Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/21
Outputs Target Audience:Work on this project over the past year has targeted federal and state resource managers (e.g. Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife), environmental scientists, and rural water municipalities. I continue to work with a forestry management company and have been given permission to pursue groundwater monitoring work on peatland systems within their landholdings in Washington County, Maine. Results from statistical modeling, used to predict the location of groundwater dependent ecosystems, were presented at local and regional conferences with audiences composed of academic and government workers. I continue to work with the Old Town Water District (OTWD) to monitor groundwater interaction with the Stillwater River (Old Town, Maine). These efforts occur in conjunction with teaching activities that utilize OTWD monitoring wells to provide field experience to a hydrogeology class. Changes/Problems:The ongoing COVID19 pandemic impacted plans for out-of-state travel associated with field work and participation in conferences. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A groundwater modeling class was delivered to one graduate student who plans on using this tool for research activities related to groundwater dependent ecosystems. A class on data analysis using a scripting language was given to a mix of undergraduate and graduate students. An Environmental Geology course was delivered to about 100 undergraduate students. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results from this project have been provided through conference presentations and technical journal publications. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts What was accomplished under these goals?
Outcomes for this reporting period focus on groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDE). This focus incorporates the use of geospatial statistical models that utilize available geospatial datasets (e.g. topography, geology, and vegetation distribution), coupled with known GDE presence data, to predict the presence of GDEs across a landscape at the pixel scale. Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt), a method typically used to predict species distribution, is used to predict to location of GREs. MaxEnt models have been created for different EPA ecoregions in the northeastern USA with an emphasis on ecoregions that occur in Maine. Field validation of Maximum Entropy modeling results within EPA's Mixed Woods ecoregion suggest that 87% of the model predictions are accurate. Data collected through field visits was supplemented with Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife native Brook Trout surveys. Brook Trout, because they seek out cold water refugia, act as an indicator species in warm summer months for stream reaches receiving groundwater discharge. Maximum Entropy modeling across Maine's Atlantic Highlands and Mixed Woods Plains EPA ecoregions predict approximately 600 km (about 1%) of the mapped reaches in Maine have a 70% probability of conditions suitable for groundwater discharge. Groundwater discharge to streams was predicted for nearly a third of the 1409 locations where Brook Trout were identified. Project objectives are paraphrased below and associated activities are listed below each objective. 1. Monitor hydraulic head in wetlands. - Installed monitoring wells in groundwater dependent ecosystems at National Wildlife Refuges in Maine. - Deployed data loggers, downloaded data loggers, and manually measured water levels in monitoring wells at the Old Town Water District, in Caribou Bog, and at three of Maine's National Wildlife Refuges. - Performed field reconnaissance in peatlands located in Washington County, Maine. 2. Monitor temperatures in wetland. - Improved on method for deploying thermochron ibutton data logging temperature sensors to reduce water damage to these devices - Plotted and interpreted temperature and water level data logger data collected in monitoring wells. 3. Construct computer models to integrate collected data. - A graduate student validated the presence or absence of groundwater dependent ecosystems through site visits - Provided instruction on groundwater flow modeling software (MODFLOW) to a graduate student. - Assembled date into GIS software needed for the construction of a groundwater flow model and developed preliminary groundwater flow models to assess the role of geology on peatland hydrology. - Used the Maximum Entropy statistical method to model landscape suitability for groundwater dependent ecosystems based on landscape characteristics (e.g. slope, wetness index, geology). Other activities related to this work that do not fall under the specific project objectives include: - Re-submitted an application and work plan for a Fulbright Scholarship. - Assisted with the development and submission of a research proposal to the National Science Foundation. - Discussed groundwater-related erosion issues at the Tidal Falls Preserve (Hancock County, ME) with the Land Protection Manager for the Frenchman Bay Conservancy - Contacted the Maine Rural Water Association and began discussion about assisting with training activities - Was interviewed by a local high school teacher in support of classroom activities - Provided advising to undergraduate students in the Ecology and Environmental Science Program at the University of Maine - Modified materials for an Environmental Geology class to accommodate a student's accessibility needs - Participated in weekly graduate student advisory meetings
