Rain Gauge Installed to Predict Flooding in Horse Gulch Burn Scar

Photo credit Lewis and Clark County The Lewis and Clark County Floodplain Program announces the installation of a rain gauge in the headwaters of Cave Gulch, near Canyon Ferry Lake, to monitor precipitation on the Horse Gulch Burn Scar. “The installation of the rain gauge not only provides us with more information that can be used for emergency preparedness and response, but it gives us a better understanding of how the area will respond to precipitation.” said Worby McNamee, Lewis and Clark County Floodplain Administrator. Burn scared landscape can be susceptible to flash flooding because the land does not absorb the water and vegetation has been lost. In September 2024, a rain event caused debris flows and washouts along Jimtown Road, which lies below the Horse Gulch Burn Scar. The installation of the rain gauge will provide real-time data on precipitation and more accurately predict when flood events might occur. Installation of the rain gauge was made possible through a partnership between the Lewis and Clark County Floodplain Program, the National Weather Service-Great Falls, and the Helena- Lewis and Clark National Forest-Forest Service. Maintenance and data storage come at no cost to the County or county residents. For more information on the rain gauge or flood after fire risk, contact Worby McNamee, Floodplain Administrator, at 406-447-8375. In July 2024, the Horse Gulch Fire burned 15,167 acres of land north of Canyon Ferry Reservoir and resulted in the evacuation of hundreds of area residents. In the wake of the fire, many properties in or around the burn scar will be vulnerable to flood-after-fire events for years to come. Lewis and Clark County has conducted flood-after-fire outreach to over 100 landowners to help them identify and mitigate the risk on their property.

Rain Gauge Installed to Predict Flooding in Horse Gulch Burn Scar

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