Progress 01/05/15 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary audience that is the target of this research is the government agencies involved with the management watersheds and aquatic resources in central and coastal Maine, design of stormwater management and hydraulic infrastructure, and water pollution regulation. In addition, the consulting environmental planners, scientists, and engineers will benefit from the analyses of watershed runoff and its implications to stream channels in varied settings. Nonprofit environmental, community, and professional organizations have also expressed interest in the research and its outcomes. The professional organizations include businesses tied to seafood and tourism industries on the coast of Maine, as well as the management of lakes and ponds. Changes/Problems:There were several complications associated with implementation of the proposed project approach. The capacity to collect the neccessary watershed information was limited by the availability of student research assistants. The 2016 research year coincided with a significant drought condition in Maine. The drought conditions substantially limted the number of storm runoff events that were able to be sampled to measure surface flow rates and associated trasnport of materials. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Activities completed during the project period have involved seven graduate students, six undergraduate students, and one post-doctoral researcher. Their participation in coordination meetings, field measurements, spatial data analyses, and watershed modeling provided new experiences, fostered the development of technical skills, and conveyed knowledge and understanding of watershed systems in central and coastal Maine. The applied nature of the research also allowed for them to develop awareness for how modern landscapes in de-glaciated portions of the Northeast and the stream systems within them respond to land use and climate changes. Students that have been involved in the presentation of results and related attendance at conferences were also provided with opportunities to interact with researchers and staff from regional academic institutions, government agencies, and consulting firms involved with watershed research and management activities. Several of the undergraduate students involved with the project have graduated and were offered positions in consulting firms and government agencies involved with watershed and environmental management. In each case, the students and their employers mentioned that the experience they acquired through this project was a positive factor related to their being hired. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results from the watershed evaluations have been compiled and presented in several ways. Data from the measurements, spatial data analyses, and simulations have been stored in a local storage server. The data has been offered to state resource agencies. Results from geomorphic assessments of the watersheds, simulations, and comparative analyses have been conveyed to local and national audiences in oral and poster presentations at international and regional conferences. Some of the results are available on websites hosted by conference sponsors. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During the duration of the project, the goal of the project to identify and characterize post-glacial landscape settings was achieved. The physical characteristics of six small watersheds in central and coastal Maine were parameterized. These include the following locations: Bear Brook Experimental Watershed - Beddington, ME U Maine Campus - Orono, ME Darling Marine Center Tributary - Walpole, ME Sebago Lake Watershed - Sebago, ME Wells Harbor Estuary - Wells, ME Cromwell Brook - Bar Harbor, ME Characteristics of the watersheds were parameterized using readily available spatial data information including topography, drainage network, hydrologic soil group, roadways, and land cover conditions. New watershed boundary delineations were made for each basin using high resolution land surface elevation derived from LiDAR measurements. Independent estimates of drainage network channel heads were made in the study areas using field observations, aerial photography, and topographic data. At the U Maine campus in Orono, delineations of the terrain based stream channel network were coupled with those of the engineered stormwater pipe infrastructure network to provide a complete compilation of the drainage network in the watershed. Detailed stream channel surveys were conducted in each of the study areas. Channel dimensions were measured in cross section and longitudinal profile perspectives. Data from the locations were compiled into a hydraulic geometry database to expand the range of watershed drainage areas considered in the regional curves predicting stream dimensions in Maine to include small headwater basins. Pebble counts were also conducted to quantify stream channel bottom sediment grain sizes in five of the study locations. Facies mapping was conducted in to describe the spatial distribution of varied substrate assemblages in four of the locations. Surface water flow monitoring was conducted during the project period in all five study watersheds. The infrastructure deployed included two ISCO acoustic velocimeter sensors in the Wells Harbor and Cromwell Brook watersheds and two Sontek acoustic profilers in the Sebago Lake watershed. A Parshall flume with a pressure sensor was installed in the