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Cited by 33Fire effects on ecosystemsRadioactive contamination and transferWater Quality and Resources Studies

Cerro Grande Fire Impact to Water Quality and Stream Flow near Los Alamos National Laboratory: Results of Four Years of Monitoring

Open access
B.M. Gallaher, R.J. Koch·2004
DOI 10.2172/835908
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Abstract

In May 2000, the Cerro Grande fire burned about 7400 acres of mixed conifer forest on the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and much of the 10,000 acres of mountainside draining onto LANL was severely burned. The resulting burned landscapes raised concerns of increased storm runoff and transport of contaminants by runoff in the canyons traversing LANL. The first storms after the fire produced runoff peaks that were more than 200 times greater than prefire levels. Total runoff volume for the year 2000 increased 50% over prefire years, despite a decline in total precipitation of 13% below normal and a general decrease in the number of monsoonal thunderstorms. The majority of runoff in 2000 occurred in the canyons at LANL south of Pueblo Canyon (70%), where the highest runoff volume occurred in Water Canyon and the peak discharge occurred in Pajarito Canyon. This report describes the observed effects of the Cerro Grande fire and related environmental impacts to watersheds at and near Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) for the first four runoff seasons after the fire, from 2000 through 2003. Spatial and temporal trends in radiological and chemical constituents that were identified as being associated with the Cerro Grande fire and those that were identified as being associated with historic LANL discharges are evaluated with regard to impacts to the Rio Grande and area reservoirs downstream of LANL. The results of environmental sampling performed by LANL, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) after the Cerro Grande fire are included in the evaluation. Effects are described for storm runoff, baseflow, stream sediments, and area regional reservoir sediment.

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  • Pyrogenic formation of cyanide or sodium ferrocyanide in fire retardants were suggested as the likely source.

    “Pyrogenic formation of cyanide or sodium ferrocyanide in fire retardants were suggested as the likely source.”

    From Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management (2022) · cites this paper as Gallaher & Koch, 2004

    Section 2.2.2.5, “Cyanide in Storm Runoff” (page not provided), suggests two possible sources of cyanide in runoff: fire retardant containing sodium hexaferrocyanide and cyanide formed by slow-burning biomass. It does not identify either as the likely source, and it describes the ferrocyanide compound as an existing additive in the retardant, not as formed by fire. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Radionuclides have been remobilized by wildfire in locations characterized by elevated background radiation, such as the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and watersheds in proximity to Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

    “Finally, radionuclides have been remobilized by wildfire in locations characterized by elevated background radiation, such as the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and watersheds in proximity to Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.”

    From Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management (2022) · cites this paper as Gallaher & Koch, 2004

    The Figures passage reports accelerated movement of radionuclides from burned watersheds near Los Alamos, and §2.2.3.13 identifies above-background radionuclides in post-fire runoff. The cited paper supports the Los Alamos example, but the passages do not address the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone; a search for Chernobyl found no supporting passage in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Four years of water quality monitoring data following the Cerro Grande fire showed increased transport of radionuclides in initial runoff events, with median concentrations of total radionuclides increasing by 10-50 times from prefire levels.

    “Four years of water quality monitoring data following the fire showed increased transport of radionuclides in initial runoff events, with median concentrations of total radionuclides increasing by 10–50 times from prefire levels (Gallaher & Koch, 2004).”

    From Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management (2022) · cites this paper as Gallaher & Koch, 2004

  • The 2000 Cerro Grande fire in New Mexico also resulted in elevated cyanide in runoff samples from burned areas.

    “The 2000 Cerro Grande fire in New Mexico also resulted in elevated cyanide in runoff samples from burned areas (Gallaher & Koch, 2004; see Table 2).”

    From Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management (2022) · cites this paper as Gallaher & Koch, 2004

  • By 4 yr post-fire, elevated concentrations had subsided.

    “By 4 yr post-fire, however, elevated concentrations had subsided (Gallaher & Koch, 2004).”

