Introduction To Forest Hydrology › liechtyh › Powerpoint › PDF › For3592...Introduction To...
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Forest Hydrology
2013
Outlet
1
The watershed (drainage basin, catchment area) is the
basic unit of management to protect and enhance
water quality/aquatic ecosystems
Management of Water
An area of land that drains water, sediment, and dissolved
materials to a common outlet somewhere along a stream
channel. Outlet
1
http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module01/whatiswatershed.htm
A watershed is the basic unit of land associated with a
specific portion of a river or river system
What is a Watershed?
Outlet
Stream Channels
Streams and
watersheds are
delineated by
order. The lower
the order the
smaller the
stream and
watershed.
2 First order watershed
Headwaters
Outlet
Watersheds and Stream Orders
• Unbranching streams are first order
• A second order stream is created when two or more
first order streams join
• Any lower order stream juncture above a larger order
stream does not change the order of the larger order
stream
• The watershed that feeds the stream system takes on
order of the stream
How do you think the volume of
water running in a channel is
related to stream order?
Gemorphology
• Upper watersheds are called headwater streams &
comprise 70-80% of watershed
• Headwater streams comprise majority of water in
watersheds
• Headwater streams occur in steeper areas and in
erosion zones
• Water flows to deposition zones
Why are headwater
streams important to
foresters?
Attributes of and Issues in Watersheds
• No two watersheds are the same
• Larger watersheds can be divided into
smaller watersheds
• Boundaries are defined by natural
hydrology
Basic Watershed Regions in US
Hydrologic Unit Code
8-digit Huc Watersheds in Arkansas; 800,000-1,750,000 acres 4
Watersheds and Political
Boundaries
Watersheds cross
political boundaries
Nutrient management in
Arkansas impacts water
quality in Missouri and
Oklahoma
Integrated Watershed Management
Watershed management: management of water and land resources together 1) protection of water 2) production of goods and services from land, water, and vegetation in a sustainable manner 3) integration of 1 & 2
Integrated Watershed Management
Diverse stakeholders control, effect, and manage watersheds
Groups, councils, government agencies, private companies, landowners etc. involved in management
Conflict among groups so IWM requires working with all to reach goals
IWM Strategies
Preventive: Strategies to reduce negative impacts of land management practices:
1)BMP 2)erosion control, 3)streamside management zones 4)proper harvesting of forests 5) laws/rules etc.
IWM Strategies Restoration: Strategies to fix existing problems :
1)bank stabilization
2)restoring natural stream beds
3)stream structures
4) lake aeration etc.
Sustainable Use
Water Scarcity
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/04/water/plumbing-
california-animation
1 acre-feet of water
=325,829 gallons
Sustainable Use
Land Scarcity (degradation)
Sustainable Use
Hydrometeorological Extremes
Floods
http://cindi.usgs.gov/hazard/event/floyd/ncflood/nc
flood.html
Sustainable Use Flood Control/Protection
Cumulative Effects on Watersheds
Combined environmental effects of many
landuse activities in a watershed, thus total
impact is the sum of all
ex. Inputs of forest management, agriculture,
urban development, road networks on silt and
sediment in streams