Watershed Sciences Department

Spring 2011

Graduate Student Research Symposium

Friday, March 18 2011

Library Auditorium, Room 101 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Watershed Sciences Department GRADUATE STUDENT

PRE-PROJECT AND PHD PROJECT SYMPOSIUM

College of Natural Resources Utah State University

March 18, 2011 Welcome to the Watershed Sciences Graduate Research Pre-Project and PhD Project Symposium. The Symposium provides an opportunity for graduate students to publicly present ideas regarding their thesis/dissertation research and receive feedback regarding those ideas. Your comments and insights are welcome and expected. Today we will hear from eight M.S. and five Ph.D. students. Their talks represent a sample of the diversity of water resource, conservation, and ecosystem science issues that our department explores.

WATS Graduate Student Symposium Program Schedule

9:30

Welcome – Chuck Hawkins

9:40 Ryan Hill, PhD Student Update (Hawkins)

10:00 Tracy Bowerman, PhD Student Update (Budy)

10:20

Ericka Hegeman, MS Student (Miller)

10:40 Coffee Break

10:55 Jacob Vander Laan, MS Student (Hawkins)

11:15 Stephen Klobucar, MS Student (Budy)

11:35 John Olson, PhD Student Update (Hawkins)

11:55 Eric McCulley, MS Student (Wurtsbaugh)

12:15 Lunch Break

12:45

Justin Stout, MS Student (Belmont)

1:05 Ripley McCoy, PhD Student (Jin)

1:25 Ryan Lokteff, MS Student (Wheaton)

1:45 Lindsey Goss, MS Student (Roper)

2:05 Sara Bangen, MS Student (Wheaton)

2:25 Alan Kasprack, PhD Student (Wheaton)

Ryan Hill, PhD Student Title: Effects of Natural and Altered Catchment Attributes on Stream Temperatures of the Western USA Advisor: Dr. Chuck Hawkins Abstract: The abundance and distribution of most stream organisms are strongly influenced by water temperature. Stream temperature is influenced by both natural processes and catchment/channel alterations, but we do not understand how important different types of alterations on stream temperatures are. I calculated mean daily summer temperatures (MDST) at 671 USGS gauging stations with temperature records in the western USA that spanned a broad range of natural and anthropogenic gradients. I used a Random Forest model to quantify how MDST varied with natural (local air temperature, catchment area, watersheds shape) and anthropogenic (percent of catchments in agriculture, percent of riparian areas as urban land use inversely weighted by each GIS pixel’s distance to the temperature recorder, maximum upstream dam volume [MUDV], and total length of canals within catchments) factors. The most important MDST predictors were air temperature, % agriculture, drainage area, and MUDV (R2 = 0.9, RMSE = 1.8°C). Examination of the partial dependence plots of the anthropogenic factors shows that on average % agriculture > 5% warmed (3°C) and MUDV > 4 Km3 cooled (1.5°C) MDSTs. The plot of the response of stream temperatures to % agriculture underscores the sensitivity of these systems to even relatively small proportions of agricultural alteration. Ironically in some cases dams may mitigate increases in MDSTs expected from climate change. Although, inclusion of riparian urban land use and total length of canals improved the performance of the model (i.e., RMSE improved by 0.4°C), on average each of these factors warmed stream temperatures by only about 1°C. The results of this model will be used to screen an additional 1,117 USGS gauging stations with temperature data dating to the 1960s to create a model to predict what stream temperatures should be in the absence of watershed alteration. Presentation Evaluation Please rank from 1 – 5 (5 excellent) Abstract information content _____ Relevance of abstract to presentation _____ Clarity of questions/hypotheses _____ Clarity of research design _____ Soundness of overall design _____ Quantitative approach _____ Quality of slides (fonts, etc) _____ Quality of overall presentation _____ Comments to strengthen research: Comments to strengthen presentation:

