SURFACE PROCESSES AND MORPHODYNAMICS
We are investigating short- and long-term wildfire impacts on runoff, erosion, water quality, snowpack, and vegetation recovery. Much of this work involves field data collection (frequently using drones) in the areas burned in the 2020 Cameron Peak and East Troublesome Fires in Northern Colorado.
Rivers respond to changes in flow and sediment supply through adjustments to slope, width, bed surface grain size, and bed features such as bars and dunes. We use field observations, flume experiments, and numerical models to better understand the mechanisms responsible for these river dynamics, and improve predictions of river channel evolution.
In-stream treatments such as log structures, rootwad structures, and simulated cascades have been build in channels experiencing post-wildfire incision in an attempt to prevent further delivery of sediment to downstream water resources. We are monitoring some of these projects and evaluating their impacts on hydraulics, hydrology, and hillslope-channel connectivity.
The intensity and duration of rainfall is the primary control on when and where floods and debris flows occur. Through analyses of radar and rain gauge data, we are investigating how rainstorm characteristics change with terrain, and the potential for storms to produce hazards that may impact people and infrastructure.
Urban riverscapes are integral to the livability and sustainability of cities and suburbs. are complex social-ecological and hydrogeomorphic systems. Yet, despite recognition of their place and value, rivers are often degraded in urban settings. We have investigated hydrologic changes in urban streams, methods to predict sediment transport under changing conditions, and new methods to assess urban riverscapes that incorporate their human connections.