Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2015MD331B

Assessing hydrogeomorphological constraints on water quality functions of forested riparian buffers in Western Maryland (Graduate Fellowship)

Institute: Maryland
Year Established: 2015 Start Date: 2015-03-01 End Date: 2015-09-01
Total Federal Funds: $6,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $12,337

Principal Investigators: Kaye Brubaker, Keith Eshleman

Project Summary: Riparian forest buffer systems (RFBS) are best management practices that have been shown to be effective in controlling nutrient runoff—especially in the Coastal Plain. The objective of this proposal is to examine the topographic, hydrogeomorphologic, soil, and vegetation controls on nutrient (N&P) retention within the Ridge & Valley province of western Maryland where these systems are much less well-studied. I will conduct a comparative, field-based, mass balance study of water and nutrients in (at least) two “gaining” streams with associated RFBS in order to understand the most important factors governing how these systems function.