- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Wednesday, September 10, 1997
- Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Wednesday, September 10, 1997
Broadcast: By 1000 ET
*** NOTICE ***
There was no Morning Report on Tuesday, September 9th.
INCIDENTS
97-541 - Capitol Reef NP (UT) - Flash Floods; Ranger Injured
The park continues to be inundated by rains from the seasonal monsoonal air
flow over the region, particularly intense this year because of the unusually
strong "El Nino" in the Pacific. Flash flooding and temporary road and trail
closures have occurred several times a week over the past two months. At the
time of the report, the park had received seven consecutive days of rain, and
it had rained 28 out of the previous 50 days. During this period, the park
received precipitation nearly equivalent to the amount which falls during an
average year. Sandy soils are so saturated that little absorption can take
place, and even light rains which would normally be of little consequence are
producing flash floods. Three significant flooding episodes have occurred
since late August:
o A storm two weeks ago caused flooding over Highway 24 upriver from the
park, and rangers prepared 300 visitors for a nighttime evacuation of
the Fruita campground, which is located adjacent to the Fremont River.
After several hours of monitoring the river, the evacuation was
canceled.
o A storm on the morning of September 2nd dropped almost an inch of rain,
producing flash floods in virtually every one of the dozens of
drainages along the entire length of the park - the first time such an
event is known to have occurred. Water flowed a foot deep through the
park's historic barn. Visitors were able to witness the spectacle of
hundreds of waterfalls.
o A storm which passed through the park's headquarters area on the
afternoon of September 4th dropped a quarter inch of rain. The paved
portion of Scenic Drive, which had just been reopened following prior
flooding, was again flooded and again had to be closed. As part of the
emergency closure, roads and trails employee Shirlee Bell and ranger
Garry Olson conducted a sweep of the road for visitors in separate
four-wheel-drive vehicles. Bell's vehicle was moved by water as she
crossed a wash and stalled just as she drove out of the flow. Olson,
who was in a full-size pickup, stopped and evaluated the flow in a
separate hardened wash crossing, then began to drive through the
water - a common practice for rangers during evacuations and road
closures. The flood waters immediately pushed and lifted his truck and
took it over a four-foot-high waterfall. The vehicle lost power and
began floating down the Grand Wash drainage. Olson, who was unable to
see out of the truck's window due to splashing red water, radioed for
assistance. The truck traveled for a third of a mile before it briefly
hung up on a rock; Olsen climbed out the window and jumped for the
river bank, injuring his knee when he landed. The vehicle kept moving
with the flood waters and became completely submerged in the increasing
flow shortly after Olson jumped out. It finally came to a stop when it
became wedged against rocks over a half mile from the point where it
left the road. Bell and the park visitors on the drive were evacuated
without incident. As side drainages downstream combined, Grand Wash,
which is normally dry, flowed about eight feet deep and 50 feet wide,
reaching depths of from 12 to 15 feet in "The Narrows."
Road and trail damage from these storms has been extensive. Portions of some
trails are unrecognizable; others require swimming. The heavily damaged and
now closed road in Capitol Gorge features six-foot-high cut banks. Pavement
has buckled on Scenic Drive, and roads in Grand Wash and Capitol Gorge have
all been closed indefinitely. It appears that this weather pattern will
continue for some time, as the ten-day forecast calls for thunderstorms or
scattered showers through mid-month and long-range predictions are for
continued wet conditions through the fall and winter. The park's safety
committee met on Monday to evaluate additional trails for potential closures
and determine additional methods of educating and warning visitors of these
unique rain and flood conditions. September is traditionally the month of
highest visitation to the park. [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 9/6]
97-542 - Olympic NP (WA) - Search in Progress
A major search is underway for J.D., 73, of Sequim, Washington, who
has been missing since he failed to return to his camp near Mount Baldy on
the evening of Saturday, September 6th. A total of 99 ground searchers, four
search dog teams, four helicopters and one airplane are searching the area,
which is on the boundary between the park and a wilderness area in Olympic
NF. J.D. is in excellent health and physical condition, but legally blind
in one eye. He's known to be an avid hiker and has previously hiked long
distances by himself in the Olympics. Rangers from the park and the national
forest and members of seven volunteer SAR teams are engaged in the effort;
over 2,250 hours of volunteer time had been recorded as of yesterday
afternoon. The incident is being managed under an ICS unified command. Gary
Gissell from the park and a county SAR coordinator are joint IC's. [Barb
Maynes, PIO, OLYM, 9/9]
97-543 - San Antonio Missions NHP (TX) - Possible Homicide
On September 6th, ranger Kurt Schoenberger and San Antonio police officers
investigated an informant's report of a possible homicide at the Espada
aqueduct, an historic site in the park. The informant told officers that
he'd seen what appeared to be a body, a man with a baseball bat with blood on
it, and a vehicle with its trunk open at the aqueduct on the previous
evening. The man reportedly threatened the informant, then left the area.
