Current Research Projects
Quantifying Salt Mobilization and Transport to Surface Waters of the Upper Colorado River Basin
Synopsis:
The Colorado River and its tributaries is an essential resource in the Western United States and Mexico, providing municipal water to 36 million people and irrigation water to nearly 4.5 million acres of land in the United States and Mexico. Nevertheless, this river is susceptible to high concentration in dissolved solids which cost management agencies $383 million per year to address (Bureau of Reclamation, 2005; 2011) . This research aims to: (1) quantify rainfall-driven salt mobilization and transport from saline uplands of the Upper Colorado River Basin, (2) develop parameter estimation equations to predict runoff, soil loss and salt load with the Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model, and (3) propose data-backed mitigation strategies that reduce erosion and salt load while preserving surface water volumes. Findings of this research is helping land managers such as the Bureau of Land Management prioritize areas where salt reduction strategies are urgently needed.
More info: http://coloradoriversalinity.org/docs/CRBSCP_SalinityControlVideo_1_24_17_Web.mp4
https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/oc/np/SalinityTransport/SalinityTransport.pdf
Effect of invasive species on hydrologic response in the Great Basin
Synopsis:
The Great Basin is the largest North American desert covering more than 50 million hectares. Major vegetation types in the Great Basin include: salt desert shadscale/greasewood, sagebrush/bunchgrass and mountain shrublands, pinyon/juniper woodlands, subalpine forests, and alpine tundra. The region has extremely variable climate both spatially and temporally and a complex mixture of public and private land ownership. Ranching, mining, and recreation form the basis of rural economies. Over 20% of Great Basin ecosystems have been significantly altered by invasive plants. This land conversion has resulted in dramatic reductions in forage availability, wildlife habitat, and biodiversity, has increased wildfire frequency and intensity, and altered the hydrologic cycle. Critical research needs addressed in this project are: (1) ecology and control of invasive weeds, (2) rehabilitation of degraded rangelands, (3) maintaining/enhancing healthy rangelands, and (4) quantifying the impact of management practices.
Learn more: https://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_gtr204/rmrs_gtr204_038_041.pdf