Tracy Bowerman, PhD Student Title: Use of a Site-specific Metapopulation Model to Assess Potential Threats to an Imperiled Freshwater Fish. Advisor: Dr. Phaedra Budy Abstract: Contemporary conservation relies heavily on metapopulation theory to describe the structure of stream fish populations that often breed and rear in discrete patches of suitable habitat and interact via dispersal. Despite widespread use of the concept, however, population viability analyses for stream fishes rarely employ a metapopulation framework, in part because of a lack of empirical data on fundamental demographic parameters, particularly dispersal between populations. We developed a site-specific metapopulation model for a migratory freshwater fish, bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus), as the basis for a population viability analysis. We used a time series of empirical vital rate estimates to construct a stage-based matrix model for three distinct bull trout populations, and used mark-recapture data to assess movement between the three populations. Analysis of movement data demonstrated that a small percentage of individuals dispersed among the three populations; we used this data to fit a function representing the probability of dispersal relative to distance between populations, which we applied to our model. We then used this metapopulation model to assess the sensitivity of population trends to a suite of representative deterministic threats, including habitat loss (modeled with decreased carrying capacity), environmental stochasticity (lower survival), and decreased connectivity between populations (decreased dispersal rates). When we modeled habitat loss, the results showed a systematic decrease in all populations and the metapopulation as a whole, regardless of dispersal rate. However, when we incorporated environmental stochasticity, we found that even very small rates of dispersal (<0.2%) helped maintain a larger metapopulation than when no dispersal occurred. Future efforts will include the application of this approach to assess the effects of contemporary and future threats to an assemblage of forty discrete populations in a much larger drainage network. This research will help managers better understand how the addition or elimination of various threats could affect dynamics of multiple, connected populations of bull trout, and in turn will help prioritize conservation and restoration efforts. Presentation Evaluation Please rank from 1 – 5 (5 excellent) Abstract information content _____ Relevance of abstract to presentation _____ Clarity of questions/hypotheses _____ Clarity of research design _____ Soundness of overall design _____ Quantitative approach _____ Quality of slides (fonts, etc) _____ Quality of overall presentation _____ Comments to strengthen research: Comments to strengthen presentation:

Ericka Hegeman, MS Student Title: Modeling Freshwater Mussel Distribution Patterns in Relation to Biotic and Abiotic Factors In The Middle Fork John Day River, Oregon Advisor: Dr. Scott Miller Abstract: Freshwater mussels are among the most imperiled organisms in North America and effective conservation of western genera, for which a paucity of information currently exists, will require an improved understanding of habitat requirements. What makes a particular habitat patch suitable for freshwater mussels remains unclear, but previous research suggests that it may be a complex interaction between several biotic and abiotic variables such as hydraulics, substrate, and host fish presence. The Middle Fork John Day River (MFJDR) provides a unique opportunity to study western freshwater mussels because an extensive collection of biotic and abiotic monitoring data exists for this system. My research aims to quantify the contributions of numerous multi-scale habitat variables in explaining the spatial distribution patterns of freshwater mussels in the MFJDR. Mussel abundance for each genus will be modeled using previously collected fish assemblage and physical habitat variables. Species distribution modeling will be used to quantify the factors controlling the distribution of the three genera of western freshwater mussels in a 55-km segment of the MFJDR. Previous research and preliminary modeling efforts have indicated that Margaritifera have higher densities near the headwaters while Anodonta and Gonidea increase in densities towards the confluence. Each genus appears to have unique gradient tolerances and pools appear to be the preferred geomorphic channel unit. To quantify the factors causing these relationships, additional mussel data will be collected throughout the study area in a stratified random design based first upon valley confinement (wide or narrow) and then by a second, smaller scale habitat variable such as gradient. I will use this multi-scale approach to quantify the spatial distributions of mussel species and isolate the factors causing these patterns. I expect that completion of this project will result in a fundamental improvement in our ability to predict western mussel occurrence, which will help guide conservation efforts. Presentation Evaluation Please rank from 1 – 5 (5 excellent) Abstract information content _____ Relevance of abstract to presentation _____ Clarity of questions/hypotheses _____ Clarity of research design _____ Soundness of overall design _____ Quantitative approach _____ Quality of slides (fonts, etc) _____ Quality of overall presentation _____ Comments to strengthen research: Comments to strengthen presentation:

