The City of Golden: Natural Hazards Report

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This report aims to discuss hypothetical natural hazards to which the City of Golden may be exposed to. Furthermore it is necessary to review various mitigation techniques, which can be used to avoid or at least minimize these risks. The recommendations, proposed in this paper are based on quantitative and qualitative data, gathered by seismologists and synopticians in the course of more than a century. This information enables to identify those regions which are most susceptible to environmental disasters.

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First, it should be pointed out that there are five types of rocks in this area: granite, basalt, shale, sandstone and marble (Colorado Geographical Survey, unpaged). In Golden, basaltic rocks are most widespread. Unlike others, they are more viable to weathering and decomposition. Yet, rock falls are not the only danger which the population of this town may face. In the following maps, we have tried to show the places, where the possibility of catastrophe is very high

Flood Map: meteorological data for the twentieth century
Flood Map: meteorological data for the twentieth century
Rock Fall Hazard Map
Rock Fall Hazard Map
Landslide hazard map
Landslide hazard map
Soil Swelling Hazard Map
Soil Swelling Hazard Map

In the vast majority of cases, floods in Golden are caused by excessive thawing or ablation. Floods in this area can be classified as flash ones. The water quickly exceeds the capacity of a river channel, which cannot contain the torrent. The aftereffects can be quite damaging to the infrastructure of this town and the property of the inhabitants: roads, cars, house footings and so forth. In some cases, they can lead to severe casualties. The region that seems to be most vulnerable is Big Thompson Canyon, because there torrent accumulates maximum speed. There are several mitigation techniques, which can be equally useful: construction of levees and weirs (Godschalk, 169).

The second natural hazard is rock falls: they occur mostly in spring due to the constant alteration of thawing and freezing (Colorado Geographic Society, unpaged). They can demolish housing, cars and result in many deaths. It is believed that complete avoidance of this hazard is utterly impossible. Yet, local authorities should set rock fences or concrete barriers. Additionally, rocks can be stabilized by gunite cementing and bolting (Colorado Geographic Society, unpaged).

Thirdly, we should remember about the possibility of landslides: downward movement of a relatively dry body of rock due to the force of gravitation (Colorado Geographic Society, unpaged; Godschalk; 482). It should be born in mind that the southern part of Golden is exposed to both rock falls and landslides. The methods to minimize these risks of are similar to one another: buttressing, rock bolting, and the use of concrete slurry (Colorado Geographic Society, unpaged).

Finally, we need to mention swelling soils. They are soils which consist of soft bedrock. They can expand their volume due to the extensive moisture and shrink when they are heated (Tobin, 91). Bedrock poses a serious threat to buildings and roads. To some degree, almost the entire territory of this city has such defects. In order to protect houses and property people can over-excavate expansive soils and substitute them with compacted fill (Colorado Geographic Society, unpaged). In addition, effective drainage is of great importance, as such expansive soils should be isolated from water.

Therefore, local authorities in the city of Golden should undertake such steps: 1) construct a levee or weir near Big Thompson Canyon in order to avoid floods 2) conduct rock bolting, buttressing, and fencing to reduce the risks landslides and rock falls in southern part of the city. 3) ensure constant drainage in those areas with expansive soils. Certainly, this strategy will require heavy investments and expenses but it is more cost-effective especially in comparison with the aftermaths of natural hazards.

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Works Cited

City of Golden Council. Official Website. Web.

Colorado Geographical Survey. “Natural Hazards”, 2009. Web.

Godscalk David. Natural hazard mitigation: recasting disaster policy and planning. Island Press, 1999.

Tobin Graham & Montz Natural hazards: explanation and integration. Guilford Press, 1997.

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