B&B Complex Repeat Photography Grid Project

The Repeat Photography Grid Project is a systematic photographic documentation of the 2003 B&B Complex Fires area. The project involves the establishment of numerous GPS coordinates at specific sites located throughout the study area for the purposes of taking repeat panoramic photographs over time from those locations. The project was started in March, 2004 by Bob Zybach and Nana Lapham in collaboration with Oregon Websites and Watersheds Project, Inc., Oregon State University Ethnic Studies Department, Oregon State University Department of Forest Sciences, Pacific Northwest Research Station, and NW Maps Co., of Corvallis, Oregon.

The Repeat Photography Grid Project is a systematic photographic inventory of the 2003 B&B Fire study area. The study includes the entire burned area--nearly 100,000 acres--and a perimeter of unburned land included for comparitive purposes and fire event analysis. The general boundaries of the study are Mt. Jefferson to the north (Linn and Marion county line), Mt. Washington to the south, the Metolius River to the east, and North Fork Santiam River to the west.

The project involves the establishment of numerous GPS coordinates at specific sites located throughout the study area. Sites are selected based on landscape-scale burn pattern visibility, study area coverage, accessibility, and stand-scale habitat types. Most sites are documented with 360 degree panoramic digital photo sequences and miscellaneous photographs of interest, such as pictures of wildlife, blooming wildflowers, or phenotypical snags.

The purpose for establishing grid points and photographic documentation of the B&B Complex is to create a baseline dataset that can be used for retrospective studies and to help moniter future environmental changes. Retrospective studies include comparisons of post-fire landscapes with historical photographs, maps, survey notes, and other records of past conditions. Post-fire conditions can be closely monitered by an unlimited number of people by repeating the photographic process at select locations on a seasonal or annual basis, or by following a disturbance event or management process by the same methodology over time, and then displaying the results on the Internet.

This process can prove useful for considering the role of snags as fuel during the B&B fire event and landscape pattern changes over time, or for monitoring such ecological changes as erosion, plant migrations, subsequent fire events, insect outbreaks, and landscape-scale snag management experiments into the future.

The Repeat Photography Grid Project is a collaboration of several people and organizations. Bob Zybach designed the project and is its Principal Investigator. Nana Lapham assisted with project design and development. Zybach and Lapham are co-authors of this website, which is hosted by Oregon Websites and Watersheds Project, Inc., for the purposes of research, education, and public outreach. Oregon State University Forest Sciences Department supplied academic credit, and per diem and transportation costs, OSU Ethnic Studies Department provided academic credit and web editing software. Pacific Northwest Research Station provided field equipment and consultations. NW Maps Co. provided website and database design for map and image storage and retrieval.

The general objective of this project is to document as much of the burned area and perimeter of the B&B Complex Fire as possible with GPS-referenced 360-degree panoramic digital photos taken the first year after the fire.

Photograph locations were selected on the basis of: 1) landscape pattern visibility (in addition to established lookout sites and viewpoints, numerous new vistas were created by defoliation that resulted from the fire); 2) accessibility (points are preferably reached by automobile or other motorized vehicle, or located along established foot trail routes); 3) location (most of the burned area and perimeter should be documented from two or more vantage points); and 4) content (forest types, unusual soil conditions, lake perimeters, phenotypical snag patches, etc.).

Once a photo point had been selected, a GPS receiver was used to record location and elevation. A digital camera (Nikon Coolpix 990) was then mounted on a tripod at four and one-half feet above the ground surface and a series of over-lapping photographs was taken to produce a 360-degree panorama. Each panoramic series (usually about ten photographs) was initiated with a due-north photo, and then continued clockwise until the beginning point was reached. The camera was typically maintained in a level position during this process, unless slight adjustments were needed to capture the distant horizon. Additional photographs were taken to capture specific details, such as flowering plants, wildlife, or unusual habitat conditions.

Digital images obtained by these methods were processed with PhotoShop to balance contrasts and reduce file sizes for Internet display. Panoramic series of photographs will be stitched together into single files and also made available on the Internet as they are completed.