Jacob Vander Laan, MS Student Title: Tracing Aquatic Stressors from Watershed Scale Sources to Local Water Chemistry and Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblage Alterations in Nevada Streams Advisor: Dr. Chuck Hawkins Abstract: Alterations of water chemistry are a significant source of aquatic ecological stress and degradation. Although anthropogenic changes in water chemistry such as conductivity increases, nutrient enrichment and trace metal contamination all can have negative biological consequences, the pathways by which these stressors affect water chemistry and aquatic ecology are not well understood. My research will use predictive models to identify connections between land use, local water chemistry, and ecological degradation in Nevada streams, as well as differentiate between natural and anthropogenic influences on benthic invertebrate assemblages. I will use a Nevada Department of Environmental Protection (NDEP) dataset consisting of stream macroinvertebrate and water chemistry samples collected at 416 stream sites throughout Nevada and nearby surrounding areas to describe relationships between land use, water chemistry and benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages. I will first build a predictive model that relates macroinvertebrate assemblage composition at reference-quality sites to natural environmental factors. This model will allow me to predict the taxa expected to occur under natural conditions at the non-reference sites. I will then assess the ecological integrity of each stream site by comparing observed invertebrate assemblages with those expected to occur under reference condition. I will use both the ratio of observed to expected taxa and the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity index based on observed and expected taxa composition as measures of ecological integrity. I will then use Random Forest models to associate watershed-scale land use characteristics (such as the presence of mines and agricultural or urban development) with alterations in water chemistry, and then alterations of water chemistry with measures of ecological integrity. To differentiate between the effects of natural water chemistry variations and anthropogenic alterations, I will compare measured water chemistry characteristics at each site with those expected to occur under natural conditions. I will use previously developed models to estimate the expected natural water chemistry characteristics. I will then use the Random Forest models to assess the relative importance of natural environmental variations and anthropogenic alterations in shaping benthic invertebrate assemblages. My research should help identify possible sources of aquatic stressors, their pathways into stream systems, and their effects on the health of stream ecosystems. It will also assess the relative importance of natural and anthropogenic effects on shaping stream macroinvertebrate assemblages. Such information will help guide management decisions and prioritize mitigation and restoration efforts. Presentation Evaluation Please rank from 1 – 5 (5 excellent) Abstract information content _____ Relevance of abstract to presentation _____ Clarity of questions/hypotheses _____ Clarity of research design _____ Soundness of overall design _____ Quantitative approach _____ Quality of slides (fonts, etc) _____ Quality of overall presentation _____ Comments to strengthen research: Comments to strengthen presentation:

Stephen Klobucar, MS Student Title: An Experimental and Modeling Approach to Predator-Prey Dynamics: Identifying Limitations of Predator Performance in High Desert Impoundments Advisor: Dr. Phaedra Budy Abstract: An essential component of predator-prey interactions is the availability and acquisition of prey required for predator growth. In aquatic systems, relationships between fish growth and prey abundance are complex; many other factors, such as fish size, temperature, and energy density of prey, can greatly influence growth. Bioenergetics models provide a means for understanding and quantifying the complex interaction between food and temperature while taking into account physiological and environmental parameters. Furthermore, beyond prey availability, locating and reacting to prey determines a predator’s ability and efficiency in foraging. In the western United States, water resources are commonly overexploited for human consumption and agriculture and ecological research of aquatic systems often focuses on over allocated and degraded streams and rivers or large impoundments. However, on a local scale, small reservoirs (<200 ha) can support intriguing food webs as well as valuable fisheries. The lands of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in northeast Utah are home to a series of small, high elevation desert impoundments. These waters have been stocked with a variety of fishes annually with little understanding of biotic or abiotic conditions that limit fish growth and performance. Results of fish and limnological data from a 2010 pilot study indicated several predator-prey interaction hypotheses which I aim to examine and test during the 2011 field season. The performance of predators in some study systems appears to be forage limited. To address this hypothesis, I will perform a manipulative food-web experiment by adding higher density fish prey to these waters. Within other impoundments, visual foraging is likely affected by dynamic abiotic and biotic factors that vary throughout the growing season. I will develop a visual foraging model to compare foraging efficiency between dynamic and stable reservoirs. This research will assist the Ute Tribe in developing and implementing improved management strategies and, moreover, enhance our understanding of predator-prey dynamics that affect fish growth and performance in high elevation desert impoundments.

