Hydrologic restoration of a fen in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

Abstract

Big Meadows, a 63-ha fen in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), was ditched for agricultural purposes in the early part of this century. Although use of the ditch ceased after the establishment of RMNP in 1915, it continued to intercept sheet flows in the central and southern portions of the fen, causing the ground-water level to decrease and aerobic soil conditions to develop in the mid-to late-summer of most years. In 1990, the ditch was blocked in an attempt to restore the hydrologic regime in the central and southern portions of the fen. Water-level data from three years prior to restoration and four years after restoration show that blocking the ditch successfully restored surface sheet flow, high late-summer watertable levels, and anaerobic soil conditions in much of the central and southern portions of the fen. Conditions in these areas are now similar to those in the northern portion of the fen. The long-term data from this site also indicate that summer rainfall has a greater influence on the magnitude of late-summer drying than the size of the winter snowpack. In a post-restoration year with extremely low rainfall in July and August, water levels throughout the fen decreased to levels similar to those observed throughout most of the pre-restoration period. The study suggests that this and other fens in the southern Rocky Mountains are extremely sensitive to summer precipitation and the hydrologic changes created by even small ditches or water diversions.

Understanding wetland sub-surface hydrology using geologic and isotopic signatures

“…Long term piezometric surface data collected by different workers during the premonsoon period of 1956-1958(Chaterji et al, 1964), 1980-1981, 1985(Biswas and Saha, 1986), 1993-1994(Sikdar, 1996), 1976-1998(Misra, 2001 and 2004-2005 (present study) indicates that the average recession rate of depth to piezometric surface ranges from 0.10 m/year to 0.21 m/year.…”

“…Many wetland hydrology studies have described the wetland water table or developed an annual water budget (Owen, 1995;Cooper et al, 1998) to illustrate the link between wetland hydrology and ecology (Drexler et al, 1999). These studies often fail to represent the variability in wetland hydrological process adequately, especially the ever increasing human-induced pressures on groundwater.…”

Groundwater potential zoning of a peri-urban wetland of south Bengal Basin, India

“…Many wetland hydrology studies have described the wetland water table or developed an annual water budget (Owen 1995;Cooper et al 1998) to illustrate the link between wetland hydrology and ecology (Drexler et al 1999) or have utilized hydrogeology and isotope composition of groundwater to understand the hydrological processes prevalent in the wetland (Sikdar and Sahu 2009). These studies often fail to represent the ever-increasing humaninduced pressure on groundwater for drinking, agricultural, and industrial purposes due to rapid increase in population.…”

Using stable isotopes of water to infer wetland hydrological dynamics

“…Many wetland hydrology studies have described the wetland water table or developed an annual wetland water budget (Owen, 1995;Cooper et al, 1998). Whilst this may illustrate the wider context of a wetland, and the links between wetland hydrology and ecology (Drexler et al, 1999), the water budget often fails to represent the variability in wetland hydrological processes adequately.…”