Watershed to Local Scale Characteristics and Function of Intermittent and Ephemeral Streams on Military Lands
RC-1725
Objective
More than 80% of all streams in the western United States are intermittent and ephemeral, yet little is known about the types of streams, their hydrologic processes, surface water and groundwater interactions, and how riparian biota are supported. Stream corridors at some military installations have been used for training exercises that may have disturbed landforms, processes, and biota. Riparian zones support the greatest biodiversity of plants and animals in the Sonoran Desert, particularly woody plants, migratory and resident birds, amphibians, and invertebrates. A classification of riparian reach and community types will enable further understanding of the physical landscape drivers that support the biodiversity.
The objective of this project is to determine the characteristics of intermittent and ephemeral streams and develop a stream hydrogeomorphic classification incorporating key physical process drivers that create and support riverine and riparian landforms, hydrologic regimes, and biota.
Technical Approach
A classification of Sonoran Desert watersheds and streams will be developed and tested at the Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) through an inventory/baseline analysis of streams on the entire military base. The project team will test which stream classes and physical drivers are meaningful for identifying the habitat characteristics and ecological thresholds for key taxa, especially threatened, endangered, and at-risk species (TER-S). Researchers will test this classification on the Barry M. Goldwater Range. They will also collect three years of field data for representative streams on the YPG to quantify physical patterns and processes and analyze factors influencing the distribution of biota. Groundwater level and volumetric soil water content data will be collected from the full range of stream types to develop a 3-dimensional perspective on surface water and groundwater interactions, hyporheic (zone beneath stream where surface and ground water mixes) characteristics, and the seasonality of surface water, groundwater, and soil water that supports aquatic and riparian biota. These data will be used to develop a model of hydrologic processes and patterns that support key biota. Researchers will coordinate these data collection efforts with an ongoing collection of meteorological, soil moisture, and stream flow data. The analysis will be used to build a climate, hydrology, and riparian plant establishment model for native and non-native invasive species and to understand the interactions among plant establishment and growth, stream flow, and channel morphology. Researchers also will analyze the effects of hydrologic and geomorphic alterations associated with roads and other military land uses and feral burros on fluvial landforms, stream characteristics, floodplain formation, non-native species, TER-S, and riparian structure and function. This project will develop tools for rapid, long-term, cost-effective monitoring and management. A factorial experiment to develop methods for establishing woody riparian plants in disturbed channel bottoms will be implemented and could be used as the basis for scaling up to restore entire stream systems.
Benefits
This project will provide a framework to understand stream types, their hydrologic characteristics, and support for biota. The detailed analysis of each stream type in four watersheds will provide new perspectives on the geomorphic, hydrologic, and ecological functioning of desert streams. In addition this work will provide a tested methodology that can be used to classify watersheds and streams on all military installations. And in the Sonoran Desert, this work will enable resource managers to map stream types and have basic information on stream characteristics, hydrologic processes, vegetation, and potential for disturbance impacts prior to field work, or in lieu of field work. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2014)
Symposium & Workshop
FY 2013 New Start Project Selections
Points of Contact
Principal Investigator
Dr. David Cooper
Colorado State University
Phone: 970-491-5430
Program Manager
Resource Conservation and Climate Change
SERDP and ESTCP
Document Types
- Fact Sheet - Brief project summary with links to related documents and points of contact.
- Final Report - Comprehensive report for every completed SERDP and ESTCP project that contains all technical results.
- Cost & Performance Report - Overview of ESTCP demonstration activities, results, and conclusions, standardized to facilitate implementation decisions.
- Technical Report - Additional interim reports, laboratory reports, demonstration reports, and technology survey reports.
- Guidance - Instructional information on technical topics such as protocols and user’s guides.
- Workshop Report - Summary of workshop discussion and findings.
- Multimedia - On demand videos, animations, and webcasts highlighting featured initiatives or technologies.
- Model/Software - Computer programs and applications available for download.
- Database - Digitally organized collection of data available to search and access.