Alluvial Fan

The Alluvial Fan is a fan-shaped area of disturbance. It was created on July 15, 1982, when the earthen Lawn Lake Dam above the area gave way, flooding the Park and nearby town of Estes Park with more than 200 million gallons of water. Enormous boulders were displaced, and trees and earth were ripped from the ground. Researchers are studying the success and composition of species in this area of the park as life returns to this barren area.