1:00 PM - 2:30 PM EST
Location: Online via Zoom
There are currently 999 spots remaining out of 1000
Speakers:
Brianna Datti, Craftwater
Dawn Petschauer, City of Pasadena, CA
Yvana Hrovat, P.E, Black & Veatch
Webcast Description:
The increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Southern California—driven by climate change and human activity—pose growing threats not only to public safety and infrastructure but also to stormwater systems and watershed health. In January 2025, the Los Angeles region experienced a series of destructive fires. The Eaton Fire began on January 7, 2025, in Eaton Canyon located in the San Gabriel Mountains near Altadena. Fueled by severe drought and strong Santa Ana winds, the fire burned over 14,000 acres and destroyed more than 9,400 structures. This event underscores the growing challenges of fires influence on watersheds and urgent need to address preparation and post-fire impacts on stormwater quality and management.
Recognizing these emerging risks, the Safe, Clean Water Program in Los Angeles had previously funded the Upper Los Angeles River Watershed Fire Effects Study to investigate how wildfires alter hydrology and pollutant loading within the watershed. The resulting Fire Effects Watershed Model incorporated post-fire landscape data to simulate pollutant transport and assess the resilience of planned stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) under fire-affected and climate-stressed conditions. This collaborative effort engaged stormwater managers, regulators, NGOs, researchers, and community stakeholders to build awareness around the intersection of fire and water quality.
Following the Eaton Fire, the City of Pasadena rapidly expanded post-fire monitoring efforts to capture stormwater data downstream of burned areas during subsequent rain events. These observations provided critical insights into pollutant mobilization, BMP performance, and infrastructure vulnerabilities. The integration of this data with the Fire Effects Model enabled a more comprehensive evaluation of both immediate and long-term stormwater impacts, informing the design and optimization of capture projects, pretreatment strategies, and maintenance protocols. This information was used to guide outreach and design elements of the Brookside Park Stormwater Capture Project in Pasadena, for instance, including engineering adaptations—enhanced pretreatment, adaptive maintenance, and community-informed planning—for climate-resilient stormwater infrastructure.
As wildfires increasingly disrupt watershed systems, this work highlights the need for adaptive stormwater infrastructure and proactive planning to mitigate fire-related water quality degradation. By leveraging rapid-response data and predictive modeling, stormwater programs can better prepare for and respond to the compounding effects of fire and climate change on urban watersheds.