Mitigating Wildfire Erosion

Wildfires are a huge issue in Arizona during the dry season as there is plenty of dry fuel and very little water. Once an area has been devastated by fire, it is further destroyed by summer monsoons, which wash away soil, burnt material, etc., which are essential components of the renewal and regrowth process. Located at the top of Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalinas, Summerhaven has hired you to develop a cost-effective Erosion Management Solution to prevent the further loss of soil following the Bighorn Fire in 2020 and the potential loss of soil from future wildfires. Students learn about the process of erosion, design and build an erosion barrier prototype, and test their barrier to see how effective it is. An optional opportunity for revision and rebuilding is available.