The debris flow of Fully

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Fig. 1 : Picture of the debris flow of Fully.

During the exception precipitation of October 2000 (14th) debris flows flowed down to the village of Fully situated in the Rhone Valley stopping all around the village. The difference of level is at least 1000 m, between source area and the deposit (Figs. 1 to 3). By chance it stopped at the limit of the village causing small damages compared to the potential one, but destroying a great surface of vineyards of famous valaisan Wine. The debris flow took its source in fluvial-glacial deposits and scree slopes.

This catastrophe seems having a human origin. A pipe and a tunnel of a hydroelectric device serving to collect water presented some working defects. A leakage of the pipe in the talus slope induced the debris flow.

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Fig. 2: View of the channel and the source area of the debris-flow.

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Fig. 3: View of the source area and of the debris flow and of the new incision in the topography generated by the debris flow.

References :

CREALP : The Garettes debris flow above the commune of Fully, 15th October, 2000 (Photographs).