Answer
The likely type of mass wasting that occurred in the mountain valley near Durango, Colorado, due to heavy rains in late July 2010 is a debris flow. Debris flows are rapid-moving, water-saturated mixtures of rock fragments, soil, and water. Given the heavy rainfall and the presence of loose materials on the slopes, the water would have quickly saturated the soil and triggered the downslope movement of debris, resulting in a debris flow that blocked the stream channel and railroad tracks.
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