Hydrologic Implications of Terrestrial Ecosystem Restoration in Northern Utah
Location
Space Dynamics Laboratory
Event Website
http://water.usu.edu/
Start Date
3-25-2004 11:35 AM
End Date
3-25-2004 11:40 AM
Description
Prolonged drought in the Intermountain West and evidence of vegetation community change toward increased woody plants have led to renewed interest in ecosystem restoration in wildland watersheds, particularly in Utah. Potential outcomes of such activities include alteration of watershed hydrologic functions (e.g., interception, soil water storage, snow accumulation and melt) and ultimately the timing and magnitude of watershed water yield. We propose that ecosystem restoration will influence the residence time distribution of water within a watershed because connectivity among stores of water (soil water, groundwater, etc) will be altered. Thus, we are implementing a system of stream gauges and weather stations to monitor stream water, soil water, and precipitation water quantity, chemistry, and isotope characteristics in a pair of watersheds on Deseret Land & Livestock property in Northern Utah. We intend to develop residence time distributions for these watersheds prior to and after vegetation manipulation to determine not only how hydrologic budgets of these watersheds are affected by vegetation change, but also whether and how hydrologic functioning within the watershed is altered. This work is being conducted within the scope of the Utah Sustainable Ecosystem Restoration Partnership (USERP): http://cc.usu.edu/~gooseff/usu_watershed_research.html
Hydrologic Implications of Terrestrial Ecosystem Restoration in Northern Utah
Space Dynamics Laboratory
Prolonged drought in the Intermountain West and evidence of vegetation community change toward increased woody plants have led to renewed interest in ecosystem restoration in wildland watersheds, particularly in Utah. Potential outcomes of such activities include alteration of watershed hydrologic functions (e.g., interception, soil water storage, snow accumulation and melt) and ultimately the timing and magnitude of watershed water yield. We propose that ecosystem restoration will influence the residence time distribution of water within a watershed because connectivity among stores of water (soil water, groundwater, etc) will be altered. Thus, we are implementing a system of stream gauges and weather stations to monitor stream water, soil water, and precipitation water quantity, chemistry, and isotope characteristics in a pair of watersheds on Deseret Land & Livestock property in Northern Utah. We intend to develop residence time distributions for these watersheds prior to and after vegetation manipulation to determine not only how hydrologic budgets of these watersheds are affected by vegetation change, but also whether and how hydrologic functioning within the watershed is altered. This work is being conducted within the scope of the Utah Sustainable Ecosystem Restoration Partnership (USERP): http://cc.usu.edu/~gooseff/usu_watershed_research.html
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/runoff/2004/AllPosters/7