Paesta Podcasts

You Asked, We Answered! Transcript of the podcast Hi, my name is John Miller, I’m a senior at Penn State Brandywine and I will be your host of this podcast.  Today’s topic is the impacts on water related to wildfire.  For those of you who aren’t familiar, wildfire is another term for forest fire.  Wildfire can have significant effects on water quality, from sediment loads to chemical reactions.  In today’s podcast, we will explore these impacts in detail. Erosion rates dynamically increase as a result of wildfire.  Due to the increased erosion, high sediment loads and turbidity can be observed. [1] Sediment loads, in large amounts increase processing costs of water treatment facilities.  In severe cases, such as Colorado’s Buffalo Creek wildfire, sediment can even shut the facilities down entirely. [1] Sediment containing phosphorus also promotes plant growth when found in high concentrations.  This can reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen in the watershed, impacting the local wildlife. [2]