Compilation of runoff-generated debris-flow inventories for 18 fires across Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington, USA

Description
This data release is an inventory of runoff-generated postfire debris flows compiled from 18 burn areas across six western U.S. states. Debris-flow data from the following fires are included:

Arizona: 2019 Museum, 2021 Flag, and 2022 Pipeline Fires
California: 2014 Silverado, 2015 Valley, 2019 Briceburg, 2020 Dolan, 2020 El Dorado, 2020 Lake, and 2021 Dixie Fires
Colorado: 2020 Cameron Peak Fire
New Mexico: 2012 Whitewater-Baldy, 2020 Tadpole, and 2022 McBride Fires
Utah: 2021 Bear Fire
Washington: 2021 Cedar Creek, 2021 Cub Creek 2, and 2021 Twenty-Five Mile Fires

The included table, “Combined_Inventory.csv”, contains debris-flow records represented as “1” or “0”, indicating whether a debris flow did occur or did not occur, respectively, in response to a given storm. In addition, for each observation, the corresponding fire name, observation location, storm date, and rainfall intensities are included. The “README.txt” file describes the fields (including units) for “Combined_Inventory.csv” in more detail. "0" values in the "Response" column indicate that no debris flow was observed, but a hydrologic response with lower sediment content may or may not have occurred.

Assembling these data in a unified format involved a combination of compiling data from published sources and synthesizing new debris-flow records from observations made by U.S. Geological Survey staff and partners. All records in the included file, "Combined_Inventory.csv", are credited, according to the individuals, agencies, and/or publications that provided the observation information, in the column labeled “ObservationSource”. To the best of our knowledge, all records compiled here correspond to debris flows generated by runoff, not by other mechanisms. These records have only limited spatial and temporal extent: they should not be taken as a comprehensive record of the hydrologic response in every catchment in response to every postfire storm. Fields with value “-9999” indicate that data are not available or do not exist.
Data Credits
We thank the authors of published data sources listed in the inventory as well as several colleagues who provided new debris-flow observation and/or rainfall data, including: Ann Youberg (Arizona Geological Survey), Paul Burgess, Jeremy Lancaster, Don Lindsay, Paul Richardson, Brian Swanson, Kirk Townsend (California Geological Survey); Luke McGuire (University of Arizona); Maya Daurio (University of British Columbia); Katy Barnhart, Amy East (U.S. Geological Survey); and Mitch Allen, Josh Hardesty, Kate Mickelson, Emilie Richard (Washington Geological Survey). Full references for each cited publication are provided in the “README.txt” file.