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Surface water and groundwater exchange along the Cache la Poudre River: considerations for conservation planning

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dc.contributor.authorBrowne, Claudia A., author
dc.contributor.authorKnight, Richard, advisor
dc.contributor.authorWaskom, Reagan, advisor
dc.contributor.authorMerritt, David, committee member
dc.contributor.authorRonayne, Michael, committee member
dc.date.accessioned2007-01-03T05:58:14Z
dc.date.available2007-01-03T05:58:14Z
dc.date.issued2014
dc.description.abstractThis study offers a method for estimating riparian water budgets from river point flow data to demonstrate how a water budget framework can guide strategic conservation planning. Groundwater and surface water exchange patterns along the Cache la Poudre River were evaluated in the period of 1980 to 2009 to describe variations between river reaches, relationships to flow, and to develop water budgets in three riparian study areas. In the absence of sufficient groundwater data along the river, this approach is intended to contribute a pragmatic way to begin to evaluate riparian water availability, to guide targeted field data collection, and to develop strategic riparian conservation and restoration plans. Major study questions explored the magnitude, timing, and frequency of alluvial exchange, and the potential relationship between alluvial exchange and a specific flow threshold. Results showed that river loss (associated with alluvial recharge) occurred during a wide array of flows, and that the direct relationships of alluvial exchange to flow were often only weakly correlated. The study also found that inter-annual variations in riparian water supplies - specifically the aquifer storage deficit from the previous year - influenced potential water availability in the rooting zones of riparian plant communities. In high risk priority conservation areas, installation of piezometers is needed to collect targeted field data and validate water budgets to assess impacts of pending land and water use scenarios such as lined irrigation ditches, reduced return flows, and/or lined gravel pits.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediummasters theses
dc.identifierBrowne_colostate_0053N_12745.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10217/88526
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relationwwdl
dc.relation.ispartof2000-2019
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.subjectconservation
dc.subjectalluvial exchange
dc.subjectgroundwater
dc.subjectriparian
dc.subjectsurface water
dc.subjectwater budget
dc.titleSurface water and groundwater exchange along the Cache la Poudre River: considerations for conservation planning
dc.typeText
dcterms.rights.dplaThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
thesis.degree.disciplineEcology
thesis.degree.grantorColorado State University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.S.)

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