The Ferguson Rock Slide is classified as a major rock slide event that took place over the course of six months from May to November 2006. The slide blocked California State Highway 140, a major traffic route for vehicles entering and exiting Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Central California. This route is primarily used by private and commercial vehicles for tourism, employees of the Yosemite National Park, and local residents of the area.
Macro and Micro view of the location of the Ferguson Slide
The slide consisted of 800,000 m3 of earthen materials that slid downslope approximately 9-12 meters and partially occluded the adjacent Merced River (Harp et al, 2008). The total economic impact on the surrounding communities and Yosemite National Park was about $4.8 million in revenue loss from the 92 days of road closure because of the slide (Harp et al, 2008). This type of slide is uncommon in the region and has been rarely documented in such detail, the reason for the detailed study of this slide is …show more content…
The slide continued movement for 92 and the resultant talus flow from the slide completely covered California State Highway 140 and partially entered into the flow of the Merced River. The resulted in the closure of the highway which is one of the three year-round routes into Yosemite National Park and ultimately cost the local communities 4.8 million dollars in revenue loss. The temporary bridges and roadway on the opposite side of the river are still in use as of 2017, with no current plans in place to reopen the main route still covered in talus. Although there was no loss of life with this event it still had and continues to have an impact on visitors of Yosemite National Park and the surrounding
Macro and Micro view of the location of the Ferguson Slide
The slide consisted of 800,000 m3 of earthen materials that slid downslope approximately 9-12 meters and partially occluded the adjacent Merced River (Harp et al, 2008). The total economic impact on the surrounding communities and Yosemite National Park was about $4.8 million in revenue loss from the 92 days of road closure because of the slide (Harp et al, 2008). This type of slide is uncommon in the region and has been rarely documented in such detail, the reason for the detailed study of this slide is …show more content…
The slide continued movement for 92 and the resultant talus flow from the slide completely covered California State Highway 140 and partially entered into the flow of the Merced River. The resulted in the closure of the highway which is one of the three year-round routes into Yosemite National Park and ultimately cost the local communities 4.8 million dollars in revenue loss. The temporary bridges and roadway on the opposite side of the river are still in use as of 2017, with no current plans in place to reopen the main route still covered in talus. Although there was no loss of life with this event it still had and continues to have an impact on visitors of Yosemite National Park and the surrounding