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Compilation of runoff-generated debris-flow inventories for 17 fires across Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Washington, USA

Metadata Updated: October 29, 2025

Summary This data release is an inventory of runoff-generated postfire debris flows compiled from 17 burn areas across five western U.S. states. Debris-flow data from the following fires are included: - Arizona: 2017 Pinal and 2019 Woodbury Fires - California: 2020 Apple, 2020 Bond, 2015 Butte, 2020 El Dorado, 2014 El Portal, 2018 Ferguson, 2016 Fish (San Gabriel Complex), 2011 Motor, and 2017 Thomas Fires - Colorado: 2020 Cameron Peak and 2018 Spring Creek Fires - New Mexico: 2018 Buzzard Fire - Washington: 2021 Cedar Creek, 2021 Cub Creek 2, and 2021 Muckamuck Fires The included table, “Combined_Inventory.csv”, contains debris-flow records represented as “1” or “0”, indicating whether a debris flow did occur or did not occur, respectively, in response to a given storm. In addition, for each observation, the corresponding fire name, observation location, storm date, and rainfall intensities are included. The “README.txt” file describes the fields (including units) for “Combined_Inventory.csv” in more detail. "0" values in the "Response" column indicate that no debris flow was observed, but a hydrologic response with lower sediment content may or may not have occurred. Assembling these data in a unified format involved a combination of compiling data from published sources and synthesizing new debris-flow records from observations made by US Geological Survey staff and partners. All records in the included file, "Combined_inventory.csv", are credited according to the individuals or publications that provided the observation information in the column labeled “ObservationSource”. To the best of our knowledge, all records included here correspond to debris flows generated by runoff, not by other mechanisms. These records have only limited spatial and temporal extent: they should not be taken as a comprehensive record of the hydrologic response in every catchment in response to every postfire storm. Fields with value “-9999” indicate that data are not available or do not exist. Data Credits Special thanks go to many colleagues who provided or helped to assemble debris-flow observation and/or rainfall data, including: Ann Youberg (Arizona Geological Survey); Paul Burgess, Jeremy Lancaster, Don Lindsay, John Oswald, and Brian Swanson (California Geological Survey); Chad Neptune (California State Water Resources Control Board); Stephanie Kampf, Lee MacDonald, Megan Sears, and Ellen Wohl (Colorado State University); Luke McGuire (University of Arizona); Maya Daurio (University of British Columbia); Laura Hempel, Jason Kean, Francis Rengers, Brittany Selander, and Matthew Thomas (U.S. Geological Survey); and Mitchell Allen and Kate Mickelson (Washington Geological Survey).

Access & Use Information

Public: This dataset is intended for public access and use. License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

Downloads & Resources

Dates

Metadata Created Date September 13, 2025
Metadata Updated Date October 29, 2025

Metadata Source

Harvested from DOI USGS DCAT-US

Additional Metadata

Resource Type Dataset
Metadata Created Date September 13, 2025
Metadata Updated Date October 29, 2025
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Maintainer
Identifier http://datainventory.doi.gov/id/dataset/usgs-6452c08ed34eefd5da82fe85
Data Last Modified 2023-09-01T00:00:00Z
Category geospatial
Public Access Level public
Bureau Code 010:12
Metadata Context https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.jsonld
Metadata Catalog ID https://ddi.doi.gov/usgs-data.json
Schema Version https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
Catalog Describedby https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.json
Harvest Object Id 446f408a-fa63-46e0-87f3-0568ed00d34f
Harvest Source Id 2b80d118-ab3a-48ba-bd93-996bbacefac2
Harvest Source Title DOI USGS DCAT-US
Metadata Type geospatial
Old Spatial -120.7197, 33.2697, -105.0002, 48.7931
Source Datajson Identifier True
Source Hash 09958b507f4e285923ff743281b5f2c333e5a5770dc86f9d5d831081e344ea3f
Source Schema Version 1.1
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