Watershed‐scale modeling of streamflow change in incised montane meadows

Essaid, Hedeff I.; Hill, B.R.

doi:10.1002/2013wr014420

Cited by 16 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…We assume that the changes to deep GW (groundwater) and overland flow as the result of restoration are negligible. After Essaid & Hill, …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The remaining water is available for longitudinal drainage, which is groundwater that flows down valley through valley fill. This water will eventually discharge either on the valley surface or within the channel when the land surface intersects the potentiomatic surface, though it also commonly directly feeds ET and may never discharge (Essaid & Hill, ; Lowry & Loheide, ). The amount of drainable storage available for lateral drainage ( V lat ) is

V_{lat} = 2 italicBLφ ((), D_{i} - {WTD}_{\min}) .

…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The minimum meadow water table depth ( WTD min ) will vary considerably on the basis of the climate, including spatiotemporal patterns of snowmelt (Lowry et al, ), soil media properties (Loheide et al, 2009; Essaid & Hill, ), and stream stage (Lowry et al, ) in the meadow. For the purposes of this modelling exercise, we are interested in capturing the largest expected change in water‐table depth, so as to maximize changes to groundwater storage.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Both field data and hydrologic models indicate that the depth to the water table is typically reduced following restoration. The magnitude of the change is a function of the restored channel geomorphology (Loheide & Gorelick, ; Tague et al, ), soil media properties (Loheide et al, 2009; Essaid & Hill, ), local groundwater dynamics (Essaid & Hill, ), and spatiotemporal patterns in snowmelt (Lowry, Deems, Loheide, & Lundquist, ; Lowry & Loheide, ; Lowry, Loheide, Moore, & Lundquist, ). The effect will also vary seasonally, with larger post‐restoration changes during active snowmelt and smaller changes in the late summer and early fall (Tague et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A physical framework for evaluating net effects of wet meadow restoration on late‐summer streamflow

et al. 2018

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Restoration of degraded wet meadows found on upland valley floors has been proposed to achieve a range of ecological benefits, including augmenting late‐season streamflow. There are, however, few field and modelling studies documenting hydrologic changes following restoration that can be used to validate this expectation, and published changes in groundwater levels and streamflow following restoration are inconclusive. Here, we assess the streamflow benefit that can be obtained by wet‐meadow restoration using a physically based quantitative analysis. This framework employs a 1‐dimensional linearized Boussinesq equation with a superimposed solution for changes in storage due to groundwater upwelling and evapotranspiration, calculated explicitly using the White method. The model and assumptions gave rise to predictions in good agreement with field data from the Middle Fork John Day watershed in Oregon, USA. While raising channel beds can increase total water storage via increases in water table elevation in upland valley bottoms, the contributions of both lateral and longitudinal drainage from restored floodplains to late‐summer streamflow were found to be undetectably small, while losses in streamflow due to greater transpiration, lower hydraulic gradients, and less laterally drainable pore volume were likely to be substantial. Although late‐summer streamflow increases should not be expected as a direct result of wet‐meadow restoration, these approaches offer benefits for improving the quality and health of riparian and meadow vegetation that would warrant considering such measures, even at the cost of increased water demand and reduced streamflow.

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“…We assume that the changes to deep GW (groundwater) and overland flow as the result of restoration are negligible. After Essaid & Hill, …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

V_{lat} = 2 italicBLφ ((), D_{i} - {WTD}_{\min}) .

…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

A physical framework for evaluating net effects of wet meadow restoration on late‐summer streamflow

et al. 2018

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“…) and three simulation studies (Hammersmark et al. ; Essaid and Hill ; Ohara et al. ) quantify the effect of meadow restoration on streamflow.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Meadow Restoration Increases Baseflow and Groundwater Storage in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California

Hunt

Fair

Odland

2018

J American Water Resour Assoc

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We discuss a recent paper which evaluated the hydrologic changes resulting from a pond-and-plug meadow restoration project in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. In the study, measurements of streamflow into and out of the meadow suggested late-summer baseflow increased as much as five-fold when compared with prerestoration conditions. However, the volume of streamflow attributed to the restored meadow (49,000-96,000 m 3 over four months) would require that 2.5-4.8 m of saturated meadow soils drain during summer months. The groundwater data from this meadow record only 0.45 m of change over this timeframe, which is less than might be expected from plant use alone (0.75 m), suggesting this restored meadow may be acting as a water sink throughout summer rather than a source.

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Impact of complex aquifer geometry on groundwater storage in high‐elevation meadows of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA

Ciruzzi

Lowry

2017

Hydrological Processes

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Recent research has indicated that Sierra Nevada meadows are hydrologically more complex than previously considered. Improved understanding of the effects of aquifer parameters and climate change on water resources in and downstream of meadows is critically needed to effectively manage mountain meadows for ecosystem services and watershed contributions. This research investigates the roles of bedrock geometry, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and meadow gradient in affecting groundwater storage dynamics and surface-water outflows in site-scale high-elevation meadows. Under current and projected lower snowpack conditions, we modeled groundwater flow in representative high-elevation meadows considering 2 conceptual aquifer thickness models: uniform and variable thickness. Spatially, variable aquifer thicknesses interpreted from bedrock depths (0-28 m) were identified from a high-resolution groundpenetrating radar survey conducted at Tuolumne Meadows, CA. Our interpreted bedrock surface indicated several buried U-shaped valleys including a buried ridge that separates 2 U-shaped valleys. Groundwater flow simulations show that an increase in meadow gradient and hydraulic conductivity led to a decrease in seasonal storage and an increase in surfacewater outflow. However, models with varying bedrock geometries change the magnitude and timing of these processes. Uniform thickness models overestimated storage at the model edges and resulted in higher projected volumes of water being released to streams earlier than previously observed.

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Watershed‐scale modeling of streamflow change in incised montane meadows

Cited by 16 publications

References 38 publications

A physical framework for evaluating net effects of wet meadow restoration on late‐summer streamflow

A physical framework for evaluating net effects of wet meadow restoration on late‐summer streamflow

Meadow Restoration Increases Baseflow and Groundwater Storage in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California

Impact of complex aquifer geometry on groundwater storage in high‐elevation meadows of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA

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