Recent Happenings in the Watershed Hydrogeology Lab

Some highlights from the end of last year and the beginning of the new year in our research group:

  • Alea successfully defended her thesis proposal in November, and is hoping to finish the thesis itself this spring.
  • We all benefited from time with our UCSB collaborators in December, and  we’ve got lots of ideas for how to use the RHESSys model to capture the dynamics of our urban waters. Colin is looking forward to a follow-up visit from Janet Choate in February, for more hands-on help getting RHESSys going.
  • Mackenzie  has bravely decided to add a MODFLOW component to her research on stream restoration and hyporheic exchange.  She’s taking a groundwater modeling class this spring and reading papers like Wondzell, S. M., J. LaNier, R. Haggerty, R. D. Woodsmith, and R. T. Edwards (2009), Changes in hyporheic exchange flow following experimental wood removal in a small, low-gradient stream, Water Resour. Res., 45, W05406, doi:10.1029/2008WR007214.
  • Christine is using time this semester to write her thesis proposal on bankfull hydraulic geometry and recurrence intervals in stable urban stream reaches.
  • Ralph McGee rejoined the group as a part-time technician on the Stormwater project. Ralph is now responsible for maintaining our ISCOs, Levelloggers, and Tidbits and collecting samples following storm events. As time allows, he’ll also be helping run some of the chemistry analyses and developing rating curves. Ralph is also working for other faculty in the department on an assortment of hydrologic research projects.
  • Anne got funding to inject the resazurin tracer into our reaches in the Beaver Dam watersheds over the summer. Anne and Mackenzie will also be adding more riparian wells to these reaches as well. Anne is also teaching Hydrogeology to 17 enthusiastic students this semester.
  • Sara McMillan is on maternity leave this semester.
  • And! Anne has finally gotten around to partially updating her webpage. Check out the projects, people, and pubs sections for up-to-date information.