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Glaser, Paul. H., Joshua Rhoades and Andrew S. Reeve (2021). The hydraulic conductivity of peat with respect to scaling, botanical composition, and greenhouse gas transport: Mini-aquifer tests from the Red Lake Peatland, Minnesota. Journal of Hydrology. 596:125686.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Janecky, D., P.H. Glaser, D.I. Siegel, J.P. Chanton, A.S. Reeve, D. Rosenberry, E. Romanowicz, L. Chasar, L.E. Corbett (2021). Large Peat Basins as Incubators of Methane and Carbon Dioxide: A Geochemical Perspective. Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America. Portland OR, Oct 1-13. 10.1130/abs/2021AM-368738
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Snyder, S., C.S. Loftin, A.S. Reeve (2021). Using Landscape Variables as Surrogates to Predict Groundwater Influence in Stream Ecosystems: Maine, USA. 151st Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society. Baltimore, MD. Nov 6
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Snyder, S., C.S. Loftin, A.S. Reeve (2020). Mapping Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems in the Northeastern U.S. with the Maximum Entropy Algorithm (MaxENT). Presentation at the 2020 Annual meeting of The Wildlife Society. Delivered remotely. Sep 28 - Oct 2.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Snyder, S., C.S. Loftin, A.S. Reeve (2021). Predicting Probability of Groundwater Discharge to Freshwater Ecosystems with Landscape Variables in Maine, USA.
Maine Chapter of the Wildlife Society. Orono, ME, Nov 1 - 5.
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Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20
Outputs Target Audience:Results were presented to professional scientists through a publication in Geology. While abstracts for presentations targeting local audiences were accepted (e.g Maine Sustainability and Water Conference), delivery of those presentations where delayed or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A thesis defense presentation was given related to using groundwater modeling to manage water resources in Colombia. I provided assistance to LEA (not-for-profit organization) with downloading data from data logging devices and have discussed characterizing peatland systems owned by a forestry management company interested in the carbon sequestration potential of these wetland systems. Changes/Problems:As with everyone else, I faced new challenges related to the COVID19 pandemic. This challenges included complicated field activities, the departure of an undergraduate before she was able to finish laboratory work, and a signifiacnt increase in the time required to develop and deliver content for the classes I am responisble for, at the expense of research activities. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One new Ph.D. graduate student (co-advised) has begun a project related to groundwater dependent ecosystem identification with a focus on national wildlife refuge lands. This student has been provided training in basic groundwater hydrology, monitoring well installation, and groundwater monitoring methods. An undergraduate was provided with training in the creation and use of permeameters for measuring hydraulic conductivity, basic tool and laboratory methods, using a groundwater flow model to assess permeameter data, and using data logging pressure transducers for water level monitoring. A graduate student was provided with training in the use of MODFLOW, a widely used groundwater flow model, for the creation of idealized models to assess groundwater pumping. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been distributed through a journal publication, a thesis publication, and through conference abstracts. Information has also been distributed to the public through phone discussions and personal interaction with companies and reporters. I provided information on groundwater issues to a reporter from the Bangor Daily News related to a planned aquaculture facility (article published in July, 2020). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?I plan on pursuing several related paths, and will follow the path that appears most likely to result in the best outcomes. These paths include: Continue with the peatland hydrology work, expanding it from Caribou Bog to other locations in Maine by working with a forestry management company interested in peatland resources on their landholdings. Continuing work on groundwater-dependent ecosystems by: providing additional hydrogeology and computer modeling training for a graduate student, assisting with the installation of additional shallow monitoring wells, collecting and interpreting water level data, and creating simple regional groundwater flow models for these study areas. Pursue environmental education activities to improve undergraduate STEM education including incorporating place-based activities within classroom activities. Working with previously collected data-sets to interpret and publish these results from past projects.
Impacts What was accomplished under these goals?