    From Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management (2022) · cites this paper as Gallaher & Koch, 2004

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 19

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  6. Fresquez, P.R., D.A. Armstrong, and M.A. Mullen, 1998, "Radionuclides and Radioactivity in Soils Collected Within and Around Los Alamos National Laboratory: 1974-1996," Journal of Environmental Science and Health, A33(2):263-278.
  7. Graf, W.L., 1996, "Transport and Deposition of Plutonium-Contaminated Sediments by Fluvial Processes, Los Alamos Canyon, New Mexico," Geologic Society of America Bulletin, 108(10):1342-1355.
  8. Harned, D.A., C.C. Daniel III, and J.K. Crawford, 1981, "Methods of Discharge Compensation as an Aid to the Evaluation of Water Quality Trends," Water Resources Research, 17(5):1389-1400.
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  10. Johansen, M.P., T.E. Hakonson, W. Whicker, and D.D. Breshears, 2003, "Pulsed Redistribution of a Contaminant Following Forest Fire: Cesium-137 in Runoff," Journal of Environmental Quality 32:2150- 2157.
  11. Katzman, D., S. Reneau, J. Lyman, and R. Ryti, 2002, "Contaminant Redistribution in Pueblo Canyon Following the Cerro Grande Fire," in Effects of Landscape Disturbance on Ecohydrologic Systems, Chapman Conference on Eco-Hydrology of Semiarid Landscapes: Interactions and Processes, Los Alamos National Laboratory report LA-UR-92-5613, Los Alamos, New Mexico.
  12. Lavine, A., D. Katzman, S.L. Reneau, G.A. Kuyumjian, J.N. Gardner, and D.V. Malmon, 2001, "The Los Alamos Reservoir: A Gauge for Increased Erosion after the Cerro Grande Fire, Los Alamos, New Mexico," EOS (American Geophysical Union Transactions), 82(47):F511.
  13. Lyman, J.S., S. Reneau, D. Malmon, A. Lavine, H.E. Canfield, and D. Katzman, 2002, "Geomorphic Response of Pueblo Canyon, Los Alamos, New Mexico, to Flooding after the Cerro Grande Fire," New Mexico Geology 24(2):57-58.
  14. Newman, B.D., Allen, C.D., Breshears, D.D., and Wilson, C.J., eds, Effects of Landscape Disturbance on Ecohydrologic Systems, Field Trip for Chapman Conference Eco-hydrology of Semiarid Landscapes: Interactions and Processes, Los Alamos National Laboratory report LA-UR-02-5613, Los Alamos, New Mexico.
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  18. Veenhuis, J.E., 2004, "The Use of Daily Streamflow at Two Adjacent Streamflow-Gaging Stations to Calculate Streamflow Gains and Losses," Abstract in "Geologic and Hydrogeologic Framework of the Espanola Basin-Proceedings of the 3 rd Annual Espanola Basin Workshop, Santa Fe, New Mexico, March 2-3, 2004," Hudson, Mark R., ed. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2004-1093.
  19. Yolkeson, R.J., R. Susott, D.E. Ward, J. Reardon, and D.W.T. Griffith, 1997, "Emissions from Smoldering Combustion of Biomass Measured by Open-Path Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy," Journal of Geophysical Research 102(D15):18,865-18,877. 