Resource Management in a Changing Climate: Understanding the Relationships between Water Quality and Golden Alga Distribution in the Pecos River, New Mexico and Texas

Our approach will include sampling a wide range of habitats and environmental conditions throughout the middle and lower Pecos River basin, across an 18 month time-span to account for seasonal and phenological events. We will utilize a suite of univariate and multivariate statistical techniques to relate occurrence and density of golden alga to environmental factors and other co-occurring organisms. The proposed research will benefit managers of the Pecos River, of its associated reservoirs and unique habitats (sinkholes on the Bottomless Lakes State Park and Bitter Lakes National Wildlife Refuge), and of its resident aquatic biota by identifying specific water quality attributes that promote golden alga bloom development...

Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2011, CONTAMINANTS, CONTAMINANTS, Data Acquisition and Development, Datasets/Database, All tags... Decision Support, Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative, EARTH SCIENCE, EARTH SCIENCE, Federal resource managers, HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS (HABs), HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS (HABs), LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, NM-02, New Mexico, Pecos River, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Presentation, Project, Publication, TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE, TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE, TX-23, Texas, United States, WATER QUALITY/WATER CHEMISTRY, WATER QUALITY/WATER CHEMISTRY, algae, biota, completed, water, Fewer tags

Final Report: A Landscape Approach to Fisheries Database Compilation and Predictive Modeling

Executive Summary: Fisheries data compilation efforts for this project fell within two large watersheds in Arizona; the Verde River watershed (Desert LCC) and the Little Colorado River watershed (Southern Rockies LCC). We divided the project into two phases; 1) data compilation for the Arizona Game and Fish Fisheries Information Systems (FINS) and 2) a demonstration of FINS through model development and species distribution data. During phase 1, we compiled, cleaned, assigned National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) reach codes to historical data for 113,230 fish records in the Verde River watershed and 43,828 fish records from the Little Colorado River watershed. These records were standardized to meet the Arizona Game...

Categories: Data; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2012, AZ-01, AZ-02, AZ-03, AZ-04, All tags... AZ-05, AZ-06, AZ-07, AZ-08, AZ-09, Academics & scientific researchers, Arizona, Conservation NGOs, Data Management and Integration, Data.gov Desert LCC, Datasets/Database, Decision Support, EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > DATA MANAGEMENT/DATA HANDLING, Federal resource managers, GIS, GIS, LCC Network Science Catalog, NM-01, NM-02, NM-03, New Mexico, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Presentation, Publication, Report, State agencies, Transboundary Madrean Watersheds Pilot Area, United States, aquatic, biota, climate change, climate change, completed, fish, invasive species, invasive species, riparian, water management, water management, water use, water use, Fewer tags

From Genotype to River Basin: The combined impacts of climate change on bio-control on a dominant riparian invasive tree/shrub (Tamarisk spp.)

Delivering adequate water supplies to support expanding human enterprise while maintaining the necessary flow regimes to support desired riparian ecosystems and formally protected wildlife species that depend upon them is increasingly difficult in the arid western United States. Many riparian systems have undergone dramatic alteration over the last 50 - 100 years, exacerbating the conflicts between resource use and biodiversity protection. One of the most visible changes that is in part due to altered flow regimes is the establishment of invasive plant species in riparian ecosystems. The highest priority invasive riparian plant is the Eurasian tree/shrub, tamarisk (or saltcedar, Tamarix spp.) the third most abundant...

Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2012, AZ-01, AZ-02, AZ-03, AZ-04, All tags... AZ-05, AZ-06, AZ-07, AZ-08, AZ-09, Arizona, BIOSPHERE, CA-08, CA-36, CA-51, COMMUNITY DYNAMICS, Conservation NGOs, Conservation Planning, Datasets/Database, Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative, EARTH SCIENCE, ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS, Federal resource managers, INVASIVE SPECIES, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, Lower Colorado River Basin, Map, Methodology/Protocol, Mojave Desert Pilot Area, NM-02, NM-03, NV-04, Nevada, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Project, State agencies, UT-02, United States, Utah, Virgin River watershed, Vulnerability Assessment, biota, climate change, completed, drought, genetics, invasive species, phenology, riparian, stream flow, tamarisk, tamarisk leaf beetles, water supply, woody plants, Fewer tags

Water Harvesting Assessment Toolbox

The Water Harvesting Assessment Toolbox is a prototype decision aid designed to help communities in the Southwest US understand the role water harvesting can play in meeting water resource challenges while providing multiple additional benefits. It also introduces water harvesting techniques and suggests ways to implement locally appropriate water harvesting efforts. The Toolbox is intended for a wide range of users. In order to make most effective use of the Toolbox, a local facilitator should convene a varied group of community personnel (water supply management, stormwater management, transportation, planning, engineering, etc.) to go through the water harvesting assessment process together. A separate Facilitator’s...

Categories: Data; Tags: Applications and Tools, Applications and Tools, Arizona, Conservation Planning, DLCC, All tags... Data, Data, Data.gov Desert LCC, Decision Support, Decision Support Tool, Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Desert Water Harvesting Initiative, Document, EARTH SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE/MANAGEMENT, Engineering, HUMAN DIMENSIONS, LCC Network Science Catalog, Madrean Watersheds Pilot Area, Planning, Presentation, Rainwater Harvesting, Report, Report, Socio-economics/Ecosystem Services, State agencies, Stormwater Harvesting, Stormwater Management, The University of Arizona, Transportation, U.S. Southwest, United States, United States Bureau of Reclamation, WATER MANAGEMENT, Water Harvesting, Water Supply and Management, Water Use, Website, completed, environment, Fewer tags

LIDAR and Multispectral Imagery Data for the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park: A Critical Need for Climate Change Mitigation Planning

In response to the rapid and dramatic hydroecological deterioration of the Rio Grande through Big Bend, the Big Bend Conservation Cooperative (BBCC), a multi-disciplinary group of natural resource agencies, research institutions, and conservation organizations have been organizing and implementing a wide range of river rehabilitation, scientific research activities and climate change initiatives. More recently, the Basin and Bay Expert Science Team, part of an environmental flows initiative by the state of Texas, is using best available science to recommend environmental flow regimes for the major rivers of Texas. Limited understating of the sediment dynamics of the Rio Grande and riparian vegetation change hinders...

Categories: Data; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2011, Academics & scientific researchers, Big Bend National Park, Big Bend ‐ Río Bravo & Lower Río Conchos Pilot Area, Conservation NGOs, All tags... Data, Data Acquisition and Development, Data.gov Desert LCC, Datasets/Database, Decision Support, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS > RIVERS/STREAM, Federal resource managers, LCC Network Science Catalog, LiDAR, Map, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Report, Rio Grande, TX-23, Texas, US-Mexico Border, United States, completed, environmental flows, inlandWaters, product, remote sensing, riparian, rivers, streams, Fewer tags

Final Reports: Modeling Woody Plant Regeneration and Debris Accumulation under Future Streamflow and Wildfire Scenarios in the DLCC

Executive Summary: Riparian ecosystems are vital components of the semi-arid landscape because woody riparian plants provide resources that are absent in adjacent vegetation types. Historically, flood played a key role in shaping the composition and structure of riparian forests. In recent decades, however, the frequency and magnitude of floods has decreased and the timing of peak discharge has been altered. In addition, wildfire has increased in importance as an agent of disturbance along many streams. We initiated this study to increase our understanding of fire, flood, and drought processes at our Middle Rio Grande study sites and develop tools that managers of other systems can use to project the response of...