Presentation Evaluation Please rank from 1 – 5 (5 excellent) Abstract information content _____ Relevance of abstract to presentation _____ Clarity of questions/hypotheses _____ Clarity of research design _____ Soundness of overall design _____ Quantitative approach _____ Quality of slides (fonts, etc) _____ Quality of overall presentation _____ Comments to strengthen research: Comments to strengthen presentation:

John Olson, PhD Student Title: Predicting Natural, Site-Specific Nutrient Concentrations in Western USA Streams Advisor: Dr. Charles Hawkins Abstract: Stream nutrient standards should ideally be based on the natural potential of individual sites. However, determining site potentials is difficult because we lack data characterizing major natural processes controlling nutrient concentrations within and across regions. Therefore criteria are typically derived from the range of nutrient concentrations observed among reference-quality sites within a region, resulting in imprecise standards caused by within-region heterogeneity. We developed Random Forest models to estimate natural, base-flow concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations from data collected at over 700 reference sites across the western USA. Of the candidate predictor variables we examined (rock physiochemical properties, climate, topography, atmospheric deposition, hydrology, vegetation, and soils), rock %P and precipitation were most useful in predicting TP. Our models performed do not currently perform well enough (TP R2 = 0.25, RMSE = 22 �g/L over a range of 0.4-290 �g/L) to allow establishment of more precise and defensible nutrient criteria and support site-specific TMDL development, however examination of model residuals may provide insight into unaccounted processes. Presentation Evaluation Please rank from 1 – 5 (5 excellent) Abstract information content _____ Relevance of abstract to presentation _____ Clarity of questions/hypotheses _____ Clarity of research design _____ Soundness of overall design _____ Quantitative approach _____ Quality of slides (fonts, etc) _____ Quality of overall presentation _____ Comments to strengthen research: Comments to strengthen presentation:

Eric McCulley, MS Student Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining Riparian Habitat Restoration Projects Along the Jordan River, Utah Advisor: Dr. Wayne Wurtsbaugh Abstract: The Jordan River in Utah has been diverted and channelized for many years to suit the needs of the heavily populated Salt Lake Valley. Efforts to rehabilitate or restore the natural functioning of the river and riparian ecosystem have likely been successful in some locations, but monitoring data is lacking. My study will focus on further developing the specific guidelines most important in planning, implementing, and maintaining riparian habitat restoration projects along the river. This study will include a comparative analysis of the most commonly used and recently published qualitative and quantitative methods for assessing riparian ecosystem integrity. With this information, groups working on the river will be able to better understand the expected outcomes of different restoration practices, determine what habitat characteristics are most important in design of riparian habitat restoration, and prioritize their efforts. This study will also improve our ability to monitor restoration projects in a way that is both statistically suited for the purpose and also financially feasible. Riparian habitat restoration practitioners will be able to use this information to design successful restoration projects, implement them properly, and produce beneficial outcomes for streams and riparian ecosystems. Landscape managers in urban and rural areas affected by human disturbance in the Intermountain West and beyond will also benefit from this synthesis. Presentation Evaluation Please rank from 1 – 5 (5 excellent) Abstract information content _____ Relevance of abstract to presentation _____ Clarity of questions/hypotheses _____ Clarity of research design _____ Soundness of overall design _____ Quantitative approach _____ Quality of slides (fonts, etc) _____ Quality of overall presentation _____ Comments to strengthen research: Comments to strengthen presentation:

