the trips
Grande Ronde River, Oregon and Washington 2007: Riverine ecosystems are commonly thought to exhibit relatively continuous downstream gradients in physical conditions and ecological communities. However, recent research suggests that observed longitudinal gradients in riverine ecosystem form and function are quite variable and largely dependent upon local hydrology, geomorphology and climate. The lower Grande Ronde River, which flows through regions with distinctly different geomorphic and climatic conditions, provided a great opportunity to examine the nature of longitudinal gradients in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem characteristics.
Green River, Utah and Colorado 2006: Dams disrupt the physical, chemical and biological connectivity of rivers and watersheds. The magnitude of this disruption, and its impact on riverine ecosystems, generally declines with distance downstream of a dam. Flaming Gorge Dam, which blocks the Green River in Colorado and Utah, provides a unique setting for evaluating downstream changes in aquatic and riparian ecosystems below large, multipurpose reservoirs. In June 2006 the Ecogeomorphology course studied the Green from the tailwaters below Flaming Gorge Dam through the Gates of Lodore, past the confluence with the unregulated Yampa River, ending at Split Mountain in Dinosaur National Monument.
Grand Canyon, Arizona 2005: large, multipurpose dams impact the integrity of downstream aquatic and riparian ecosystems. An international effort is underway to evaluate how pulse flow releases might be used as a tool in restoration. An experimental release from Glen Canyon Dam in November of 2004 created a unique opportunity to examine the geomorphic and ecologic response of releases on the health of Grand Canyon ecosystems.
Skeena River, British Columbia, 2004: recent research has demonstrated the importance of tributary-mainstem interactions in promoting biodiversity in rivers. Management and restoration of rivers may need to focus more closely on this process in the future. The remote, relatively pristine upper Skeena River provides a natural laboratory for examining the nature of these interactions and the associated response of aquatic communities.
Scott River, Northern California, 2003: more than a century of logging, mining, grazing, hydropower and farm activity in the Klamath River watershed has degraded habitat for a range of anadromous and resident fishes. Restoration of tributaries to the Klamath may contribute to the recovery of these populations. Analysis of the Scott River, a tributary to the Klamath, provides insight into rearing habitat needs for salmonids, particularly the coho salmon, listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Copper River, Alaska, 2002: management of large, glacially-influenced rivers forms unique challenges, including a dearth of information about geomorphic influences on the quality and distribution of aquatic and riparian habitats. The Copper River, one of the most important salmon-producing rivers in the world, provides an opportunity to examine, first hand, the feedbacks between habitat conditions and glacial processes.