An undergraduate student worked toward measuring the hydraulic conductivity of peat cores collected using a Russian peat sampler. This work focused on developing the methodology to measure the permeability of a half cylinder cores of peat. These methods will continue to be refined as I work toward the detailed measurement of the permeability of peat deposits. Water level monitoring continued in Caribou Bog through the spring, 2020. Data loggers and other equipment were removed from Caribou Bog in the summer, 2020 as an NSF project ended. Time series analysis is being applied to these data to identify anomalies related to carbon gas ebullition. I assisted a graduate student with the development of a groundwater flow model for an arid region in Colombia. Knowledge developed from this work will be applied to planned groundwater modeling work in groundwater dependent ecosystems. I assisted a graduate student with the installation and monitoring of shallow groundwater monitoring wells in Sunkhaze Meadows, Rachel Carson and Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuges. Groundwater monitoring is ongoing at these sites. A rapid assessment methods to identify groundwater dependent ecosystems, developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was modified for use in the Northeastern USA.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chen, X., X. Comas, A. S. Reeve, A. and L. D. Slater. 2020. Evidence for glacial geological controls on the hydrology of Maine (USA) peatlands. Geology. 48:771776.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Snyder, Shawn, C.S. Loftin and A.S. Reeve. 2020. Mapping Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems in the Northeastern U.S. with the Maximum Entropy Algorithm (MaxENT). AWRA Virtual Geospatial Water Technology Conference: Complex Systems, Aug 4-13, 2020.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
G�mez Ar�valo, Efr�n David. 2020. A Groundwater Flow Model to Aid in Water Resource Management for the Carraipia Basin in the Coastal Semi-Arid Region of La Guajira State (Colombia). M.S. Thesis Thesis in Earth and Climate Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, Maine.
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Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19
Outputs Target Audience:Work related to this project was presented to the general public during Orono Bog Nature Walk lead by Reeve. This presentation was delivered to a small group (about 10 people) and focused on the role of hydrology in peatlands and how hydrology influences and is influenced by the carbon cycling ( e.g. carbon-based greenhouse gas release and sequestration). Research results were presented to geoscientists and environmental professionals at two scientific conferences. Data, project photographs and results were presented to students at the University of Maine. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? One undergraduate student (Grace Mullens) has been incorporated into this work. She has: assisted with manual water level measurements, downloaded data logging pressure sensors, constructed permeameters, and analyzed permeameter data using computer models. Ms. Mullens submitted a UMaine CUGR proposal for summer funding in the Spring 2019 (unsuccessful). Computer models used to evaluate the impact of groundwater extraction for Northern Colombia were created and compared to field data collected by a graduate student (Efren Gomez) advised by Reeve. These models are the basis of M.S. research conducted by Mr. Gomez. Mr. Gomez has received training and advice in the application of MODFLOW, a widely used groundwater flow model, to his study area. Reeve continues to utilize groundwater data collected at the Old Town Water District's Sibley Well Field in a hydrogeology class, and provides practice field experience for students at this facility. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Two presentations were made to the Earth Science community at national and regional scientific conferences. These presentations were delivered to academics, students, government employees, and industry professionals with interests in aspects of groundwater science. Reeve presented to and guided a group in August 2019 at the Orono Bog Boardwalk. This 'Nature Walk' was open to the general public and Reeve's discussion included aspects of his research activities in this peatland and other wetland systems. Reeve contributed to a Amicus (friend of the court) brief related to a Clean Water Act case being heard by the Supreme Court of the United States (County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund). This case focuses on the potential for groundwater contamination to impact surface waters. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Reeve will continuing work on assessing the time series hydraulic head data. If the data can be processed in a manner that predicts visually observable anomalies in the data, the results will for formatted for submittal to a journal. Future work will focus on learning new statistical methods applicable to large data sets and applying them to the hydraulic head data. Reeve will continue working with an undergraduate student in an effort to construct a re-usable permeameter designed to measure the permeability of sediment samples in horizontal and vertical directions. I plan on submitting at least one proposal for federal funding in an effort to support ongoing groundwater work.
Impacts What was accomplished under these goals?