Justin Stout, MS Student Title: Sediment Fingerprinting for Sources and Transport Pathways in the Root River Advisor: Dr. Patrick Belmont Abstract: The movement of sediment from uplands, to the stream and eventually out of the watershed is a complex process. Erodibility of the soils, distance to the stream, amount and intensity of precipitation, hydrology of the watershed, sediment transport capacity of the stream and the channel-floodplain exchange are all factors in sediment routing. Work done by Trimble demonstrates that the amount of sediment transported out of the system is not always representative of erosion on the uplands. For example, in Coon Creek Wisconsin, he found that large amounts of sediment was eroded throughout the watershed between 1853 and 1938, but the vast majority of that sediment did not simply flush out of the system into the Mississippi River. Rather, the stream aggraded and stored sediment in the floodplains. More recently, the river has begun to erode those floodplain deposits. Remarkably, throughout the 140 year timeframe of the study, sediment efflux out of the watershed was relatively steady. We hypothesize that a similar story has unfolded in the nearby Root River watershed. It is probable that large amounts of sediment eroded from fields and hillsides has been stored in the floodplains, and now the Root River has begun to rework the floodplains, actively transporting the stored sediment through the river network. Present day, there are seven reaches of the Root River network which are impaired by EPA standards for turbidity. The impairment of these reaches forms the basis for the following questions: Where is the fine sediment coming from? How does it move through the watershed? And how are fine sediment sources changing with different events and in different parts of the watershed? This presentation will describe how geochemical tracers (Beryllium 10 and Lead-210) can be used to “fingerprint” of the sources of sediment. Using the ratio of the two tracers measured in suspended sediment samples collected during storm events and floodplain cores collected in October 2010, I will constrain the proportion of sediment derived from upland versus non-upland sources as well as the significance of channel/floodplain exchange. Presentation Evaluation

Please rank from 1 – 5 (5 excellent) Abstract information content _____ Relevance of abstract to presentation _____ Clarity of questions/hypotheses _____ Clarity of research design _____ Soundness of overall design _____ Quantitative approach _____ Quality of slides (fonts, etc) _____ Quality of overall presentation _____ Comments to strengthen research: Comments to strengthen presentation:

Ripley McCoy, PhD Student Title: Improved Dynamical Downscaling of Regional Climate for the Western United States Advisor: Dr. Jiming Jin Abstract: The Weather Research & Forecasting (WRF) model developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research was initially used to study small scale weather phenomena such as thunderstorm complexes and frontal boundaries; however, in recent years, WRF has expanded into the role of regional climate modeling that is able to resolve small scale features not possible in current global climate models. For my research, I use WRF to simulate historical and future climates for the western United States to better understand physical processes and mechanisms that affect regional climate. WRF requires forcing data to be read in every six hours; thus, for future simulations, the global climate model output is used as forcing data to drive WRF. For this research, WRF was forced with the output from the Community Climate System Model (CCSM). I first perform sensitivity testing with WRF for the western United States for years 1989 - 1999 using National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis version I data to find the optimum physics combination for this region. Once the desired physics are identified, I perform simulations for the period 1949 – 1999 using both NCEP data and CCSM output from the 20th Century experiment (historical simulations). Preliminary results show that using NCEP forcing data produces good simulations; however, WRF forced with CCSM data generates large cold and wet biases over the West, particularly at higher elevations. I then use a regression model based on 1949 – 2099 simulations for three different emission scenarios to correct the biases in the CCSM forcing data. The regressed data then is used to repeat the previous WRF simulations. The first part of my work focuses on analyzing the biases in the various WRF runs and the effectiveness of the regression methodology. I then repeat the simulations for years 2000 – 2009; however, the CCSM data is no longer historical, rather forecast using multiple emission scenarios. Since observational data is available for this time, I fully analyze the performance of WRF using regressed data for the three emission scenarios. Presentation Evaluation Please rank from 1 – 5 (5 excellent) Abstract information content _____ Relevance of abstract to presentation _____ Clarity of questions/hypotheses _____ Clarity of research design _____ Soundness of overall design _____ Quantitative approach _____ Quality of slides (fonts, etc) _____ Quality of overall presentation _____ Comments to strengthen research: Comments to strengthen presentation:

