General

Quote: Robert Frost, geohazards expert

Not only sands and gravels Were once more on their travels, But gulping muddy gallons Great boulders off their balance Bumped heads together dully And started down the gully. Whole capes caked off in slices. I felt my standpoint shaken…

Avalanche debris in the runout zone taken from a helicopter on the morning after the avalanche occurred
Avalanche debris in the runout zone taken from a helicopter on the morning after the avalanche occurred

Hazards

Case Study: Avalanche – Silver Plume

On March 23, 2003, a large avalanche occurred about one mile west of the Town of Silver Plume. The avalanche brought trees, rock, soil and snow to the valley floor, knocked down overhead utility lines, blocked the I-70 frontage road, damaged the town’s water treatment plant (WTP), and dammed Clear Creek. The dam was breached using explosives before the plant’s electric pump motors were flooded. With damage to the WTP’s chlorine contact tank and building, Silver Plum...