http://hdl.handle.net/1957/22232 2013-05-22T14:33:34Z 2013-05-22T14:33:34Z Sheahan, Jamie http://hdl.handle.net/1957/25566 2011-11-15T16:11:21Z 2011-05-24T00:00:00Z

A Hydroecology Investigation of Two Incised Riparian Wet Meadows Relating Change in Vegetation Communities with Headcut Incision and Soil Properties, Ochoco Mountains, OR Sheahan, Jamie The inter-relationships of vegetation, soils, and stream channel erosion characteristics were examined in two riparian meadows of the Ochoco National Forest where progressive stream headcut incision is a critical resource management issue and restoration priority. Scientific literature establishes that headcut incision leads to lower groundwater tables, with corresponding shifts in neighboring vegetation from communities tolerant of wetter conditions to those of drier conditions, yet further research is needed in examining the degree headcut height and soil properties control this relationship. By incorporating headcut incision height and soil properties (particle size distribution, percent organic matter, percent soil moisture, and pH) as additional drivers of soil moisture availability, and thus vegetation change, fieldwork included extensive sampling of soils, vegetation, and stream characteristics. Percent canopy cover by vegetation species was surveyed in systematically placed Daubenmire plots along cross-valley transects. Each plot was later assigned a hydric rating score based on weighted percent cover by hydric indicator status (OBL, FACW, etc). Due to the greater degree of water table drawdown associated with more pronounced incision, I hypothesized that change in hydric rating scores of vegetation communities downstream of the headcuts will be positively correlated with the height of headcuts, and less so with change in soil texture. Preliminary results will be highlighted. Presented at The Oregon Water Conference, May 24-25, 2011, Corvallis, OR.

2011-05-24T00:00:00Z Scherberg, Jacob Petrides-Jimenez, Aristides Selker, John Baker, Troy Henry, Rick http://hdl.handle.net/1957/24644 2011-10-25T22:45:30Z 2011-05-24T00:00:00Z

Development of a Numerical Model for the Walla Walla Basin using IWFM (Groundwater-surface water modeling of the Walla Walla Basin Using IWFM) Scherberg, Jacob; Petrides-Jimenez, Aristides; Selker, John; Baker, Troy; Henry, Rick The Walla Walla basin lies in an arid region on the border of Eastern Washington and Oregon. A large portion of the area is devoted to agricultural production, relying on irrigation water diverted from the Walla Walla River and underlying aquifers occurring within Quaternary gravel and Mio-pliocene basalt formations. Heavy water demand over summer months has resulted in a fully allocated surface water supply and significant drawdown in groundwater levels. This has led to several proposals for water management aimed at increasing the efficiency of water use and the potential for seasonal storage using shallow aquifer recharge. Specific research questions relate to the interaction between surface and groundwater with regard to agricultural use, aquifer recharge, and factors such as leakage through permeable canal beds. There is currently an ongoing effort to develop a hydrologic model using Integrated Water Flow Model (IWFM) software to simulate surface and subsurface flows over a portion of this watershed. This work is a collaborative effort between a research team from Oregon State University and the Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council (WWBWC). The modeling process includes model setup, data collection and input, parameter estimation, estimation of initial and boundary conditions, model calibration, error analysis, and validation. This application of IWFM uses grid with average spacing of 100 * 100 meters. Data sources include federal and state agencies as well as WWBWC staff. Parameters have been determined with field measurements when possible, and otherwise are estimated using established methods of hydrologic analysis or values drawn from previous studies within the region.The model is being developed using data from 2007 through 2009. Analysis using the Nash-Sutcliffe method yields a value .75 for surface. Simulated groundwater elevations at 88 well locations show a mean discrepancy of 2.9 meters, with a standard deviation of 4.2 meters, when compared to recorded data. Upon validation of this model, it is intended as a tool for informing decisions related to water resource management in this region. Hypothetical scenarios may include the further development of aquifer recharge sites, lining or piping of irrigation canals, and systemic responses to climate change. Presented at The Oregon Water Conference, May 24-25, 2011, Corvallis, OR.

2011-05-24T00:00:00Z Gianou, Kelsey Emanuel, Robert Chan, Samuel http://hdl.handle.net/1957/24632 2011-10-25T20:42:36Z 2011-05-24T00:00:00Z

Building a Database on Best Management Practices for Pesticide Applications to Aquatic Environments and NOAA Trust Species Gianou, Kelsey; Emanuel, Robert; Chan, Samuel Pesticides are widely used to control undesirable pests and may be applied directly to water or lands directly adjacent to water. Pesticides are an option for habitat restoration but there can be unintended consequences to native, threatened and endangered species. There is very little information on the impacts of pesticides and best management practices (BMPs) on NOAA Trust Species. The purpose of this project is to develop a comprehensive report of pesticide best management practices for use in aquatic environments and relate these BMPs for the protection of aquatic species, specifically NOAA Trust Species. The project focuses on aquatic pesticides including insecticides, fungicides, algaecides, herbicides, piscicides, molluscicides and mosquitocides. The final product will include a database of pesticide label information, empirical data on the acute and chronic toxicity of each pesticide and its formulations, identify gaps in knowledge to pesticide use, trends, fate in aquatic systems, synergistic effects and best management practices for NOAA Trust Species. Life history and biogeography data for each NOAA Trust Species will be used along with toxicity data to determine the greatest risk for exposure/impact to help inform BMPs. NOAA needs this information to develop a pesticides general permit application as it relates to NOAA Trust Species. Challenges of this project include addressing NOAA Trust Species when there is very limited direct impact data as well as extrapolating data from surrogate species which may have more toxicity and impact data. Another challenge is creating a database that is intuitive and useful for managers in making decisions about pesticide use and restoration for NOAA Trust Species. Presented at The Oregon Water Conference, May 24-25, 2011, Corvallis, OR.

2011-05-24T00:00:00Z Senkyr, Lauren Grant, Megan Callahan http://hdl.handle.net/1957/24629 2011-10-25T20:36:53Z 2011-05-24T00:00:00Z

Using Partnership and Prioritization to Achieve Whole Watershed Restoration in the Pacific Northwest Senkyr, Lauren; Grant, Megan Callahan The goal of the Whole Watershed Restoration Initiative (WWRI) is to restore natural functions of whole watersheds in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, while amplifying community-based partnerships focused on the strategic restoration of Pacific salmon and steelhead ecosystems. The WWRI partners (Ecotrust, NOAA Restoration Center, the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Region, and Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board) are shifting the project selection and funding paradigm within our region from opportunistic to strategic by identifying "priority basins" and "focus watersheds" that represent shared regional priorities. Partnership funds are targeted to these areas in order to produce meaningful, measurable progress toward whole watershed restoration and salmon recovery. The collaborative identification of priorities is based on the convergence of several prioritization approaches: 1) Ecotrust's Conservation Opportunity Area modeling tool; 2) the Forest Service's Aquatic Restoration Strategies; and 3) NOAA-approved salmon recovery plans. Overlain together this prioritization approach identified 9 priority basins containing 28 focus watersheds throughout Oregon, Washington and Idaho. In the past 3 years the WWRI has provided over $5 million to 80 salmon and watershed restoration projects in the area. The proposed poster will focus on the technical framework for identifying priority basins and focus watersheds, and on the partnership's approach to measuring progress toward completion of major restoration priorities on a watershed scale. Presented at The Oregon Water Conference, May 24-25, 2011, Corvallis, OR.

2011-05-24T00:00:00Z