Geomorphology for Floodplain Managers and Public Works

Graphic illustrating debris flow deposit features.

Not surprisingly, landslides, slumps and earth fissures can disrupt water management systems, thereby hampering the work of floodplain managers. This Tuesday and Wednesday (3/7-3/8/2017), the Mohave County Public Works Department hosts a training session on geomorphology for floodplain managers in Kingman, Arizona.

Phil Pearthree, AZGS Director and State Geologist, will deliberate on earth fissures, geochronology, landslides and debris flows. He'll also address floodplain manager’s questions regarding the potential impact of geologic processes on their constituents.

AZGS’s Ann Youberg and Joe Cook tag-teamed training sessions at last fall’s floodplain management workshop. This spring, Joe Cook guides Pima County floodplain managers on a tour through the Santa Catalina Mountains examining debris flows.

FYI: Floodplain managers strive to mitigate potential flood hazards through education, policy, ordinances and permitting. The mission of the Arizona Floodplain Management Association “…to promote education, policies and activities that mitigate current and future losses, costs and human suffering caused by flooding, and to protect the natural and beneficial functions of floodplains - all without causing adverse impacts.”