- 25. FIRE NAME YEAR ACRES NO NAME 232 ABBOT CREEK 60 SUGAR PINE 36 3 fires - 328 acres
- 26. FIRE NAME YEAR ACRES LAKE CREEK D-5 1911 1,945 SUGARPINE RIDGE 1914 1,152 2 fires - 3097 acres
- 27. FIRE NAME YEAR ACERS WASCO LAKE 1924 2,480 BLUE LAKE 1928 73 2 fires - 2553 acres
- 28. FIRE NAME YEAR ACRES DUGOUT LAKE 1930 636 1 fires - 636 acres
- 29. FIRE NAME YEAR ACRES MINTO PASS 1945 4921 1 fire - 4921 acres
- 30. No fires
- 31. FIRE NAME YEAR ACRES ROUND LAKE 1960 83 BIG LAKE AIRSTRIP 1967 3,412 2 fires - 3495 acres
- 32. FIRE NAME YEAR ACRES SUGARPINE RIDGE 1975 74 1 fire - 74 acres
- 33. NAME YEAR ACRES BLACK BUTTE 1981 235 BRUSH CREEK 1987 422 CABOT LAKE 1987 3,030 CANYON CREEK 1989 133 4 fire - 3820 acres
- 34. FIRE NAME YEAR ACRES GEORGE LAKE 1991 161 JEFFERSON 1996 3,689 SQUARE LAKE 1998 113 CACHE 1999 382 DUGOUT 1999 17 5 fire - 4362 acres
- 35. FIRE NAME YEAR ACRES CACHE MTN 2002 3,886 LINK 2003 3,590 B AND B COMPLEX 2003 90,682 LAKE GEORGE 2006 5,533 4 fire – 103,691 acres
- 36. 43% of the Sisters Ranger District has burned since 2002
- 37. Acres Burned by Decade 120,000 100,000 80,000 WHY? Acres Burned 60,000 40,000 20,000 0 1900's 1910's 1920's 1930's 1940's 1950's 1960's 1970's 1980's 1990's 2000's Decades
- 38. Is it his fault?
- 39. Weather Patterns Insects and Disease Fire Regimes Its Fire Suppression Climate Change Complicated! Timber Harvest Forest/Urban Interface Developments Changing values
- 42. FIRE NAME YEAR ACRES CACHE MTN 2002 3,886 LINK 2003 3,590 B AND B COMPLEX 2003 90,682 LAKE GEORGE 2006 5,533 4 fire – 103,691 acres
- 43. From 1998-2009- 70,000 acres died Missed 0-3 Fire Cycles Narrow band next to mixed conifer forests Lodgepole at end of lifespan Mortality east of Three Creeks
- 45. Pole Creek Fire 2012
- 46. Let it burn? *Why did you!? *Why don’t you!?
- 52. Backfires off Road 16
- 55. Pole Creek Fire Effects • Total fire size- 26,183 acres • Headwaters Whychus Creek o 42% burned, 4327 acres • Upper Whychus Creek o 54% burned, 4114 acres o Total Vegetation Mortality o 10,303 ac Stand replacement- 39% o 9,374 ac Mixed severity- 36% o 6,505 ac Low- 25% o Soil erosion hazard o Moderate to high -6800 acres or 26%
- 56. Burned Area Emergency Rehab Concerns • Steep burned slopes with Moderate/High soil burn severity • Potential road damage and washouts • Sediment into Whychus Creek and the Deschutes River • Risk of Invasive plants
- 57. • Loss of interception of snow and rain • Loss of evapo-transporation • Loss of soil cover • More water flow Impacts to Riparian Areas & Forests
- 58. Already seeing Higher Flows • 6 of top 11 peak flows in 102 years (1999-2009) • More Rain on Snow • Mortality in lodgepole forest
- 59. Prepare for a landscape running
- 60. The Dream of Fish Re-introduction
- 61. • Spawn February- April • Floods in March/April- wash away eggs • Sediment affects survival Concerns for Steelhead Spawning
- 62. • 37 % of Pole Creek riparian and wetland forests burned moderate to high severity. • 61 % of Snow Creek riparian and wetland forests burned moderate to high severity.
- 64. Lower Snow Creek
- 65. Whychus Creek at Rd 1514 35% Riparian reserves had High/Moderate soil burn severity
- 67. South Fork Whychus • 65% riparian areas- low, unburned, soil burn severity
- 68. Mixed Burn near wetland meadows
- 70. Interactions with Old Fires
- 72. Mosaic Patterns
- 73. Spots Spotting distance ½ mile
- 75. ???
- 76. Watershed Analysis Trends? • Disturbance • Botany- • Vegetation Weeds • Hydrology • Roads • Soils • Scenery • Fish • Social • Wildlife
- 77. Fire/Disturbance • High elevation forests- – Fire intensity “natural” – But bigger than historic Fire sizes due to Fire suppression • The more fire cycles missed- the more risk to ecosystem components • Decreased fire risk for 5 years • Increased fuel loading as snags fall (5-60 years)
- 78. Fire/Disturbance • Research Modeling predicts: – More Fires – Hotter Fires – Larger Fires – Longer fire seasons – Migration of forest types • From: Greaves, HE. 2012
- 79. Black Butte 2 reburn 2009 Black Butte Fire 1981 (28 years)
- 80. Canyon Creek Fire 2012 • B&B Fire area re-burn (9 years) • Lower fire intensities • 6-10 foot shrubs • Standing & down wood
- 81. • Restore natural process • Reduce risk of high intensity fires coming out of wilderness • Willamette and Deschutes proposal • Scoping in Progress Prescribed Fire in the Wilderness?
