Assessment of Conservation Management Practices in Klamath River Basin

Project ID: 68-3A75-4-101-01

Federal Agency: Natural Resources Conservation Service

Partner Institution: University of Washington

Fiscal Year: 2004

Initial Funding: $52,000

Total Funding: $52,000

Project Type: Research

Project Disciplines: Physical

Principal Investigator: Wood, Andrew

Agreement Technical Representative: Nelson, Terry

Abstract: The NRCS land management questions under study by the UW include the quantification of hydrologic and water quality changes arising from application of conservation practices in irrigation method (primarily, switching from flood to sprinkler-based methods, forest management (e.g., thinning, juniper removal) and riparian zone restoration. The sub-basin of primary interest is that of the Sprague River (4,050 km2).

The specific technical objectives of the proposed work by the University of Washington will be:
•To quantify the implications for the Sprague River hydrograph (timing and yield) and water balance of different scenarios of forest thinning, juniper control and of changes in irrigation methods and stream withdrawals.
•To investigate (survey) existing methods for assessing the water quantity and quality effects of conservation practices that lie beyond DHSVM’s simulation capabilities, and recommend alternative approaches for further study. For example, DHSVM is not appropriate for evaluating riparian or wetland buffer effects on water quality, or for analysis of groundwater exchanges due to pumping, underground springs and upwelling.
•To develop and apply a scheme for aggregating results from the Sprague River basin.