This dissertation integrates a process-based hydrological investigation with an
ongoing paired-catchment study to better understand how forest harvest impacts
catchment function at multiple scales. We do this by addressing fundamental questions
related to the stocks, flows and transit times of water. Isotope tracers are used within a
top-down catchment intercomparison...
Many resource management controversies indicate
disagreement about the possible intended and unintended effects
of management actions on ecosystems. Researchers have
documented a variety of negative effects on specific ecosystems, e.
g. the degradation of salmonid habitat due to mass wasting
(Hagans et al. 1986). While the effects of some management...
Bedrock groundwater dynamics in headwater catchments are poorly understood and
poorly characterized. Direct hydrometric measurements have been limited due to the
logistical challenges associated with drilling through hard rock in steep, remote and
often roadless terrain. Here we develop and use an inexpensive, portable bedrock
drilling system to explore bedrock...
This dissertation is a collection of three manuscripts that serve to fill the knowledge gaps and advance methods of detecting the effects of contemporary forest harvesting in experimental catchment studies. While there is a preponderance of studies evaluating the environmental effects of forest harvesting in the western United States, few...
Surface water in the Deschutes Basin of central Oregon has been largely over
allocated since the early 1900s. Therefore, rapid population growth and urban
demand for water in the upper Basin lead to an increased reliance on groundwater in
the last three decades. The Oregon Department of Water Resources (OWRD)...
The Tualatin River Basin along the east side of the Coastal Mountains in Oregon is subject to a complex mixture of land uses. Approximately half the area is devoted to forestry production. The remainder is divided between agriculture and urban uses. In addition to this diversity in land use, there...
This study determines the optimal allocation of watershed conservation funds in the John Day River Basin, Oregon. Fund managers can use a variety of targeting schemes to allocate their limited resources. Depending on which targeting criteria is used, they may or may not be achieving the maximum environmental benefits per...
The pages which follow contain the authors responses to a series of comments that were received in response to "A Project to Collect Scientific Data and Provide Evaluation and Recommendations for Alternative Pollution Control Strategies for the Tualatin River Basin, 11 submitted to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)...
In response to Oregon House Bill 3338, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality requested proposals in 1991 to assemble available information on Tualatin River Basin conditions to provide a scientific basis for improving river water quality. An interdisciplinary team of researchers from Oregon State University and Portland State University was...
The Tualatin River is a major water resource for Washington County. In its course, the river drains forest lands, farmlands, and urban areas receiving toxic materials from non-point source runoff: Wastewater treatment plant effluents from municipalities and industries also contribute toxic materials to the river. Many materials discharged into the...