Hyperlink	Location	*Date*	Northing	Easting	Elev.
	Abbot Butte	September 4, 2004 September 4, 2004 September 4, 2004	44.55833 44.55880 44.55953	121.70798 121.71215 121.71235	4,432' 4,300' 4,221'
	Abbot Creek	June 8, 2004	44.55077	121.63794	3,418'
	Alice Lake	October 1, 2004 October 1, 2004	44.50540 44.50328	121.86880 121.87062	5,429' 5,502'
	Bald Peter				6,540'
	Bearprint Lake	August 20, 2004	44.54922	121.87364	xxx
	Big Lake	September 4, 2004 October 16, 2004	44.22665 44.38240	121.52178 121.86707	4,703' 4,694'
	Big Meadows	June 10, 2004	44.49142	121.96372	xxx
	Big Spring	June 8, 2004 June 8, 2004 October 16, 2004	44.44653 44.43494 44.44920	121.98112 121.93039 121.19855	3,908' 3,841' 3,377'
	Bingham Ridge	June 8, 2004	44.68045	121.88494	xxx
	Black Butte	September 4, 2004 September 4, 2004 September 4, 2004	44.39882 44.39787 44.39830	121.64116 121.63388 121.63928	5,793' 5,878' 6,373'
	Black Butte Swamp
	Blue Balls	May 15, 2004 May 15, 2004	44.54421 44.54424	121.66455 121.65790	3,119' 3,183'
	Bone Lake	May 13, 2004 May 13, 2004 May 13, 2004	44.38951 44.39070 44.39257	121.80306 121.80220 121.80159	4,548' 4,421' 4,493'
	Cache Lake	June 8, 2004 October 16, 2004	44.40135 44.39503	121.74230 121.78213	xxx 4,174'
	Cache Mountain	June 8, 2004	44.40071	121.74235	4,217'
	Camp Sherman	August 14, 2004 August 18, 2004
	Candle Creek	June 8, 2004	44.56368	121.64224	2, 979'
	Canyon Creek
	Cinder Cone	June 8, 2004 June 8, 2004 June 8, 2004	44.52003 44.52034 44.52021	121.65292 121.65391 121.65394	3,176' 3,432' xxx
	Clear Lake	September 18, 2004 September 18, 2004	44.22495 44.22377	121.59902 121.59551
	Dark Lake
	Downing Creek
	Duffy Butte
	Duffy Lake	September 30, 2004 September 30, 2004	44.49159 44.49120	121.90016 121.89722	4797 4728
	Duffy Prairie	October 1, 2004
	Duffy Trail	October 1, 2004	44.48664	121.88710	4,932'
	First Creek	May 15, 2004 May 15, 2005 May 15, 2004	44.44036	121.78490	4,349'
	Fisheye Hill	May 13, 2004
	Flapper Springs
	Hand Lake	May 13, 2004	44.39510	121.79507	4,363'
	Hayrick Butte
	Highway 20	September 20, 2003 May 13, 2004
	Hogg Railroad Grade	June 8, 2004
	Hogg Rock	May 15, 2004	44.42844	121.87687	4,377'
	Hoodoo Butte	June 9, 2004	44.38566	121.86353	5,721'
	Independence Prairie	June 10, 2004
	Indian Ford
	Jack Lake
	Jack Lake Road	May 14, 2004 May 14, 2004 May 14, 2004	44.29751	121.55919
	Jefferson Creek
	Klamath Indian Trail
	Lake Ann	August 20, 2004	44.5476	121.88126
	Lee's Lake	August 21, 2004	44.5532	121.87709
	Link Creek	May 13, 2004
	Link Lake	May 13, 2004
	Little Cache Mountain
	Little Nash Crater
	Lost Lake	May 15, 2004	44.43468	121.90561	3,975'
	Marion Creek
	Marion Forks	June 10, 2004 June 10, 2004
	Marion Lake	August 20, 2004 August 21, 2004 August 21, 2004
	Marion Mountain	August 21, 2004
	Marion Peak	August 21, 2004
	Maxwell Butte
	Maxwell Butte Trail
	Meadow Lake	May 13, 2004	45.30445	116.99729
	Metolius Springs
	Minto Pass Trail
	Molalla Indian Trail
	Moon Creek		44.58204	121.90367
	Mount Jefferson				10,495'
	Mount Washington				7,802'
	Mowich Lake	October 1, 2004
	Mushroom Hill	May 13, 2004	39.28113
	Nan Creek
	Nash Crater	September 18, 2004	44.25606 44.25564	121.57589 121.56831
	North Dixie Lake
	North Santiam River
	Pacific Crest Trail	May 14, 2004	44.42863	121.83643	4,969'
	Peasley Lake
	Potato Hill	May 13, 2004	44.25553	121.55254	4495
	Private Section	May 15, 2004 June 8, 2004
	Puzzle Creek	August 20, 2004 August 20, 2004
	Red Butte
	Roaring Spring
	Round Lake	May 15, 2004 May 15, 2004 May 15, 2004	44.44210	121.79014	4,325'
	Sahalie Falls	September 18, 2004	44.22503	121.59905
	Santiam Lake	September 30, 2004
	Santiam Lodge Trail	September 30, 2004
	Santiam Pass Trail	September 17, 2004
	Santiam Wagon Road	September 18, 2004	44.23999	121.57079
	Sheep Springs	May 15, 2004	44.51770	121.69750	3,053'
	South Dixie Lake
	Square Lake
	Suttle Lake	June 9, 2004
	Three Fingered Jack				7,848'
	Twin Meadows	June 10, 2004
	Unnamed Lake	September 30, 2004	44.47292	121.88948	5,292'
	Woodpecker Creek	June 8, 2004	44.67197	121.95498	2,596'
	Woodpecker Ridge	June 8, 2004 June 8, 2004 June 8, 2004	44.67692 44.68279 44.68045	121.94228 121.88565 121.88494	2,711' 3,171' xxx