Blood samples and a ring were found at the site, but no body. An
unidentified male body was found in another county the following day, and may
be associated with the incident at the aqueduct. [Dan Steed, CR, SAAN, 9/8]
97-544 - Voyageurs NP (MN) - ARPA Arrest
On September 4th, A.O., 50, of Ray, Minnesota, was indicted by a
grand jury on felony charges of unauthorized excavation, removal and damage
to an archeological site in the park. A state conservation officer had
contacted A.O. in May as he was tending unlicensed minnow traps along a
creek on the south shore of the Kabetogama Peninsula. The officer also noted
an area measuring about 30 feet by 10 feet which had been excavated along the
bank. A.O. admitted to having dug the hole. District ranger chuck Remus
was contacted and began an investigation. A pile of pottery shards from the
Laural and Blackduck cultures was recovered near the excavated site, and
search warrants were obtained and served at A.O.'s use and occupancy lease
residence and associated structures, located within the park. An evaluation
of the site by was conducted by a Forest Service archeologist in consultation
with NPS archeologist Jeff Richner from the Midwest Archeology Center. The
damage assessment concluded that about $5,000 in damage had been done at the
site. [Bruce McKeeman, CR, VOYA, 9/5]
97-545 - Death Valley NP (CA) - Mining Accident with Fatality
On August 28th, the park received a report that someone had been killed in a
mining accident at the Bille mine, located on the east side of the park.
Rangers Bondareff and Kodell responded and found that 35-year-old C.H.
had been run over by a large mining vehicle known as a mucker, which is
similar to a front-end loader. C.H. was evidently driving a dump truck and
waiting for the mucker to return. He was in front of the truck and could not
be seen by the driver when he returned with a load of borax. Alcohol
consumption by C.H. is believed to have been a contributing factor. The
investigation is being conducted jointly by the park and county sheriff's
office. [Chris Ward, CR, DEVA, 9/5]
97-546 - Blue Ridge Parkway (VA/NC) - Falling Fatality
J.W., 26, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, fell approximately 270
feet to his death in the vicinity of Cascade Falls around 7 p.m. on 7th.
According to his wife, who witnessed the fall, J.W. had just left the
trail and climbed over a rock in order to take a photo of his wife. He
apparently lost his footing and fell. Ranger Don Reed is investigating.
[CRO, BLRI, 9/8]
97-547 - Organ Pipe Cactus NM (AZ) - Drug Seizure
On September 7th, Border Patrol agents alerted rangers to a vehicle fleeing
south through the park towards Mexico on Highway 85. The vehicle was spotted
on South Puerto Blanco Road and was pursued by a ranger. The vehicle ran off
the road and became stuck in the open desert; the driver fled on foot into
Mexico. Investigation revealed that the vehicle contained 195 pounds of
marijuana, a two-way radio and a metal detector. It also had a park entrance
permit dated September 2nd on its windshield. [Karl Pearson, ACR, ORPI, 9/8]
97-548 - Great Smoky Mountains NP (NC/TN) - Drug Seizure; Arrest
Rangers Steve Kloster and Jim Hjelmgren arrested D.E., 39, as he was
tending a marijuana patch in the park's East District on September 2nd. He
has been charged with multiple felony violations of U.S. Code and could serve
five years if convicted. A second arrest in the case is likely. [Jason
Houck, CR, GRSM 9/5]
97-549 - Glen Canyon NRA (UT/AZ) - Drug Arrest
On August 31st, rangers Dixon Freeland and criminal investigator James
Houseman learned that a concession employee was distributing marijuana
through information gained during a traffic stop. Freeland and Houseman
interviewed R.C., 29, a concession waiter and houseboat cleaner, at
his residence, and subsequently received permission to search the property.