Hydraulic head data continues to be collected at three well clusters in Caribou Bog (Central Maine). Data from data logging pressure transducers were downloaded and manual water level data were collected from these wells. These data are being evaluated using a range of different time series methods including wavelet analysis and, more recently, machine learning algorithms (Principle Components, Local Outlier Factors, Robust Covariance), in an effort to identify anomalous patterns in the hydraulic head data hypothesized to be related to ebullition events. I am also exploring simpler methods such as moving variances and quantile range calculations. A variety of permeameters were constructed to determine the best methods to evaluate the permeability of semi-cylindrical peat samples. Construction of these devices has focused on creating a method that forces flow through the core and preventing (or accounting for) water bypasses around the core. Methods developed to date have either proven ineffective or devices degrade and allow bypass after weeks of usage. As part of this work, computer models of the peat cores were constructed that simulate the flow of water through the peat cores and are being used to calculate the peat permeability by fitting model data to laboratory measurements. A proposal on using peatlands for place-based learning was submitted to the National Science Foundation with the goal of modifying an Environmental Geology class to emphasize these systems. If funded, peatland research data will be used to make this class more relevant to students and serve as a focal point to explore local-to-global earth system interaction. This proposal is currently in review. A proposal was submitted for a Fulbright Fellowship to work in Mexico on groundwater issues in the Yucatan Peninsula. If successful, I will work with UNAM university faculty to assist with groundwater data collection and construction of computer models. This project focuses on characterizing groundwater contamination in this sole-source aquifer and the rate of groundwater and chemical movement in the aquifer.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Reeve, A. S., L. Slater, X. Comas, P. Glaser (2019) Using wavelets to identify hydraulic head anomalies associated with methane ebullition events. 2019 GSA Northeastern Section Meeting. Portland ME USA.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Reeve, A. S., E. D. G�mez Ar�valo, R. P. Gordon (2019) Creating plausible groundwater flow models for the Carraipia Basin, La Guajira Department (Colombia) to aid in water resource management. GSA 2019 Annual Meeting, Phoenix AZ USA.
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Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18
Outputs Target Audience:A portion of this work targeted rural water users through ongoing work with the Old Town Water District. Data and interpretations of these data have been provided to the Old Town Water District. Work completed on vernal pool hydrology targeted technical professionals working at the interface between hydrology and these wetland systems. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One graduate student completed her Masters Degree, one undergraduate is pursuing a capstone project on surface water interaction with groundwater, and one undergraduate student pursued work preparing and reviewing slides for analysis of mineral sediments in peat core samples. Data collected through this project has been incorporated into a hydrogeology class and an Environmental Geology class to provide students with realistic data for analysis. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results of work on this project have been disseminated through presentations at scientific conferences, provided to professionals at the Old Town Water District, and presented in a Thesis that is publicly available. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Data collection will continue at Caribou Bog and the Old Town Water District. Work on a recently funded project on groundwater dependent ecosystems will begin, including refining the scope of this project and selecting field areas for investigation of these ecosystems.
Impacts What was accomplished under these goals?
Water level and temperature data continued to be collected in Caribou Bog, and work continued assessing the application of wavelets to evaluate this time series data. Water level data collection also continued at the Old Town Water District's Sibley Well field. Two shallow wells were installed in the Stillwater River adjacent to the Old Town water District to augment data collected at the Sibley Well field for using in a Capstone project by a University of Maine Undergraduate Student. Field work with vernal pools was completed and instrumentation was removed from field sites. Graduate Student Kelli Straka wrote and completed her M.S. Thesis. A manuscript was submitted for publication and will be modified to address reviewer comments.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Reeve, A.S., X. Chen, L. Slater and X. Comas. 2017. Two Decades of Hydrogeophysical Measurements in Caribou Bog (Maine, USA) Investigating Groundwater Flow and Free-Phase (Methane) Gas. GSA Abstract #304859 - GSA Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington, USA
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Reeve, A.S. 2018. Aquifer characterization at the Sibley Well Site, Old Town Water District. Maine Sustainability and Water Conference. Augusta, Maine.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Kelli M. Straka,. 2017. Characterizing Hydrologic Fluxes in Six Central Maine Vernal Pools with a Focus on Groundwater Flow. M.S. Thesis. University of Maine.
