After three decades of active research in hydrology and stream ecology, the connection between solute transport, stream metabolism and nutrient dynamics is still unresolved. This existing gap obscures the functionality of stream ecosystems and how they interact with other landscape processes. To date, determining rates of metabolism is accomplished with...
WEST Consultants, Inc. (WEST) worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC) to enhance the flood forecasting capability and management strategies for the Willamette Basin. Specifically, WEST was contracted by the HEC to modify the existing HEC-ResSim model of the Willamette Basin. Reservoir operation schemes...
Peak discharge estimates are fundamental in the design of hydraulic structures, embankment protection, and stream restoration efforts, as well as flood risk analysis. Historic stream gage records are commonly used in the development of peak discharge estimates for a particular watershed. Use of an entire stream gage record assumes hydrologic...
The USGS SPARROW model (SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes) was used to predict the long-term, average loads, yields, and concentrations of total nitrogen and total phosphorus for stream reaches located in the Pacific Northwest (the Columbia basin, Puget Sound basin, and Pacific drainages of Oregon and Washington), and to...
While the negative effects of urban development on freshwater systems are well documented, impacts of human disturbance on water quality vary depending on land cover, local climate, and temporal and spatial scales of analysis. To better understand this variation, we analyzed water quality data for a total of 15 sites...
With the convergence of several economic, social, and environmental factors, dam removal has emerged as a feasible river management option. The Rogue River, located in southwest Oregon, is one of the few river basins in the United States to remove a number of large dams in quick succession. This paper...
The Wolf Creek Restoration and Monitoring project is a large-scale restoration project that treated over 10 miles of stream with 900 logs and 3700 boulders over a two year period. Wolf Creek is a tributary to the Umpqua River west of Roseburg, Oregon. This presentation, designed for those involved in...
Across Oregon and other PNW states thousands of miles of rivers, streams and adjacent wetlands are chronically de-watered as a result of over-appropriated water rights. In Montana alone, chronic or periodic de-watering occurs in over 4,000 miles of streams across 381 different river or stream systems. The ecological harm resulting...
Water related ecosystem services (WES), such as flow regulation, drinking water supply, temperature regulation, and water recreational activities, are affected by anthropogenic climate change. Forecasting potential shifts in such WES is critical to identifying the form and magnitude of likely impacts. We quantified the levels and values of WES under...