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Projects and Research - Watershed
Water Quality Monitoring
The following is extracted from the Little Creek Operation Manual (Ackers,
2002). The Little Creek Monitoring Project is a long-term study designed
to evaluate the water quality and geomorphic conditions of a coastal mountain
stream located in the southernmost extent of the redwood/Douglas-fir forest
region. The goal of this study is to provide valuable information documenting
watershed conditions before, during, and after single-tree and small group
selection harvest by evaluating the effectiveness of timber harvesting best
management practices in preventing increases in stream suspended sediment
export. Its purpose is to provide substantiated scientific documentation
to aid in the debate over impacts from timber harvest on forested watersheds.
This information may also assist in evaluating the effectiveness of the
current forest practice rules in their ability to permit timber harvests
in a manner that maintains healthy and productive watersheds.
The project utilizes the combination of paired watershed and upstream/
downstream study designs to monitor water quality using measuring stations,
specifically using the South Fork of Little Creek as a control (see Figure
9) and above and below harvesting areas on the North Fork. At the measuring
stations in these locations stage, turbidity, temperature and event-based
samples are collected for lab analysis of turbidity, suspended sediment
concentration and electrical conductivity.
In addition to water quality data, there are data gathered for rainfall,
longitudinal profile, cross-section, sediment source and laser altimetry
(LIDAR) for the watershed. The rainfall data will be used to delineate
storm events and support analysis of stream flow. The longitudinal profile
and permanent channel cross-sections describe existing morphologic conditions
and will be used to evaluate channel changes over time as well as comparing
with LIDAR data. The sediment source survey describes actively eroding
stream banks, landslides, and numerous other channel characteristics.
The survey will be used to monitor sediment source locations and characteristics
throughout the study. Finally, LIDAR provides high-resolution, three-dimensional
mapping data.
Queseria Restoration Project
Alyson Aquino is undertaking research for her Master’s thesis on
the invertebrate life that develops on ‘aqua’ logs versus
redwood logs used in the Queseria restoration project and Jason Pearson
is doing his thesis on his work on the Queseria restoration project.
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