The Region : Reseeding of Burned Areas

In an effort to protect homeowners from heavy erosion this winter, federal authorities will spend about $250,000 to reseed 14 critical areas this month that were burned in the Altadena fire.

The federal Soils Conservation Service recently awarded a contract for the hydroseeding work, which was scheduled to begin this week and continue through Dec. 22. The re-vegetation effort is part of an ongoing program, involving the Forest Service and the county, to protect foothill homeowners from mudslides, debris flows and flooding this winter.

The hydroseeding will involve spraying a mixture of water, four different types of seed, fertilizer and mulch on steep charred slopes. Officials say that, as the vegetation grows, it will help stabilize the hillsides.

Last month local and federal authorities worked to spray dry seed over 4,900 acres of burned mountainside. After heavy winds blew away the seed, another seed drop was made two weeks later. Also, several local and federal agencies have funded the enlargement of some of the debris basins along the foothills and have helped homeowners with sandbagging.