Las Vegas, with a population of about 13,200, is supplied with two months’ worth of water, but flooding threatens to contaminate the supply with fire debris and ash. This river supplies her 90% of Las Vegas’ water.
The governor’s executive order made available $2.25 million in state emergency funds to “support local government emergency response, prevent additional damage, repair public infrastructure, and reduce wildfire impacts and burn scars.” It reduces the overall recovery time associated with flooding,” according to the release.
The Calf Canyon/Hermit’s Peak fire was 94 percent contained as of Thursday, said InciWeb, the federal wildfire clearinghouse, although no new fire behavior has been reported recently.
In May, when the fire brigade first brought a large fire under control, Las Vegas Mayor Louie Trujillo told CNN that even though the West needed rain, it was able to save valuable fires before the heavy rains that accompany the monsoon season. He said he was rushing the weather to divert the river’s water into the lake below.
“Most of the watershed you can see is completely on fire. It looks like acres of burnt toothpicks sticking out of the ground,” Trujillo told CNN. “Because of the unstable soil, if it rains heavily, a lot of baby he’s like pouring water on powder, it doesn’t absorb at all, it just falls off.”
Megafire destabilizes soil. When it rains, thousands of tons of charred sediment wash into rivers and reservoirs used for drinking water. Even if water authorities were able to remove the taste of dirt and ash, water treatment managers also worry about the lingering effects of charred organic compounds that mix with the chlorine used to make water drinkable. I’m here.
“The destruction that continues to befall New Mexico communities affected by the U.S. Forest Service’s planned burning earlier this year is immeasurable,” the governor said in a release. “I am very appreciative of the diligent and proactive efforts the City of Las Vegas has made to ensure that the city’s water system continues to operate safely, and have received emergency funding from the state to support that effort. San Miguel County has endured well so far, and we will continue to do everything we can to help them and prevent further damage from the wildfires.”
According to the governor’s release, Trujillo said, “The polluted water flow out of Galena, caused by wildfire damage to our watershed, jeopardizes the availability of water to the City of Las Vegas’ water system. Rest assured that the City will retain the federal government. We are responsible for our current situation.”
According to the National Weather Service’s website, the Las Vegas weather forecast calls for more rain this weekend.
CNN’s Ella Nilsen contributed to this report.
Source: www.cnn.com