45 101 8/14/2001 Guaje above Rendija 138 213 7/13/2001 Los Alamos below Ice Rink 203 221 8/16/2001 Guaje above Rendija 71 78 7/14/2001 Los Alamos above DP Canyon 95 103 8/16/2001 Los Alamos above DP Canyon 136 219 7/14/2001 Los Alamos above SR-4 25 106 8/16/2001 Los Alamos above SR-4 128 142 7/22/2001 Canon de Valle above SR-501 69 75 8/16/2001 Los Alamos below LA Weir 25 38 7/22/2001 Water above S Site Canyon 3 8/16/2001 Pajarito above SR-4 105 113 7/22/2001 Water above SR-501 25 62 8/16/2001 Pueblo above SR-502 103 110 7/26/2001 Canon de Valle above SR-501 25 38 7/26/2001 Los Alamos above DP Canyon 191 212 7/26/2001 Los Alamos above SR-4 33 7/26/2001 Los Alamos below LA Weir 25 38 Date Location Name F UF 7/26/2001 Pajarito above Starmers 70 75 7/2/2001 LA-10036 28 7/26/2001 Pajarito below SR-501 75 7/2/2001 LA above Weir 14 7/26/2001 Pueblo above SR-502 70 83 7/2/2001 LA-10158 10 7/26/2001 Water at SR-4 8 55 7/13/2001 LA-10158 10 7/26/2001 Water below MDA AB 95 103 7/14/2001 LA-10036 16 8/1/2001 Los Alamos above SR-4 25 39 7/14/2001 LA-10158 2 8/3/2001 S Site Canyon above Water 25 33 7/26/2001 LA-10036 24 8/3/2001 Water at SR-4 25 141 7/26/2001 LA above Weir 8 8/3/2001 Water below MDA AB 105 111 7/26/2001 LA-10158 20 8/3/2001 Water below SR-4 96 150 8/4/2001 Pueblo 2E 54 8/4/2001 Los Alamos above SR-4 104 111 8/9/2001 LA above Acid 135 8/4/2001 Pueblo above SR-502 67 8/9/2001 Pueblo above Hamilton 108 8/5/2001 Canon de Valle above Water 25 109 8/14/2001 Pueblo above Hamilton 54 8/5/2001 Los Alamos above DP Canyon 107 112 8/16/2001 Pueblo 2E 135 8/5/2001 Pajarito above Starmers 32 113 8/5/2001 Pajarito above TA-18 25 33 8/5/2001 Sandia below Wetlands 25 103 8/6/2001 Pajarito above SR-4 195 163 Date Location Name F UF 8/8/2001 Guaje above Rendija 33 108 7/2/2001 LA Weir 114 247 8/8/2001 Los Alamos above SR-4 25 7/3/2001 LA Weir 7 8/8/2001 Water below MDA AB 95 113 7/22/2001 Water below SR-4 180 382 8/9/2001 Canon de Valle above Water 103 112 7/26/2001 Pueblo above SR-4 1 8/9/2001 Guaje above Rendija 70 103 7/26/2001 Water below SR-4 6 8/9/2001 Los Alamos above DP Canyon 142 210 8/3/2001 Water below SR-4 223 490 8/9/2001 Los Alamos above SR-4 38 8/5/2001 Pajarito below SR-501 72 158 8/9/2001 Los Alamos below Ice Rink 103 112 8/5/2001 Pajarito below TA-18 144 396 8/9/2001 Los Alamos below LA Weir 25 42 8/11/2001 Pueblo above SR-4 254 575 8/9/2001 Pajarito above SR-4 135 204 8/16/2001 LA Weir 223 590 8/9/2001 Pajarito below SR-501 25 38 8/16/2001 Pueblo above SR-4 144 401 8/9/2001 Pueblo above SR-502 103 113 8/17/2001 Pueblo above SR-4

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Authors
Gallaher, B. M., & Koch, R. J.
Affiliations
Los Alamos National Laboratory (US)
Publisher
Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI)
Published
2004-09-15
DOI
10.2172/835908
OpenAlex
W226645518
Cited by
33
References
1
Citations by year
2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 3
Type
report
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) (submittedVersion)
  • University of North Texas Digital Library (University of North Texas) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Energy (W-7405, W-7405-ENG-36)
  • Los Alamos National Laboratory (W‐7405‐ENG‐36)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Radioactive contamination and transfer
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Water Quality and Resources Studies
Keywords
Cerro Grande fire, wildfire effects, water quality, river discharge, storm runoff, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Rio Grande, reservoirs, chemical contaminants, baseflow, stream sediments, reservoir sediments, post-fire runoff

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