Visualizing Multi-Decadal Watershed Variability via R-Shiny

This project presents an interactive R Shiny application designed to visualize and analyze multi-decadal watershed variability across the tributaries of Acton Lake at Hueston Woods State Park. As part of a continuous, NSF-funded research initiative spanning over 30 years, water discharge for each tributary has been measured at an hourly rate, resulting in a repository of over 750,000 observations.

To effectively quantify flow inequality and synthesize this vast historical record, the application leverages the tidyverse ecosystem to filter, clean, and aggregate over two-hundred-thousand key data points into structured temporal segments. By utilizing custom temporal intervals such as "semi-monthly" and "monthly-trisects," the dashboard allows users to dynamically explore long-term discharge trends. The tool facilitates comparative analysis across distinct hydrological profiles, specifically highlighting:

• Four Mile Creek: A long, narrow watershed that accounts for approximately 50% of all water entering the lake.

• Little Four Mile Creek: Another long and narrow watershed featuring a heavy limestone channel, contributing roughly 30% of the inflow.

• Marshall's Branch: A distinctly circular watershed that accounts for about 5% of the water.

By transforming raw hourly measurements into an accessible, interactive format, this application establishes an analytical foundation for ongoing research. It enables future exploration into complex watershed dynamics, including the evaluation of chemical makeup and seasonal runoff variations, as well as the modeling of zero-discharge lagged effects to understand how dry conditions cascade from smaller creeks to larger tributaries.

Future Study Future iterations of this project will expand the dashboard’s capabilities by integrating chemical and mineral data to analyze seasonal runoff variations, specifically evaluating accumulation effects after prolonged dry periods. Additionally, new modeling modules will be developed to track drought propagation, quantifying the lagged zero-flow effects as they cascade from the smallest creeks to larger streams.