Categories: Data; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2012, Acer negundo, Applications and Tools, Data.gov Desert LCC, Decision Support, All tags... EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > VEGETATION > FOREST COMPOSITION/VEGETATION STRUCTURE, Federal resource managers, LCC Network Science Catalog, Middle Rio Grande, NM-01, NM-02, NM-03, New Mexico, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Populus spp, Publication, R, Report, Training/Outreach/Workshop, United States, Vulnerability Assessment, biota, boxelder, completed, cottonwood, debris, fire, population model, riparian, riparian obligates, vegetation, vulnerability, watershed management, wildlife, woody vegetation, Fewer tags

Desert LCC Data Management and Delivery

This project will result in development of an information management and delivery system to coordinate science communication platforms and to build a catalog inside of the USGS ScienceBase data and information management platform. The tasks maximize use of available products and services developed and tested by data experts working together through LCC's, Climate Science Centers, and the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center. In working with USGS Fort Collins (FORT) to complete the tasks, the Desert LCC will be responsible for providing input on specifications, data entry and maintenance of records in Science Base to populate the tools that comprise the information management and delivery system, and...

Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2014, AZ-01, AZ-02, AZ-03, AZ-04, All tags... AZ-05, AZ-06, AZ-07, AZ-08, AZ-09, Academics & scientific researchers, Aquascalientes, Arizona, Baja California, Big Bend ‐ Río Bravo & Lower Río Conchos Pilot Area, CA-08, CA-23, CA-25, CA-27, CA-36, CA-50, CA-51, California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Data Management and Integration, Datasets/Database, Desert LCC (all), Desert LCC Funded Science Project, Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Durango, EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > DATA MANAGEMENT/DATA HANDLING, Federal resource managers, Guanajuato, Interested public, Jalisco, LCC, Mexico, Mojave Desert Pilot Area, NM-02, NV-01, NV-03, NV-04, Nayarit, Nevada, New Mexico, Nuevo León, Querétaro, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, TX-16, TX-23, Tamaulipas, Texas, Transboundary Madrean Watersheds Pilot Area, UT-02, United States, Utah, Website, Zacatecas, environment, environment, Fewer tags

Golden Alga Distribution and Water Quality

REPORT PROJECT BACKGROUND: Golden alga (Prymnesium parvum) is a harmful algal species that is primarily found in marine ecosystems but is also present and invasive in brackish inland waters. The first documented bloom of golden alga in the United States occurred in the Pecos River in 1985. This species has since invaded other water bodies in the Pecos River basin (e.g. sinkhole habitats, reservoirs) and has been reported in at least 23 U.S. states. Toxins produced by golden alga can be lethal to fishes, bivalves, crayfish, and gilled amphibians. The ecological and economical impacts of golden alga blooms have been severe. Recent research suggests that the frequency and severity of golden alga blooms will increase...

Categories: Data; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2011, CONTAMINANTS, CONTAMINANTS, Data Acquisition and Development, Data.gov Desert LCC, All tags... Datasets/Database, Decision Support, EARTH SCIENCE, EARTH SCIENCE, Federal resource managers, HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS (HABs), HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS (HABs), LCC Network Science Catalog, NM-02, New Mexico, Pecos River, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Presentation, Publication, Report, TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE, TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE, TX-23, Texas, United States, WATER QUALITY/WATER CHEMISTRY, WATER QUALITY/WATER CHEMISTRY, algae, biota, completed, product, water, Fewer tags

Webinar: Desert Water Harvesting Initiative - Guide to Assessing Rainwater and Stormwater Harvesting

Guide to Assessing Rainwater and Stormwater Harvesting Potential to Meet Multiple Challenges and Provide Multiple Benefits. The Water Resources Research Center established the Desert Water Harvesting Initiative to enhance outreach and communication between utilities, practitioners of water harvesting, academics, and interested citizens. The Initiative includes a two-year WaterSMART research grant to develop a decision guide to rainwater and stormwater harvesting; an online data clearinghouse for research and publications on water harvesting, low-impact development, and green infrastructure; and the Rainwater-Stormwater Professionals Networks (RSPN) that meets semi-annually at the WRRC to keep members abreast of...

