Since 2018 Coconino County’s Flood Control District (District) in partnership with the National Forest Foundation (NFF), the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (ADFFM), and the Kaibab National Forest (Kaibab N.F.) have been in the process of treating thousands of acres of dense forest covering Bill Williams Mountain to reduce the threat of a catastrophic wildfire and subsequent post-wildfire flooding. On Wednesday, October 5, 2022, members of the media are invited to see the latest project that is underway, see the progress to date and hear about the future of this critical forest restoration project.
Guided by the District’s Forest Restoration Director and staff with the Kaibab National Forest, the tour will visit two areas of focus on the mountain, Steep Slope 2 and Steep Slope 3, which face north towards the Town of Williams, and account for approximately 30% of the planned restoration including the work that is underway this Fall. There will also be brief on-site presentations from officials with the Kaibab National Forest and NFF, as well as the Flood Control District. We expect the tour will last no more than 3 hours. The removal of the timber being thinned as well as the massive amounts of dead and down timber on the mountain is being removed by use of a helicopter, which makes for exceptional visuals to this project. Helicopter removal is required in this area given the steepness of the mountain.
Post-wildfire flooding models suggest that a moderate monsoon rain event following a wildfire on Bill Williams Mountain would lead to flooding that could cover much of the City of Williams in up to six feet of floodwater and debris. Such an inundation would force the closure of schools and businesses in the town, shut down vital transportation routes, including Interstate 40 and the BNSF railroad, close major employers such as Grand Canyon Railway, destroy infrastructure, and cause irreparable damage to much of historic downtown Williams.
A Northern Arizona Alliance Bank Economic Policy Institute Study commissioned in 2018 estimates that the economic impact from a catastrophic wildfire and the post-wildfire flooding in the Bill Williams Mountain watershed (Town of Williams and downstream) is between $379 million and $694 million. The estimated cost to complete forest restoration on Bill Williams Mountain as of this time is approximately $31 million.
These treatments will significantly alter fire behavior by removing the majority of small trees and downed material, or “ladder fuels,” thereby reducing the likelihood of crown fires. If a fire were to ignite in this area after treatment, then the Kaibab National Forest would have a significantly better chance of suppressing it and reducing potential severity.
“We’ve already seen the positive effects of this restoration project,” commented Coconino County’s Forest Restoration Director Jay Smith, “A lightning-caused fire ignited in an area of treated forest in June of this year that was quickly suppressed before it could get out of hand.”
WHAT: Media Tour of Bill Williams Mountain Watershed Forest Restoration Project
WHEN: Wednesday October 5, 2022 | 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
WHERE: Meet at Williams District Ranger Station, 742 S. Clover Rd. Williams, AZ
To RSVP, send a message to Stephen Pelligrini, Communications Manager for Coconino County at spelligrini@coconino.az.gov by 5 p.m. October 3.
Original source can be found here.
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