Chalk Cliffs, Colorado
Science Center Objects
Chalk Cliffs, located 8 miles southwest of Buena Vista, CO, is one of the most active debris-flow areas in the state.
Recent Conditions
The instrumentation was installed in the summer of 2008 and includes a series of three monitoring stations located along the main channel. Data from one of these stations (Station 1) is transmitted from the site and displayed here.
Data from the sensors are sampled at high rates (2 seconds to 100 hertz) during rain events and every 2 minutes otherwise. Two-minute data are transmitted by cell phone modem from the site to a USGS computer every 5 minutes.
Project Background
Chalk Cliffs, located 8 miles southwest of Buena Vista, CO, is one of the most active debris-flow areas in the state. Typically one or more debris flows occur each year after intense or prolonged rainfall. The debris flows are triggered by surface-water runoff over loose material stored in channels.
The USGS and its cooperators have installed debris-flow monitoring equipment in the largest drainage basin at Chalk Cliffs. Data collection at this site supports research on the hydrologic factors that control debris-flow initiation, entrainment, and flow dynamics.
For More Information
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Coe, J., D. Kinner, J. Godt, Initiation conditions for debris flows generated by runoff at Chalk Cliffs, central Colorado, Geomorphology, v96, April 2008, pp270-297.
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National Weather Service forecast for Chalk Cliffs and vicinity
- Real-time stream gage on Chalk Creek 4 miles downstream from the monitoring basin
The force plate is mounted flush with the bedrock channel directly beneath the stage gage at the upper station. The plate samples the total bed-normal stress of the debris flow during flow events. (Public domain.)
A 15 cm by 15 cm metal plate attached to a single axis load cell is used to measure the total bed-normal stress (due to both fluid and solid phases) at the flow-bedrock interface. (Public domain.)
Map of Chalk Cliffs study area and locations of Upper (1), Middle (2), and Lower (3) monitoring stations. (Public domain.)
View of the Chalk Cliffs, CO study area from the debris-flow fan near Chaffee County Road 162. (Public domain.)
The Upper monitoring station at Chalk Cliffs, CO. (Public domain.)
The Middle monitoring station at Chalk Cliffs, CO. (Public domain.)
The Lower monitoring station at Chalk Cliffs, CO. (Public domain.)
View of the west channel and Upper monitoring station (Station 1), Chalk Cliffs, CO. (Public domain.)
View of the west channel and Upper monitoring station (Station 1) from video camera site at Chalk Cliffs, CO. (Public domain.)
Force plate (silver square) and stage sensor at the Upper monitoring station, Chalk Cliffs, CO. (Public domain.)
Debris-flow initiation zone near the top of the East Channel at Chalk Cliffs, CO. (Public domain.)