Categories: Data; Tags: Applications and Tools, Applications and Tools, Arizona, Conservation Planning, DLCC, All tags... Data.gov Desert LCC, Decision Support, Decision Support Tool, Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Desert Water Harvesting Initiative, EARTH SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE/MANAGEMENT, Engineering, HUMAN DIMENSIONS, LCC Network Science Catalog, Madrean Watersheds Pilot Area, Planning, Presentation, Rainwater Harvesting, Report, Socio-economics/Ecosystem Services, State agencies, Stormwater Harvesting, Stormwater Management, The University of Arizona, Transportation, U.S. Southwest, United States, United States Bureau of Reclamation, WATER MANAGEMENT, Water Harvesting, Water Supply and Management, Water Use, Website, Website, completed, environment, presentation, product, Fewer tags

Report, Inventory and Assessment Protocols, Adaptation Plan, and Presentation for: Springs in the Sky Island Region: Inventory, Assessment, and Management Planning Project

Sky Island Alliance (SIA) is a non-governmental organizational that works to protect and restore the rich natural heritage of native species and habitats in the Sky Island Region. We work with volunteers, scientists, land-owners, public officials, and government agencies to establish protected areas, restore healthy landscapes, and promote public appreciation of the region’s unique biological diversity. Because of our long-standing collaborative relationships with land managers and our large corps of skilled volunteers, we were in a unique position to spearhead this project.SIA initiated this springs inventory, assessment and management planning project to develop baseline information on springs in the Sky Island...

Categories: Data, Publication; Types: ArcGIS REST Map Service, Citation, Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2011, AZ-02, AZ-03, Arizona, Conservation NGOs, All tags... Data Acquisition and Development, Data Management and Integration, Data.gov Desert LCC, Datasets/Database, Decision Support, Document, EARTH SCIENCE, EARTH SCIENCE, FLUVIAL LANDFORMS, FLUVIAL LANDFORMS, Federal resource managers, GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES, GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES, LAND SURFACE, LAND SURFACE, LCC Network Science Catalog, Map, Policy makers & regulators, Publication, Regional & county planners, Report, Report, SPRING, SPRING, Sky Island Region, Sky Islands Region, Transboundary Madrean Watersheds Pilot Area, United States, assessment, assessments, biota, completed, management, presentation, product, seeps and springs, volunteers, Fewer tags

Development of a Decision Support Tool for Water and Resource Management using Biotic, Abiotic, and Hydrological Assessments of Topock Marsh

Topock Marsh is a large wetland adjacent to the Colorado River and main feature of Havasu National Wildlife Refuge (Havasu NWR) in southern Arizona. In 2010, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and Bureau of Reclamation began a project to improve water management capabilities at Topock Marsh and protect habitats and species. Initial construction required a drawdown, which caused below-average inflows and water depths in 2010-2011. Co-applicants Daniels and Haegele of FORT monitored Topock Marsh during the drawdown and immediately after, thus obtained information on immediate effects. However, stress from the drawdown may have a delayed effect on aquatic resources; additionally, significant changes to the infrastructure...

Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2013, AZ-04, Applications and Tools, Arizona, CA-08, All tags... California, Data Acquisition and Development, Datasets/Database, Decision Support, Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative, EARTH SCIENCE, EARTH SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE/MANAGEMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE/MANAGEMENT, Federal resource managers, GIS, HUMAN DIMENSIONS, HUMAN DIMENSIONS, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, Mojave Desert Pilot Area, Monitoring, Policy makers & regulators, Project, Publication, Report, State agencies, United States, WATER MANAGEMENT, WATER MANAGEMENT, aquatic, biota, completed, fish, hydrology, invasive, invertebrate, map, model, monitoring, native, plant, protected area, vegetation, water availability, water management, water quality, wetland, Fewer tags

Reducing Uncertainty Regarding Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity in the California Desert

University of California Riverside’s Center for Conservation Biology will create a sustainable resource monitoring framework that will provide empirical data identifying if and how climate change is changing the composition and vitality of Joshua Tree National Park. These data will then help focus the Park’s resource management programs to help ensure the Park’s rich biodiversity can be sustained to the extent possible. A broader goal is to have this framework adopted across the surrounding public lands to then integrate data from multiple sites and land management philosophies to create an unambiguous picture of the impacts of climate change across the desert region.

Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2013, Biodiversity, CA-08, CA-36, California, All tags... Climate change, Datasets/Database, Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative, EARTH SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE/MANAGEMENT, Federal resource managers, HUMAN DIMENSIONS, Interested public, Joshua Tree National Park, LAND MANAGEMENT, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, Methodology/Protocol, Mojave Desert Pilot Area, Monitoring, Monitoring, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Presentation, Project, United States, Vulnerability Assessment, biota, completed, Fewer tags

Decision Support Tool for Water and Resource Management of Topock Marsh

Topock Marsh is a large wetland adjacent to the Colorado River and main feature of Havasu National Wildlife Refuge (Havasu NWR) in southern Arizona. In 2010, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and Bureau of Reclamation began a project to improve water management capabilities at Topock Marsh and protect habitats and species. Initial construction required a drawdown, which caused below-average inflows and water depths in 2010-2011. Co-applicants Daniels and Haegele of FORT monitored Topock Marsh during the drawdown and immediately after, thus obtained information on immediate effects. However, stress from the drawdown may have a delayed effect on aquatic resources; additionally, significant changes to the infrastructure...

Categories: Data, Software; Types: ArcGIS REST Map Service, ArcGIS Service Definition, Downloadable, Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2013, AZ-04, Applications and Tools, Arizona, CA-08, All tags... California, Data Acquisition and Development, Data.gov Desert LCC, Datasets/Database, Decision Support, EARTH SCIENCE, EARTH SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE/MANAGEMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE/MANAGEMENT, Federal resource managers, GIS, HUMAN DIMENSIONS, HUMAN DIMENSIONS, LCC Network Science Catalog, Mojave Desert Pilot Area, Monitoring, Policy makers & regulators, Project, Publication, Report, Software, State agencies, United States, WATER MANAGEMENT, WATER MANAGEMENT, aquatic, biota, completed, fish, hydrology, invasive, invertebrate, map, model, monitoring, native, plant, product, protected area, vegetation, water availability, water management, water quality, wetland, Fewer tags

Literature Review: Fire Effects and Management in Riparian Ecosystems of the Southwestern United States and Mexico

Riparian ecosystems are among the most productive and diverse ecosystems in desert biomes. In the Sonoran, Chihuahuan, and Mojave deserts of the United States and Mexico, riparian ecosystems support regional biodiversity and provide many ecosystem services to human communities. Due to the dynamic nature of these ecosystems and their abundance of resources, riparian areas have been modified in various ways and to a large extent through human endeavor to manage water and accommodate various land uses, particularly in lowland floodplains and stream channels. Modifications often interfere with multiple and complex ecological processes, resulting in the loss of native riparian vegetation and increasing vulnerability...

Categories: Data; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2013, AZ-01, AZ-02, AZ-03, AZ-04, All tags... AZ-05, AZ-06, AZ-07, AZ-08, AZ-09, Aquascalientes, Arizona, Baja California, Big Bend ‐ Río Bravo & Lower Río Conchos Pilot Area, CA-08, CA-23, CA-25, CA-27, CA-36, CA-50, CA-51, California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Desert LCC (all), Document, Durango, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > FIRE ECOLOGY, Federal resource managers, Guanajuato, Informing Conservation Delivery, Jalisco, LCC Network Science Catalog, Mexico, Mojave Desert Pilot Area, NM-02, NV-01, NV-03, NV-04, Nayarit, Nevada, New Mexico, Northern Mexico, Nuevo León, Querétaro, Report, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Southwest US, TX-16, TX-23, Tamaulipas, Texas, Transboundary Madrean Watersheds Pilot Area, UT-02, United States, Utah, Zacatecas, biota, completed, fire, product, riparian ecosystems, Fewer tags

