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...
Spatial patterns of summer streamflow in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon vary dramatically between the geologically distinct High and Western Cascade regions. A key control is the partitioning of water input between a fast-draining shallow subsurface flow network (Western Cascades) versus a slow-draining deeper groundwater system (High Cascades). These differences...
The specter of climate change looms large over Oregon. Although hydroclimatologic models predict a warmer Oregon, the total volume of precipitation may not change significantly. However, the character (rain vs. snow) and spatial and temporal distributions of precipitation will likely change. The state is already witnessing earlier snowmelt in the...
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...
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...
As part of a larger study to examine the effect of climate change (CC) on estuarine resources, we simulated the effect of rising sea level, alterations in river discharge, and increasing atmospheric temperatures on water quality in the Yaquina Estuary. Due to uncertainty in the effects of climate change, initial...
A key challenge for resource and landscape managers is to predict the consequences of climate warming on streamflows and water resources. Different approaches are being developed to forecast the direction, magnitude, and timing of future streamflow changes in specific landscapes. One approach that is being utilized in the Pacific Northwest...
Many freshwater ecosystems are sustained by a continuous supply of clean groundwater. For example, groundwater may provide late season baseflow to rivers or a sustained high water table in wetlands. These ecosystems, termed GDEs, often are affected by management activities that reduce, interrupt, or contaminate their groundwater supply, including groundwater...
The decommissioning of dams, as an approach to restoring longitudinal connectivity and to managing aging infrastructure, presents valuable opportunities for organized study of channel responses to sediment pulses. Experiments with physical and numerical models suggest that rivers process coarse sediment pulses primarily through dispersion. In contrast, translation appears to be...