At last, task force to study hillside hazard
San Bernardino Sun 4/3/07
As more and more people move into foothill areas, where the fans, made up of sediment that flows off mountains into the canyons below, pose a particular danger, the advice expected from the task force is critical to residents' safety.
Its aim is to create a model ordinance for city councils and boards of supervisors across Southern California that will inform responsible development decisions. And though the role of the task force is advisory, rather than regulatory, its composition should still carry weight.
The task force will be made up of about 15 people: scientists, consultants, flood control authorities, conservationists, planners, builders and elected officials.
Indeed, the task force has been so long in coming that the law creating it, signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in October 2004, expired Jan. 1. But its mission is so important that local Assemblyman Bill Emmerson, R-Rancho Cucamonga, is expected to file a new bill to continue the Legislature's backing.
Alluvial fans burst into the local mindset in 2003, when the Christmas Day flood, following the devastating Old Fire, swept down the denuded slopes above San Bernardino, killing 16 people, including nine children. Scientists say that for up to five years following a destructive wildfire, the power of a debris flow can increase by a factor of 40.
And yet, flood-prone areas that developers once scrupulously avoided have become home to more and more people as population growth continues eastward. By 2020, developers are expected to have built homes on alluvial fans in San Bernardino, Riverside and neighboring counties for 4 million more residents.
Clearly, in light of such dicey development, a voice of reason is needed to convince builders, and homeowners, of the magnified risks of living on the edge.