U Maine campus watershed and a pressure sensor was placed in the pre-existing gaging facility at the bottom of the Bear Brook experimental watershed. Flow time series have been collected in each of those locations. The two Sontek devices were connected to a modem to facilitate real time reporting and access on the internet. In addition, pressure sensors have been installed at monitoring stations within several tributaries to the Northwest River. Flow monitoring was not conducted at the Darling Marine Center watershed site; however, predictions of discharge rates over a range of flow stages were calculated using the slope-area method and stream channel topography measurements. Baseflow and storm flow discharge measurements have been conducted at each of the monitoring stations to validate the flow measurements from the continuous monitoring devices and develop water flow stage - discharge rating curves. Watershed runoff models were constructed in each of the study watersheds. A coupled and distributed ground-surface water model was constructed in the Wells Harbor and Cromwell Brook watersheds. The model, MIKESHE, is parameterized at a fifty meter grid scale, run using precipitation time series from remote sensed measurements, and calibrated using discharge measurement time series from the stream monitoring stations constructed in the study watersheds. A more simplistic model that simulates surface water runoff rates over 24 hour time periods was constructed in three of the study watersheds. The model, TR-55, was run using standard Type III 24-hour rainfall depth information developed by the USDA. Parameterization of the model was derived from available spatial data quantifying, land surface slopes, soil hydrologic group and land cover conditions. Watershed processes examined during the study period were focused on individual storm runoff hydrographs and the mobilization and transport of materials. Samples were collected to determine concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS) in three study watersheds. The concentration of total nitrogen was also collected in samples collected during a smaller number of runoff events. Sediment yield was evaluated in Bear Brook using measurements of deposition in weir pools at the lower end of the study watershed. Bottom stability evaluations of streams in the Sebago Lake and Darling Marine Center watersheds was conducted through comparison of stream flow hydraulic conditions to the force required for initiation of bottom sediment motion based on the measured grain sizes.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Smith, S.M.C. 2016. INVITED Keynote Presentation - Downeast drainage: sources, delivery and residence time of runoff and pollutants along the Gulf of Maine coast. Geological Society of Maine, Fall Meeting. Novermber 21, 2016.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Smith, S., B. Gerard, C. Petersen, A. Bradford, COA Students, and Brian Henkel. 2016. The hydrologic signature of Acadia National Park. Acadia Science Symposium. Schoodic Institute. Winter Harbor, Maine.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Gerard, B., S.M.C. Smith, A.S. Reeve, A. Sivitskis, L. White, D. Lemery, and S. Kane. 2016. Connecting watersheds and drainage networks in Central and Coastal Maine. Maine Water and Sustainability Conference. Augusta, Maine.
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Progress 01/05/15 to 09/30/15
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience that was identified in the project proposal included college undergraduate and graduate students; local, state, and federal government agency staff; consulting engineers and scientists; and nongovernmental organizations. The first year of the project included involvement of 3 graduate and 6 undergraduate students from the Sch of Earth and Climate Sciences and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The students participated in field measurements and data analyses associated with all of the project study areas. Monitoring partnerships were established with staff from the Wells Estuarine Research Researve and representatives from the US Fish and Wildlife Service stationed at Acadia National Park. Stakeholder engagement activities were initiated with the Maine Department of Marine Resources and the Maine Healthy Beaches Program, both of whom are interested in our work on land-sea connects because of the relevance to pollution management. We also continued to grow relations with the Maine Lakes Environmental Association and relied on their new Maine Lakes Science Center during our field visits to the Sebago Lake watershed. Changes/Problems:All first year project objectives were met, in part, for the project. However, the accomplishments varied in terms of deployed monitoring equipment, measurements, and model development in each study catchment. Additional stream flow monitoring equipment is proposed in two of the study catchments. All sites continue to be monitored and measurements will be collected for process evaluations in the coming year with the intention of strategically collecting data for a comprehensive comparison of varied geomorphic conditions and their implications to surface flows from headwater catchments. The inability to equally accomplish tasks simultaneously in all catchments relates to the available time for field work over the summer with undergraduate student research assistants and graduate students. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Monitoring and research activities carried out in the project study areas provided training for undergraduate and graduate students. Coordination with local governments, state and federal natural resource agencies, and NGO staff in the study areas created additional experiences for the students, as well as the professional development opportunties for staff from the affiliated organizations. Interactions and presentations at the Maine Water Conference in March 2015 expanded awareness of the watershed processes research that is the focus of this project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results from the research activities at the six study areas that are the focus of this project have been presented to partnering organizations at coordination meetings. Preliminary observations have also been presented at regional conferences, including the 2015 Maine Water Conference. Monitoring data and analysis results are routinely used in college courses related to watershed process science and engineering. Data collection has also inspired the selection of one of project study areas as the location for the annual capstone project undertaken by undergraduate students in the U Maine Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?I plan to continue measurements in the project study areas to describe geomorphic characteristics of drainage patterns in modern headwater landscapes, devlelop estimates of surface water routing in headwater catchments and quantify the efficiency of constituent transport to higher order streams, lakes and estuaries. Measurements gathered from the study areas will be used to calibrate surface flows under varied climate and land cover scenarios.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1 - Setting identification: Attributes linked to precipitation runoff and routing were used to guide selection of headwater catchments to evaluate. The attributes considered include surficial geology, soil drainage characteristics, land cover, and relief. The preferred catchment conditions focused on factors governing rainfall runoff production and routing such as soil drainage capacity and slope. Four settings in central and coastal Maine were identified. Six small headwater catchment sites were selected in the settings to evaluate runoff and erosion processes (Table 1, Fig. 1). Table 1: Study catchments (GM - glaciomarine, T - till, BR - bedrock) Site Setting Surf. Geology Soil Drain. Urban Land Cvr (Rel.) Relief UM Campus Central GM Poor High Low UM Darling Center Coastal GM/T Poor Low Low Bear Brook Central T Mod Low High Cromwell Brook Coastal GM/BR Mod Low - High High Webhannet River Coastal GM Poor Low - High Low Northwest River Central T Well Low Mod Objective 2 - Geomorphic assessments: Terrain analysis for each setting was initiated to evaluate detailed slope changes through the upper and lower portions of the study catchments. Catchment boundaries were delineated from digital elevation models (DEMs) acquired from the Maine Office of GIS and National Hydrography Dataset (NHD). Spatial data layers were compiled at each study location to create an atlas summarizing land cover, topography, soils, etc. Preliminary drainage network delineations were conducted in each catchment using the DEMs. The network evaluations included four delineation scenarios that will subsequently be used for watershed process evaluations in each catchment. Field measurements of stream channel conditions were completed at five of the six catchments. Objective 3 - Process evaluations: Preliminary hydrologic and hydraulic model domains have been created and initial parameterization has been started in all six catchments. Instrumentation was deployed at five of the six study catchments. The instrumentation included continuous stream flow monitoring sensors, groundwater monitoring sensors, and weather stations that measure rainfall, temperature and wind speed/direction. Instrumentation to measure weather parameters and stream flow was already in place at Bear Brook. Sediment samples were extracted from a flow monitoring pool at the Bear Brook catchment to develop an initial estimate of annual catchment sediment loads. Objective 4 - Knowledge to action: Coordination has been initiated with staff from government agencies and non-profit organizations working in three of the selected study catchments. Interactions have included communication of project activities and coordination of field measurements with staff from National Park Service, Wells Estuarine Research Reserve, and the Maine Lakes Environmental Association.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Van Dam Jr., B., S.M.C. Smith, and A.S. Reeve. 2015. Improving upland drainage representation using LiDAR. Geological Society of America, Northeastern Section Meeting, Bretton Woods, NH.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Gerard, B., S.M.C. Smith, A.S. Reeve, and B. Van Dam. 2015. Human modifications and watershed processes in a post-glacial landscape. Joint Assembly - American Geophysical Union. Montreal, Canada. May 2015
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Gerard, B., S.Smith, A. Reeve, S. Roy. 2015. Parameter Lumping Implications to Hydrologic Simulations of a Post-Glacial Landscape. Fall Meeting, American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Gerard, B.R., S.M.C. Smith, B. Van Dam Jr., A.S. Reeve. 2015. Stream dynamics in a coupled human-climate-postglacial watershed. Geological Society of America, Northeastern Section Meeting, Bretton Woods, NH.
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