Colorado volunteers hit mountains after fires, mitigate flood damage

by Master Sgt. Daniel Butterfield
302nd Airlift WIng Public Affairs

2/4/2014 - PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- More than one dozen members of the Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Airlift Wing took to the Colorado mountains to assist with post-wildland fire flood mitigation efforts this past fall.

The Waldo Canyon fire of 2012 and the Black Forest fire of 2013, both within miles of Peterson Air Force Base and both near the city of Colorado Springs, burned thousands of acres of terrain during the last two summers. The damage caused by these events continues to be felt long after the last flames were extinguished.

One of the damaging, post-fire effects is that the vegetation that normally restricts the flow of water after a heavy rain or during snow melt is no longer there, allowing the water to flow unimpeded. This can cause flash floods capable of destroying roads, or washing away vehicles and bridges. The waters flowing from the mountains can also cause damage and flooding to homes, businesses, and anything else in its path.

Because of this potential for destruction, the Coalition of Upper South Platte has been involved with fire rehabilitation of affected areas since Colorado's Hayman fire in 2002. But in order to be effective in their flood mitigation efforts CUSP relies on hundreds of volunteers every year.

Master Sgt. Michael White, acting production superintendent, 302nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, has answered CUSP's call the past two years, along with more than a dozen others from the 302nd Maintenance Group and the wing's associate active duty 52nd Airlift Squadron.

"It started after the Waldo Canyon fire. My wife is a stylist downtown and she has a client, a really good friend, who happens to live along the Waldo Canyon burn scar and she had some threats of floods," said White. Knowing my wife's friend was in need of help, I put a team together...we went up and worked that."

CUSP provided the materials for their mission. This included wattles (long lengths of netted hay,) stakes, rakes, oat seeds and mulch. First the team drives stakes into the ground to support the wattles, then the ground is raked and oat seed is planted with mulch spread over the top. The goal is to get some quick, temporary growth in the burn areas to slow down the running water.

"It was tough work, we were up on the slope of a hill at about 9000 feet. You can't even get a 4Runner up there it's so steep. So we're packing these oat seeds, mulch and wattles up the side," explained White.

After their work in 2012, CUSP called upon White and his group of volunteers for a new challenge in 2013.

"This past year we had to hike a half mile back into it to get to the spot. We made maybe five or six trips. We had sixteen people total from the 302nd and 52nd," said White.

Lisa Patton, volunteer coordinator with CUSP explained the difficulties in an email to the 302nd Airlift Wing. "On 9 November, 2013, sixteen members of the 302nd Airlift Wing Unit completed a critical flood mitigation project near the top of the Waldo Canyon Fire burn scar. Of over 200 fire rehab projects completed in this burn area, this was the most physically challenging project to date, with a hike at an altitude of 8180 and at a 20 to 60-percent grade. The group hand transported McLeod's [special rakes used for trail restoration and erosion control], sledges, wooden stakes and 26 straw wattles (about 70 pounds each and 25 feet long,) and installed 13 wattle structures, the rest being staged for future installation," she wrote. 

"After this day we were beat down, I mean we were dog tired, there were guys saying 'you know what? Call next year I've got something else to do,' it was rough," said White, who admitted Air Force fitness was a factor in being able to complete the task.

According to Patton the efforts will have a huge impact in the region. "The area treated covered more than one acre, yet will protect a much greater area below. The long term impacts of this high priority project include flood protection and access for many homes and residents of Ute Pass, as well as access to and from the Cascade Fire Department. Mitigation at this site also prevents flooding and closure of Highway 24, a major east west transportation route for central Colorado and emergency response teams."

And while White can now look back and see the difference the group he organized made, he is not sure what the future holds for himself or the other volunteers.

"Going into it we thought, 'well it can't be as tough as last year, and it was tougher.' Maybe a year from now I'll go, 'ok, I'm ready to do it again.' How many volunteers I get I don't know," said White. But there is a chance they might be back for another challenge. "All the guys said this is one of those things where you really feel like you're doing something good."

CUSP's workforce is made up of 90 to 95-percent volunteers. They have worked over 1.5 million acres over the last few years for flood mitigation, erosion, and storm waters.

The volunteers that made up the 302nd Airlift Wing team in 2013 were: Master Sgt. Michael White, 302nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Capt. Abigail Platt, 52nd Airlift Squadron, Chief Master Sgt. Glen Blackmann, 302nd Maintenance Squadron, Master Sgt. James Scharfenberg, 302nd Maintenance Squadron, Master Sgt. Steven Cisneros, 302nd Maintenance Squadron, Tech. Sgt. Cory Slater, 52nd AS, Tech. Sgt. Mario Frank, 52nd AS, Tech. Sgt. Rodolfo Ramirez, 302nd Maintenance Squadron, Staff Sgt. John Novela, 52nd AS, Senior Airman Jasen Coburn, 52nd AS, Senior Airman Tristian Lyons, 52nd AS, Senior Airman Robert Morgan, 52nd AS, Airman 1st Class Jennie Holland, 52nd AS, Alex Blackmann and Anthony Staley.