Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2017MT314B

Student Fellowship Project: Science to inform restoration: Effects of channel reconstruction on hydraulic exchange and baseflow generation

Institute: Montana
Year Established: 2017 Start Date: 2017-03-01 End Date: 2018-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $2,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $900

Principal Investigators: Christine Brissette

Project Summary: Channel restoration is increasingly being considered as a tool to enhance late-season flows by increasing the storage and exchange capacities of streams and their adjacent alluvial aquifers. Faced with unpredictable changes in water availability due to climate change, many scientists, government agencies and managers have begun to view restoration as a mitigation tool, enhancing the adaptability and resiliency of aquatic resources. However, the influence of channel and riparian zone restoration on hydrologic function has not been well characterized. My research evaluates restoration efficacy from an often overlooked, but critical perspective: Hydrologic connectivity.