Ryan Lokteff, MS Student Title: The Effects of Physical In-Stream Environment on Habitat Utilization and Interspecies Competition on Bonneville Cutthroat Trout Advisor: Dr. Joe Wheaton Abstract: The Logan River and its tributaries in northern Utah are among the last remaining habitats supporting a significant population of the imperiled Bonneville cutthroat trout (BCT - Oncorhynchus clarki Utah). Efforts to protect and study the physical and biologic needs of BCT in the Logan River watershed include invasive species removal, habitat restoration through cattle exclosure, and fine-scale habitat assessments. The purpose of this study is to identify aspects of the physical environment that help to explain habitat use by BCT. Characteristics of the in-stream environment at a microhabitat scale (<0.1 meter) will provide insight into how an individual fish uses its environment. Detailed understanding of BCT habitat use is needed to make informed decisions regarding habitat conservation, protection, and restoration. Many physical assessments of in-stream habitat use population level spatial scales that do not describe the environment of an individual fish. Fine-scale measurements of the physical environment are needed to fully classify the in-stream habitat patches of Logan River tributaries. Fine scale spatial data (< 1 cm) collected using ground based LiDAR will be used to measure stream width, bed slope, gravel distributions, and available cover at a scale indicating habitat use by individual fish. Ground based LiDAR will also be used as an input in two-dimensional flow models to derive water velocity. Total Station spatial data will be used to measure water depth in frequently used habitat locations. However, the physical in-stream environment cannot fully explain habitat use without considering biological interactions. In the Logan River tributaries of Temple Fork and Spawn Creek, PIT tags have been used to identify the spatial distribution of BCT, brown trout (Salmo trutta), and brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). Brown trout and brook trout have been shown to be superior competitors over BCT. As a result, these fish segregate themselves into species specific habitat “hotspots” where high densities of fish have been observed over 3 years of PIT tag data. Evaluating fine scale environmental characteristics from remotely sensed data at habitat hotspot locations allows for the assessment of species specific habitat use. This combination of fine scale environmental spatial data and habitat utilization data provides insight into the environmental needs and limitations of BCT, brown trout, and brook trout. Presentation Evaluation Please rank from 1 – 5 (5 excellent) Abstract information content _____ Relevance of abstract to presentation _____ Clarity of questions/hypotheses _____ Clarity of research design _____ Soundness of overall design _____ Quantitative approach _____ Quality of slides (fonts, etc) _____ Quality of overall presentation _____ Comments to strengthen research: Comments to strengthen presentation:

Lindsey Goss, MS Student Title: Livestock Disturbance Protocols: Understanding the Relationship Between Bank Alteration and Stream Conditions Advisor: Dr. Brett Roper and Chris Luecke Abstract: Understanding and managing the effects of livestock grazing on stream systems and riparian areas is of particular concern for public land managers. On the ground monitoring is necessary to assure livestock grazing does not degrade the long-term health and functionality of riparian areas and stream systems. The Multiple Indicator Monitoring (MIM) protocol measures seasonal indicators of grazing disturbances including bank alteration and stubble height, but was found to overestimate alteration parameters. The object of this study is to develop a more accurate protocol for alteration monitoring of livestock disturbances and develop a scientifically based threshold standard for allowable levels of streambank alteration. This will be achieved by comparing the MIM protocol to a modified approach for measuring streambank alteration. Disturbance surveys will be conducted from mid-September to mid-October at 55 managed (livestock grazing) and 11 reference (no livestock grazing) sites throughout U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands of the Upper Columbia River Basin. Sites were selected from the PACFISH INFISH Biological Monitoring Effectiveness Monitoring (PIBO EM) sampling frame. Both the MIM protocol and the modified technique for measuring alteration will be assessed at each site. To assess observer repeatability, a subset of the sites will receive repeat visits. Additionally, stubble height measures will be collected at each study location as to better understand the relationship between bank alteration and vegetation utilization. To determine if there is an indirect relationship of short-term effects with long-term stream and riparian conditions, bank alteration and stubble height measures will be compared with physical and biological metrics from the PIBO EM dataset (e.g. bank angle, stability, and species richness). My research will aid land managers in further understanding the effects of livestock disturbances on stream systems and provide guidance for an appropriate bank alteration standard. Presentation Evaluation Please rank from 1 – 5 (5 excellent) Abstract information content _____ Relevance of abstract to presentation _____ Clarity of questions/hypotheses _____ Clarity of research design _____ Soundness of overall design _____ Quantitative approach _____ Quality of slides (fonts, etc) _____ Quality of overall presentation _____ Comments to strengthen research: Comments to strengthen presentation:

