Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

History And Origin Of Debris Torrents In The Smith Creek Drainage, Whatcom County, Washington, Tim L. Syverson

WWU Graduate School Collection

Four debris torrent events have occurred in the Smith Creek drainage since the turn of the century. In 1917, 1949, 1971, and 1983, debris torrents transported large quantities of logs out of the basin onto the delta. Inventories of air photographs of the drainage before and after the three most recent events, combined with field observations after the 1983 event, show that debris torrents in the Smith Creek drainage are closely related to mass movements. Mass movements provide the momentum necessary to mobilize debris in stream channels during periods of heavy run-off, resulting in the formation of debris torrents. Debris …