A one pound brick of marijuana, five one-ounce bags of marijuana and $422 in
cash were found in his bedroom and seized. R.C. confessed to his
involvement in the distribution of marijuana in Bullfrog. R.C.'s 1990
Nissan four-by-four was also seized, and he was arrested on one felony count
of possession with intent to distribute. [Tomie Patrick Lee, CR, GLCA, 9/2]
[Additional reports pending...]
FIRE ACTIVITY
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II
LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY
Sun Tue % Est
State Unit Fire/Incident IMT 9/7 9/9 Con Con
CA Tuolumne-Calavaras RU Priest -- 500 500 100 CND
ID Boise District * Blue Gulch -- - 1,000 0 9/10
Heading Notes
Unit -- Agency = BIA area; NF = national forest; RU = CA state resource
or ranger unit; RD = state ranger district; District = BLM
district; NWR = USFWS wildlife refuge
Fire -- * = newly reported fire (on this report); Cx = complex
IMT -- T1 = Type 1; T2 = Type II; ST = State Team
% Con -- Percent of fire contained
Est Con -- Estimated containment date; NEC = no estimated date of
containment; CND = fully contained; NR = no report
NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FIVE DAY TREND)
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
Friday, 9/5 2 2 4 1 13 26 48
Saturday, 9/6 0 0 12 0 28 38 79
Sunday, 9/7 1 2 3 0 28 15 49
Monday, 9/8 6 4 5 0 59 33 107
Tuesday, 9/9 2 1 12 0 88 34 137
TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FIVE DAY TREND)
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Friday, 9/5 50 78 13 6 0
Saturday, 9/6 92 82 11 4 39
Sunday, 9/7 60 31 9 7 0
Monday, 9/8 59 99 12 4 32
Tuesday, 9/9 23 65 8 2 2
CURRENT SITUATION
Containment objectives were achieved on the Priest fire yesterday. There was
one new large fire in the eastern Great Basin, but little activity elsewhere.
Many areas in the Great Basin and northern Rockies are reporting very high
fire indices; several units in California are reporting very high to extreme
indices.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 9/9-10]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Badlands NP (SD) - Black-Footed Ferret Update
As of September 4th, spotlight surveys had detected two one-year-old females,
released in 1996, each with litters containing a total of four kits. One
litter each was detected at Burns Basin (NPS) and Agate (USFS), both 1996
release sites. To date, no ferrets have been detected in the park's
wilderness area colonies, the initial release sites in 1994 and 1995, where
they have been detected with regularity since fall, 1994, and produced ferret
families in 1995 and 1996. These numbers are well below earlier projections
of seven to 10 litters and a dozen adults to be detected by August of this
year. Explanations include that they are there and we have not found them
(although the area was saturated with observers), that a heavy growth of
vegetation this year is making the ferrets harder to detect, and that an as
yet undetected event, such as disease, predation, weather or a combination of
these, has taken its toll on this portion of the population. The South
Dakota ferret project was allocated 74 juvenile reintroduction candidates
this year, and 42 are currently resident in the 24 pre-conditioning pens
constructed on USFS lands in Conata Basin during June-July this summer. The
animals are doing well, feeding on live prairie dogs and gaining weight and
muscle mass. A scheduled initial 1997 release at Kocher Flats has been
postponed because the Wyoming state veterinary lab is having difficulty
running the canine distemper assays of 18 coyotes and five badgers recently
collected on USFS and NPS lands. Data from these assays will provide project
managers with insight into the current levels of disease activity in the
greater landscape. Canine distemper is particularly deadly, as it is 100%
fatal to ferrets. If the canine distemper data proves benign, releases
should begin on September 16th. [Bruce Bessken, CRM, BADL, 9/10]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Reports pending.
MEMORANDA
No submissions.
EXCHANGE
No submissions.
* * * * *
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office and/or field area cc:Mail hub coordinators. Please address requests
pertaining to receipt of the Morning Report to your servicing hub
coordinator.
Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
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