- 82. SOILS Increased: •Sediment delivery from roads •Erosion from loss of soil cover •Erosion from increased peak flows or flood events
- 83. Wood Straw- GW Fire 2007
- 84. WATER QUALITY • More Peak Flows- flood events • Warmer water temperatures • Short term nutrient increase in water for 4-6 years (nitrates & phosphorus)
- 85. Candle Creek -2012 • 9 year recovery
- 86. Forest Vegetation • Larger landscape patches that more closely resemble historic landscape patterns • Loss of connectivity • Loss of interior forest habitats • Increase in early seral habitats
- 87. Forests do recover • Can accelerate by planting where seed sources are gone – 30,000 acres planted on B&B • Monitor natural regeneration • Allow most areas to regenerate naturally
- 88. Shadow Lake 2011 & Link Fire 2003
- 89. 9 years after Link Fire - 2003
- 92. No Need to Seed
- 93. 2003 2004 2006 2005
- 94. Fire behavior can be altered by thinning
- 95. BEFORE THINNING AFTER THINNING AFTER POLE CREEK FIRE
- 96. Best results come from thinning followed by Prescribed Fire • Issues-smoke, risk of escape, visuals
- 97. FISH ?
- 98. Bull Trout Habitat Changes After the B&B Fire More Instream Wood and Candle Creek- 2012 pools 9 years after B&B
- 99. Jefferson Creek after B&B Fire • 49% riparian reserves burned • 8% riparian reserves had stand replacement
- 100. Jefferson Creek July Max Temperature 12 10 July Max Temp C 8 6 4 2 B&B Fire 0 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 Year
- 101. B& B Bull Trout after the B&B
- 102. Street Creek -Eyerly Fire 2002 Street Cr 64% Riparian reserves burned 37% Riparian reserves burned stand replacement
- 103. Street Creek- Eyerly Fire 2002
- 104. Street Creek -2004
- 105. Unstable banks • 11% before Eyerly Fire • 22% after Fire
- 106. Table 2. Percent fine sediment <2 mm and <5.7 mm averaged for all four sites in riffle and pool habitats. Water years prior to 2004 were below average. 2002 2003 2004* 2005 Fines <2mm 25 23 28 (+3%) 27 Fines <5.7mm 28 30 36 (+8%) 32 * p< 0.05
- 107. Large Instream Wood per mile before and after Eyerly Fire 50 small wood large wood reach 1 40 pieces of wood /mile reach 2 30 20 10 0 1999 2002 1999 2002 pre-fire post-fire pre-fire post-fire
- 108. Fire may drive a temporary pulse in aquatic productivity • >Sunlight • >Nutrients • > Temp • >Plants • >Insects • >Fish and wildlife food From: Harris, et al, Idaho State University
- 109. WILDLIFE • Loss of moist forests and owl habitat and connectivity continues Spotted Owls • 21 known owl sites down to 3
- 110. •Other species will thrive •Woodpeckers WILDLIFE •Big game •Upland Birds
- 111. WEEDS • Increase in Invasive plants • Spread of cheatgrass- very flammable
- 112. Roads • Unraveling roads • Hazard trees • Need to upsize or remove culverts • Continue to reduce road densities where appropriate – 71 miles of roads closed after B&B – 38 miles closed after Eyerly • Continue to implement Travel Management Plan
- 113. SOCIAL Increased understanding of urban interface wildfire risk Black Butte Ranch Cache Mountain Fire 2002
- 114. Homes were lost 2 houses burned at Black Butte Ranch
- 116. Are you Fire Safe?
- 117. Expectations of Fire Suppression
- 119. • Delays/Changes in trail access • Lag time for sign replacement • More hazardous trees and down trees • Trail erosion RECREATION
- 120. Trail maintenance issues 9 years after B&B
- 121. Changes in Visual Quality
- 122. Salvage projects will remain controversial • 4,000 acres of salvage in B&B • Road hazard tree salvage proposed for Pole Creek • Additional analysis underway
- 123. Continued opportunities for Public Involvement & Partnership
- 124. What’s important to you in Whychus watershed?
- 125. Summary • Good Fire/Bad Fire? – Fires are a part of life in Central Oregon and will continue to occur. – Their effects and cycles vary. Its complicated! • We are working to restore conditions to reduce risks to people and ecosystems • We need your help and understanding. – Get involved with your public lands.
- 126. Thank you…
Notes de l'éditeur
- Natural is a word we all like to use but what does it mean?
- Historic accounts tell the story
- Build up of pine needles and bark around old growth pine
- Sisters has one of the steepest rain gradients in the world from Santiam Pass to Sisters
- High elevation forests burn at high intensity
- B&B Fire 2003 However in the past few summers- this is often been the view we see
- Formation of a fire scar during the B&B Fire
- We ’ve looked at Fire History in areas like the Metolius Basin
- Many of these pink areas have burned
- We can ’t just let fire burn, but we can place fire lines strategically
- Lupine on Eyerly Fire 2 years after
- Eyerly Fire 2002