water quality

New paper published on erosion modeling on forest roads

Kris Brown had another paper published.  The study evaluated the model Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) in predicting event-based sediment yield and runoff for a series of rainfall experiments on six stream-crossing sections of forest roads with different intensities of best management practices.  For more information, please check out the paper. Brown, K.R., McGuire, K.J., Hession, W.C., and Aust, …

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New paper about how forests lose nitrogen through shallow groundwater flowpaths

In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, McGuire working with a team from the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study found clear evidence of nitrogen loss through denitrification in isolated shallow groundwater patches in a small watershed. The findings were somewhat of a surprise because denitrification has been so difficult to …

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Graduate Research Assistantship in Reforestation and Water Quality

We’re looking for another graduate student for a two-year MS-level graduate research assistantship with an expected start date of fall of 2014.  The student would work with Dr. McGuire and Dr. Brian Strahm. This interdisciplinary research project is focused on understanding the role of reforestation on the quantity and quality of water emanating from drastically disturbed landscapes.  Specifically, …

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University of Montana’s news release on our paper…

New Research Focuses on Streamwater Chemistry, Landscape Variation MISSOULA (Apr. 22, 2014) – Winsor Lowe, interim director of the University of Montana’s Wildlife Biology Program, co-wrote a research paper published April 21 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on how streamwater chemistry varies across a headwater stream network. Lowe and co-authors from Virginia …

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News release – Ecology team improves understanding of valley-wide stream chemistry

BLACKSBURG, Va., April 22, 2014 – A geostatistical approach for studying environmental conditions in stream networks and landscapes has been successfully applied at a valley-wide scale to assess headwater stream chemistry at high resolution, revealing unexpected patterns in natural chemical components. “Headwater streams make up the majority of stream and river length in watersheds, affecting regional …

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Network chemistry patterns in headwater streams – new paper published in PNAS

In a new article published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, we show how high-resolution mapping and analysis of water chemistry throughout a headwater stream network reveals unexpected patterns in how flowing water interacts with the surrounding landscape at multiple spatial scales.  Here’s the abstract and a link to the paper: …

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Huff Post article by Gleick on U.S. Water Policy

I haven’t posted much from the news in a while, but today I saw this article that appeared last Thursday in a Huffington Post blog by Peter Gleick.  He comments on his view of the four most important national water challenges. I generally agree with him, but I would have liked to see an acknowledgement of …

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Too much snow!

This article was recently brought to my attention and I found it interesting and relevant to hydrology and water quality. Where would you put all of this snow? With no room to put snow, Eastern waterways beckon Feb 4, 10:40 AM (ET) By JAY LINDSAY BOSTON (AP) – Imagine the East Coast’s largest cities mixing …

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How good is good enough?

Rhett Jackson, from the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at University of Georgia, visited us today for a departmental seminar.  His topic on forestry best management practices (BMPs) was interesting especially the question at the heart of his talk…how good is good enough?  The point he made is that while there are some …

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