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City, BYU soil scientists differ on how development affected Buckley Draw debris flow
Summary
Provo City public‑works staff said grading and temporary berms reduced damage from a post‑fire debris flow and that the developer is funding a permanent debris channel; BYU soil scientists warned post‑fire conditions and disturbed slopes still create a high risk of further slides and said the site is not "better off."
Provo City officials and soil scientists from Brigham Young University debated how recent grading work on a hillside above Buckley Draw affected a January debris flow that inundated a church and nearby properties.
Gordon Haight, director of public works, told District 2 residents the Buckley Draw watershed spans more than 500 acres and that emergency repairs and temporary measures — berms, Jersey barriers and basins — limited damage when intense rain and a burn scar produced a fast debris flow. "The homes cannot be built until the channel is completely constructed," Haight said, adding that the developer is paying for the roughly half‑million‑dollar debris channel work and that city crews are handling cleanup within their maintenance budget.
But soil scientists who presented to the neighborhood said post‑fire conditions and disturbed soils make further debris flows likely. "Most, not all of the mud in the Colonial Church building came from the mountain ... it was full of ash," said Katie Seeley of BYU, explaining how hydrophobic soils, lost vegetation and steep slope length increase erosion risk. Seeley and colleagues said up to 450 acres burned and that large volumes of sediment remain uphill; they urged higher technical standards for berm extensions and full removal of deposited material before relying on the berm as protection.
The disagreement centered on modeling assumptions and the timing of mitigation. City staff said their hydrologic modeling used a conservative (Newtonian) water flow approximation and that a consultant peer‑reviewed the analysis; BYU scientists asked the city to consider non‑Newtonian, debris‑laden flow models that can behave differently around barriers. Residents pressed for independent modeling and greater clarity on which protections were promised before grading began.
On operational timelines, staff said the existing channel was about 75% cleared and expected to be emptied by midnext week, and the permanent debris‑flow channel under construction should be completed in roughly a month. The city explained that permitting and utility coordination allowed grading to proceed before some channel work, but reiterated that buildings are not permitted until the channel is finished. City staff encouraged neighborhood stakeholders to share BYU modeling so it can be integrated into the public record.
Next steps: city crews will continue channel cleanup and finish construction of the permanent debris channel and downstream basin (the basin is expected to serve as a park amenity when complete). Residents requested that the city and independent experts publish modeling assumptions and monitoring plans as the construction proceeds.
