Update 8-11-26: Ouray County Recovery Report
Post-wildfire conditions have dramatic impacts on watersheds, causing them to react in ways atypical from pre-fire conditions. UWP will attempt to share useful resources related to watershed conditions on this page.
Though monsoonal rains are causing landslides and flooding in several steep areas of the county, two areas flooding most dramatically due to the 2026 Gold Mountain Fire are the Cutler Creek and Dexter Creek drainages. Flash flooding and mudslides are happening during summer rains, imperiling property and people’s safety. According to the National Weather Service, anyone living downstream from a recently burned area should be aware of the changed conditions, which result in much faster, turbulent, debris and ash clogged waters from the burned area.
From the National Weather Service:
In areas where wildfires have occurred, vegetation may have been burned away and soil properties may have been altered, leaving behind bare ground that tends to repel water. This is called a burn scar. When rain falls over a burn scar, the ground is unable to absorb the moisture, leaving the water to collect or run across the surface of the ground towards the lowest point. Wildfires are common in the western U.S.; however, wildfires occur in all 50 states, so this type of flooding is possible anywhere.
Without vegetation to hold the soil in place, flooding can produce mud and debris flows. When normally dry soil becomes overly saturated, it can reach a point where it turns to a liquid state and flows downhill, essentially becoming a river of mud. Mud and debris flows can destroy homes, wash out bridges and roadways, and knock down trees. They can also deposit large amounts of mud and other debris on previously clear surfaces, damaging or burying everything in their path. Areas where ground cover has recently changed dramatically, such as an area impacted by a wildfire, can be at a higher risk for mudflows.
Though it is not always possible to predict in advance when flooding and slides will occur, the best sources for knowing of flash flood danger are:
National Weather Service flash flooding risk chart
You can find out more information at: https://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
USGS Streamflow Gauge Data north of the City of Ouray: The creeks and streams around Ouray County do not have gauges that would provide information about changes in flows. While there are gauges on the Uncompahgre River, the flooding on its tributaries happen before the water enters the Uncompahgre. Also, as seen in the graph below, the rise in water levels in the Uncompahgre River happen suddenly during storms. As a result, watching online stream gauge information is not a way to know if flooding is about to occur. Therefore, people should pay attention to warning systems from the National Weather Service and local emergency departments. Gauge data is critical for understanding the trends and historic flow changes.
Watershed-Related Resources
Here is a list of resources that will be growing as UWP finds the most helpful guidance.
After the Flames website, created by Coalitions and Colaboratives (COCO)
Burn Scar Flooding information from Ouray County