A Landscape Approach for Fisheries Database Compilation and Predictive Modeling

A strong data foundation is needed to inform science-based decisions for fisheries management at a watershed level. In preparation for a shift towards comprehensive watershed-scale planning, Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) is developing a fisheries data management system with an initial focus on compiling and formatting several hundred thousand fish survey and stocking records. Fish data will be integrated within a Geographic Information System (GIS) by georeferencing observations to an existing national spatial framework (National Hydrography Dataset), which will allow for broader transferability to watersheds shared with neighboring states, creating a seamless layer not limited by state boundaries. In...

Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2012, AZ-01, AZ-02, AZ-03, AZ-04, All tags... AZ-05, AZ-06, AZ-07, AZ-08, AZ-09, Academics & scientific researchers, Arizona, Conservation NGOs, Data Management and Integration, Datasets/Database, Decision Support, Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative, EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > DATA MANAGEMENT/DATA HANDLING, Federal resource managers, GIS, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, NM-01, NM-02, NM-03, New Mexico, Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection, Presentation, Project, Publication, State agencies, Transboundary Madrean Watersheds Pilot Area, United States, aquatic, biota, climate change, completed, environment, fish, invasive species, riparian, water management, water use, Fewer tags

Tribal Climate Adaptation Workshop

Native Nations face unique challenges related to climate change, many of which are detailed in recent reports as part of the U.S. National Climate Assessment (Bennett et al. 2014; Hiza Redsteer et al. 2013). Native Americans have a deep connection to the natural environment within which their livelihoods, cultural identity, and spiritual practices are rooted. Changes to hydrologic regimes, landscapes, and ecosystems, in combination with socio-economic and political factors, amplify tribal vulnerabilities to climate change. In the Southwest, tribes are already experiencing a range of impacts that are at least partially related to climate change. They include serious water supply and water quality issues in the...

Categories: Data, Project; Tags: 2015, Arizona, Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative, EARTH SCIENCE SERVICES > EDUCATION/OUTREACH, Informing Conservation Delivery, All tags... LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, Project, Training/Outreach/Workshop, Tribes, United States, completed, environment, Fewer tags

Publication: Assessment of ecosystem response to a temporary water level drawdown and subsequent refilling at Topock Marsh, Arizona

Abstract: Topock Marsh is a large wetland adjacent to the Colorado River and the main feature of Havasu National Wildlife Refuge (Havasu NWR) in southern Arizona. In 2010, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and Bureau of Reclamation began a project to improve water management capabilities at Topock Marsh and protect habitats and species. Initial construction required a drawdown, which caused below-average inflows and water depths in 2010–11. U.S. Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) scientists collected an assemblage of biotic, abiotic, and hydrologic data from Topock Marsh during the drawdown and immediately after, thus obtaining valuable information needed by FWS. Building upon that work,...

Categories: Data; Types: ArcGIS REST Map Service, ArcGIS Service Definition, Downloadable, Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2013, AZ-04, Applications and Tools, Arizona, CA-08, All tags... California, Data Acquisition and Development, Data.gov Desert LCC, Datasets/Database, Decision Support, EARTH SCIENCE, EARTH SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE/MANAGEMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE/MANAGEMENT, Federal resource managers, GIS, HUMAN DIMENSIONS, HUMAN DIMENSIONS, LCC Network Science Catalog, Mojave Desert Pilot Area, Monitoring, Policy makers & regulators, Publication, Report, Report, State agencies, United States, WATER MANAGEMENT, WATER MANAGEMENT, aquatic, biota, completed, fish, hydrology, invasive, invertebrate, map, model, monitoring, native, plant, product, protected area, vegetation, water availability, water management, water quality, wetland, Fewer tags

Quantitative and Predictive Analysis: Landscape Connectivity of Isolated Waters for Wildlife in the Sonoran Desert

Executive Summary: We provide an analysis of Sonoran Desert water network connectivity to inform managers of current conditions for target wildlife and how the connectivity will change as the landscape becomes more water limited.Climate change is expected to lead to fragmentation of the network, increasing coalescence distance by 8% and reducing the persistence and overall number of waters on the landscape. Identification of key water sites, ranked by network connectivity metrics, are presented in Appendix B. Wetland number under our scenario of water limitation will decline by 43% reducing network resilience.Anurans and Caudates, although varying in ability to disperse, generally experienced reduced connectivity...

Categories: Data, Publication; Types: Citation, Downloadable, Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service, Shapefile; Tags: 2013, AZ-01, AZ-02, AZ-03, AZ-04, All tags... Academics & scientific researchers, Applications and Tools, Arizona, CA-36, CA-50, CA-51, California, Conservation Design, Conservation NGOs, Conservation Plan/Design/Framework, Data.gov Desert LCC, Datasets/Database, Decision Support, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS > WETLANDS, Federal resource managers, LCC Network Science Catalog, Publication, Report, Sonoran Desert, Transboundary Madrean Watersheds Pilot Area, United States, Vulnerability Assessment, biota, completed, connectivity, map, product, southwestern United States, water, wetlands, wildlife, Fewer tags

Presentation: Three-dimensional Hydrodynamic and Water Quality Model for Lake Mead

ELCOM and CAEDYM are three-dimensional finite-difference codes; they were used to simulate three-dimensional transport and the interactions of flow, physics, biology, and chemistry in the reservoir. The study indicated that the hydrodynamic flow patterns within Boulder Basin are mainly driven by the Colorado River inflow, the Hoover Dam outflow, and meteorological parameters. However, the water quality of Boulder Basin is also affected by the load of nutrients from the Las Vegas Wash, which carries the treated wastewater effluents from municipal wastewater treatment plants, surface runoff, and groundwater discharges into the basin.The goal of this proposed project is to assess the potential for changes in water...

Categories: Data; Tags: 2014, AZ-04, Arizona, EARTH SCIENCE, Federal resource managers, All tags... LCC Network Science Catalog, Lake Mead, Mojave Desert Pilot Area, NUTRIENTS, NV-04, Nevada, Presentation, TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE, United States, WATER QUALITY/WATER CHEMISTRY, climate change, completed, inlandWaters, modeling, nutrient cycles, presentation, product, sediment transport, tools, water quality, Fewer tags

Final Report: Predicting Snow Water Equivalence (SWE) and Soil Moisture Response to Restoration Treatments in Headwater Ponderosa Pine Forests of the Desert LCC

The U.S. Forest Service plans to conduct forest restoration treatments through the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) on hundreds of thousands of acres of ponderosa pine forest along the Mogollon Rim of Arizona over the next 20 years with the goals of reducing wildfire hazard and improving forest health. The 4FRI’s key objective is to thin and burn the forests to create within-stand openings that “promote snowpack accumulation and retention which benefit groundwater recharge and watershed processes at the fine (1 to 10 acres) scale.” However, little is known about how these openings created by restoration treatments affect snow water equivalence (SWE) and soil moisture, which are key parts of the water balance...

Categories: Data; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2013, AL-04, AZ-01, Academics & scientific researchers, Applications and Tools, All tags... Arizona, Centennial Forest, Coconino National Forest, Conservation NGOs, Conservation Planning, Data Acquisition and Development, Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative, EARTH SCIENCE > TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE > SNOW/ICE > SNOW WATER EQUIVALENT, Federal resource managers, Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) area, GIS, Gus Pearson Natural Area, Informing Conservation Delivery, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, Presentation, Publication, Report, Report, Training/Outreach/Workshop, Tribes, United States, Verde River Basin, biota, climate change, completed, forest management, forest structure, forest thinning, ponderosa pine forests, remote sensing, restoration, snow, snowpack, soil moisture, water, wildfire, Fewer tags