Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2009KS71B

Sediment Baseline Assessment

Institute: Kansas
Year Established: 2009 Start Date: 2009-03-01 End Date: 2013-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $247,689 Total Non-Federal Funds: $465,663

Principal Investigators: Dan Devlin, Will Boyer, Brock Emmert, Bruce McEnroe, C. Young

Abstract: ABSTRACT The sediment baseline research plan is a comparative watershed study. Seven characteristics in each of the study watersheds will be compared and contrasted to determine 1) process/setting/sources of sediment, 2) potential management measures to reduce sediment movement and transport and 3) a monitoring method to measure management impact effectiveness. The study watersheds were selected based upon availability of existing information from previous research efforts in the candidate watersheds and presumed large differences in the range of sediment loads between them. Each study watershed is of comparative size and located within the same ecoregion in Kansas. The seven watershed characteristics for assessment are: geomorphology, hydrology, geology/soils, riparian condition, land use, and biology and chemistry of the streams and reservoirs. The characterization of each of the study watersheds is intended to relate these characteristics to the sediment loads in each watershed. Ultimately, the management goal is to change the characteristics in watersheds with larger sediment loads to something that emulates the characteristics in watersheds with smaller sediment loads and use the monitoring to determine the management practice effectiveness toward that reduction.