Sara Bangen, MS Student Title: Quantifying Stream Habitat: Relative Effort versus Quality of Remote Sensing & Ground-Based Survey Techniques Advisor: Dr. Joe Wheaton Abstract: A severe decline in Columbia River salmonid populations and subsequent Federal listing of subpopulations has mandated both the monitoring of populations and evaluation of the status of available habitat. Numerous field and analytical methods exist that assist in the quantification of the quantity and quality of in-stream salmonid habitat. These methods range from ‘tape and stick’ ground-based surveys to spatially explicit topographic and aerial photographic surveys based on a mix of ground-based and remotely sensed platforms. Although some researchers have assessed the quality of specific individual survey methods, the inter-comparison of competing techniques across a diverse range of habitat conditions (wadeable headwater channels to non-wadeable mainstem channels) has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we seek to quantify relative quality (i.e. accuracy, precision, extent) of habitat metrics and inventories derived from different ground-based, boat-based, and remotely-sensed surveys of varying degrees of sophistication, as well as enumerate the effort and cost in completing the surveys. Over the summer of 2010, seven reaches of varying habitat complexity were surveyed in and around the Lemhi River Basin, Idaho, USA. Survey types included rtkGPS, total station, ground-based LiDaR, boat-based echo-sounding (w/ ADCP), traditional airborne LiDaR, imagery-based methods, and a traditional (“stick-and-tape”) protocol-based survey. Additionally, georectified aerial imagery surveys were acquired using a tethered blimp, a drone UAV, and a traditional fixed-wing aircraft. The results will contribute to our understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each approach under specific conditions. Results will also indicate how a hybrid of data acquisition methods might be used to better quantify habitat conditions in streams. Presentation Evaluation Please rank from 1 – 5 (5 excellent) Abstract information content _____ Relevance of abstract to presentation _____ Clarity of questions/hypotheses _____ Clarity of research design _____ Soundness of overall design _____ Quantitative approach _____ Quality of slides (fonts, etc) _____ Quality of overall presentation _____ Comments to strengthen research: Comments to strengthen presentation:

Alan Kasprack, PhD Student Title: Morphodynamic Modeling of Gravel-Bed River Evolution: Innovations and Applications Advisor: Dr. Joe Wheaton Abstract: Natural and anthropogenic processes that result in flow regime shifts (e.g. climate change or land-use variations) have the potential to cause changes in stream morphology and fundamentally alter the physical habitat of threatened salmonid species. However, we are currently unable to make quantitative predictions of such habitat changes at process-relevant temporal scales (decades to centuries) and at spatial scales applicable to salmonids (individual channel bars). Numerical modeling of channel evolution allows for such prediction of morphologic changes resultant from shifts in flow regime, and in conjunction with ecohydraulic model coupling, quantification of potential impacts of hydrograph shifts on salmonid habitat. Previous morphodynamic modeling efforts have utilized either reduced-complexity (RC; e.g. cellular automata) or computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approaches. Yet owing primarily to inaccurate hydraulics (RC) and/or computational overhead (CFD), both modeling schemes lack the ability to adequately predict morphodynamics over the relevant spatio-temporal scales. Here I propose the development of a new morphodynamic model, which will draw on effective elements of both RC and CFD models. The key component of this proposed scheme will be a step-length based sediment transport model, allowing for increased timesteps of model operation while preserving high spatial resolutions. Combined with scenario-based hydrographs driven by the process of interest (climate or land-use changes, for example), this leaner-than-CFD (but more physically realistic than RC) model will yield channel morphodynamics at relevant spatio-temporal scales. Through subsequent coupling with field-proven ecohydraulic models, quantification of discharge regime shifts on salmonids will be made possible. The proposed model may improve salmonid habitat management by increasing our understanding of the impacts of changing hydrographs on salmonid populations. Presentation Evaluation Please rank from 1 – 5 (5 excellent) Abstract information content _____ Relevance of abstract to presentation _____ Clarity of questions/hypotheses _____ Clarity of research design _____ Soundness of overall design _____ Quantitative approach _____ Quality of slides (fonts, etc) _____ Quality of overall presentation _____ Comments to strengthen research: Comments to strengthen presentation: