By Stacey Carson
Construction was finished Thursday, July 31, on a debris diversion channel, to the relief of some Provo homeowners.
The Buckley Draw Channel, located in southeastern Provo, will prevent mud and debris flows from reaching the mountainside area where hundreds of Provo residents live.
Last summer, young men shooting at power line insulators above homes in the area started a fire that ruined the mountainside vegetation and threatened the homes below, creating a perfect environment for a landslide.
After the fire burned 537 acres above dozens of homes in Buckley Draw, action was needed to protect the residential area.
To avoid a disaster, the U.S. Congress and several Utah officials took action to complete the protective channel.
“We came to the stark and hard realization that we had a very significant slide disaster potential pending,” said Provo Mayor Lewis K. Billings. “Literally hundreds of people were in the path of the slide and might have been activated. Many different people went to work.”
When slide disasters happened after fires in Alpine and Santaquin last year, some Buckley Draw residents feared major debris flows in their area as well.
Dave Knecht, a resident of the Buckley Draw Area, said, “Last year, when every storm came by, it was like Russian roulette. Which storm will be the perfect storm to cause a problem? Now, we don”t have to worry about that anymore. That is certainly a relief to me and others in the neighborhood. We were very concerned.”
Provo City Public Works watched carefully for dangerous rains before the channel was completed.
“Every time it rains, we”ve got our faces glued to the National Weather Service Web site, watching for cells that might trigger debris flow events,” said Merril Bingham, director of Provo City Public Works. “I think we”re to the point now where we can relax should we have that kind of event.”
The last step to completing the channel is re-vegetating and re-germinating the area with wild grasses.
William Reese Pope, an ecosystem group leader at Uinta National Forest said, “This fire burned about 30 percent of the mountainside at high intensities. When it burns at high intensities, the potential for runoff and flood increases 10- to 30-fold, depending on the soils and vegetation. We had a very heightened risk and did what we could. Even after doing that, there are still millions of dollars of property at risk, not to mention the value of life below.”
Some residents welcome the channel that overlooks some of their backyards because of the safety it provides and its aesthetic value.
“As I drive by this every day, I go, ”Boy, that”s the best-looking half pipe for winter sports,” Knecht said. “If the city doesn”t take advantage of it, somehow, I”m sure the local kids will. I am very impressed with how nice it looks, how well it was done.”
The channel was created under the Emergency Watershed Protection Program, funded by Congress.
The program retained funding through efforts by the offices of Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah; Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; and Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah.
Taylor Oldroyd, special assistant to the chief for the United States Natural Resources and Conservation Service, said, “As you can see right here, there is a real need for this program. There are examples of this all across the country, where homes and private property are protected and the community is enhanced.”
Billings mentioned his gratitude Thursday to the delegation that helped fund the project and all the efforts to build the canal.
“We usually call when we need something, but we need to call to express thanks,” Billings said. “It”s a big deal because it is going to prevent people from being forced out of their homes.”
Knecht said, “No good deed goes unpunished. This is a good deed. It was something that was very much needed.”
