Dendro-hydrologic reconstruction of the Logan River, northern Utah
Location
Eccles Conference Center
Event Website
http://water.usu.edu
Start Date
4-1-2014 4:35 PM
End Date
4-1-2014 4:40 PM
Description
Six new tree-ring chronologies in northern Utah were combined with preexisting chronologies from Utah and western Wyoming to produce a 400-year reconstruction of mean annual flow for the Logan River, the largest tributary of the Bear River. Two reconstruction models were developed, a ‘‘Local’’ model that incorporated two Rocky Mountain juniper chronologies from within the catchment basin, and a ‘‘Regional’’ model that also included limber pine and pinyon pine chronologies from a larger area. Incorporating chronologies from the northern and southern margins of the transition zone of the ENSO-related western precipitation dipole increased the skill of the Regional model, suggesting that both nodes influence the hydroclimate of northern Utah. The reconstructions provide the first extended record of streamflow in northern Utah. Pre-instrumental streamflows (AD 1605–1921) exhibited greater variability in comparison to the instrumental period (AD 1922–2005). Our findings shed light on the natural hydro-climatic variability of the region and provide a framework for regional water managers.
Dendro-hydrologic reconstruction of the Logan River, northern Utah
Eccles Conference Center
Six new tree-ring chronologies in northern Utah were combined with preexisting chronologies from Utah and western Wyoming to produce a 400-year reconstruction of mean annual flow for the Logan River, the largest tributary of the Bear River. Two reconstruction models were developed, a ‘‘Local’’ model that incorporated two Rocky Mountain juniper chronologies from within the catchment basin, and a ‘‘Regional’’ model that also included limber pine and pinyon pine chronologies from a larger area. Incorporating chronologies from the northern and southern margins of the transition zone of the ENSO-related western precipitation dipole increased the skill of the Regional model, suggesting that both nodes influence the hydroclimate of northern Utah. The reconstructions provide the first extended record of streamflow in northern Utah. Pre-instrumental streamflows (AD 1605–1921) exhibited greater variability in comparison to the instrumental period (AD 1922–2005). Our findings shed light on the natural hydro-climatic variability of the region and provide a framework for regional water managers.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/runoff/2014/2014Posters/30