| Macro Theme Area: |
Basin Scale Water Balance [Project ID: B22] |
| PI: |
Ty P.A. Ferre |
| CO-PI(s): |
B. Nijssen, B. Ekwurzel |
| Basin focus: |
Regional SW |
Specific area in
basin /
field sites: |
Sabino Canyon |
Summary/Goals:
Combine physical and chemical measurements made throughout a catchment with numerical modeling to assess the impacts of wildfire. Specifically: develop an air permeameter to rapidly assess soil permeability; monitor stream water chemistry and sediment; and develop a distributed hydrologic model that can account for fire effects. |
Activities and outcomes during past year:
A soil coring air permeameter has been built and tested. Hundreds of in-situ measurements have been made throughout Sabino Canyon and in surrounding burned and unburned areas. Data analysis is ongoing. Simultaneously, stream and rainfall isotopic data, and suspended sediment loads have been collected and analyzed to better understand flood generation processes.
Hundreds of stream chemistry analyses have been performed along with tens of sediment sampling events. Each data type is being assessed individually initially.
A distributed model of the watershed has been constructed. Sensitivity analyses will be conducted to better understand key parameters for linking physical and chemical processes throughout a burned catchment.
Plans for the upcoming year:
The final year of TRIF funding was used to complete interpretation of the relationship between air and water permeability in burened soil and to analyze flood generation processes and their seasonal variations. |
