Wildfires contaminate water quality for nearly a decade after the blaze
These contaminants can degrade water quality, posing challenges for water treatment facilities and threatening the drinking water supply for millions of people in downstream communities.
Researchers have long known that fire ash and soil destruction contribute to degraded water quality. (Photo: AP)
'We were attempting to look at notable trends in post-wildfire water quality across the entire U.S. West, to help inform water management strategies in preparing for wildfire effects,' said Carli Brucker, the study's lead author.advertisementThe results showed that while the most dramatic spikes in contaminants occur in the first one to five years after a fire, elevated nitrogen and sediment levels can persist for up to eight years.The study also found that the impact of wildfires on water quality is highly variable, depending on factors such as the proximity of the fire to rivers, the type of soil and vegetation, and local weather patterns. In some cases, sediment levels in streams were up to 2,000 times higher than before the fire, severely straining water treatment infrastructure.With wildfires increasing in size and frequency due to drought and climate change, the findings underscore the need for long-term planning and resilience in water management.'You can't fund resilience improvements on general concerns alone. Water managers need real numbers for planning, and that's what we're providing,' Brucker said.As the American West faces mounting wildfire risks, researchers hope their data will help communities better prepare for the prolonged environmental impacts that follow in the wake of fire.- EndsMust Watch
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