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Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17
Outputs Target Audience:This work has been presented to professional scientists at two scientific conferences and has been communicated to the public through a 'nature walk' presented at the Orono Bog Boardwalk. Results have been presented at the University of Maine through Seminars and the presentation for a thesis defense. In addition, I have continued working with the Old Town Water District monitoring their well field with the goal of assessing surface-water interaction with groundwater. This groundwater is the drinking water source for the City of Old Town (Maine) and has been a field site for classroom activities. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One graduate student and two undergraduate students worked on this project and were exposed to the use of data loggers, water level measurements. Undergraduate students have learned how to collected and process sediment cores. Writing and data analysis guidance was provided to the graduate student as she worked to finish her Master's Thesis. Data collected for this project was used in a hydrogeology for data analysis class. These data enhance the classroom by providing realistic (messy) data that students need to process to use for class. One site was used for classroom field trips to provide students with exposure to common tools used by hydrogeologists. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results were disseminated through conference presentations, a publication, and a 'nature walk' that Reeve leads each summer at the Orono Bog Boardwalk. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?I will continue monitoring water levels in Caribou Bog and at the Old Town Water District. I plan to begin monitoring temperature data at Caribou Bog and the Old Town Water District to determine how groundwater interacts with surface water features located at these sites. A Masters's student will finish her graduate degree on groundwater interaction with vernal pools and is planning on submitting her work to a hydrology journal for publication. Most field sites will either be dismantled, with one or two selected for continued monitoring. Then peat core collected last summer will continue to be processed and an undergraduate student will begin to prepare and analyze slides for tephra in the ashed peat. An additional peat core will be collected for permeability testing from Caribou Bog.
Impacts What was accomplished under these goals?
Water pressure data was manually collected at eight well clusters. Continuous water pressures were collected at multiple depths in three well clusters and in shallow wells at five other locations. These water pressure data were corrected for atmospheric pressure and converted to a water elevation above mean sea level. Time series (wavelet) analysis was performed on the multi-year record of water level data to identify oscillations in the data set related to evapotranspiration and identify anomalous events that are hypothesized to be related to biogenic gas movement within and release from the peat sediments. Anomalous events occur within the peat throughout the year, with the data suggesting ebullition (gas bubbling) events decrease from spring thaw through the late fall when the peat re-freezes. An eight meter long peat core was collected from Caribou Bog and subdivided into five centimeter long sections. These sections are being processed to measure drainable porosity, bulk density, and ash content. Tephra (volcanic ash) analysis is planned for the core to determine if this could be used to date the cores and assess peat accumulation rates. Temperature and hydraulic head data were collected from six vernal pools. A heat transport computer program, further refined for this project, was used to estimate vertical groundwater velocities. Hydraulic head gradients measured at each vernal pool were also used to estimate vertical groundwater flow rates and were compared to the rates calculated using the heat transport model. The hydraulic head in each pool (surface water level) was combined with previously collected pool topography information to calculate the volume of water stored in each pool over time. These data were combined to create water budgets for each vernal pool. These data suggest that vernal pools in different regions of Maine interact differently with groundwater (e.g. different recharge and discharge functions), likely related to differences in the geology beneath the pools.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Reeve, A.S., L.D. Slater, X. Comas and P.H Glaser. 2017. Time Series Analysis of Hydraulic Head Data in Caribou Bog, Maine (USA) to Evaluate Biogenic Gas Ebullition and Other Events. Society of Wetland Scientists 2017 Annual Meeting held in Puerto Rico, June 5-8, 2017, ID# 1310
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Straka, K, A.S. Reeve and A. Calhoun. 2017. Characterizing hydrologic properties in Maine vernal pools with a focus on groundwater patterns. Society of Wetland Scientists 2017 Annual Meeting held in Puerto Rico, June 5-8, 2017 ID# 1561
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Glaser, P. H., D. I. Siegel, J. P. Chanton, A. S. Reeve, D. O. Rosenberry, J. E. Corbett, S. Dasgupta, and Z. Levy. 2016. Climatic drivers for multidecadal shifts in solute transport and methane production zones within a large peat basin, Global Biogeochem. Cycles: 15781598.
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