Helping Streams Help Themselves: Restoring Sustainable and Distributed Water Pollution Attenuation

1066817(Hester)这项研究致力于恢复河流及其下伏沉积物(即高度活跃的S河)之间的小尺度水(地下)交换，该河流受到各种人类土地利用的严重影响。首要目标是确定低位修复的可能性如何？随着城市化梯度而变化，特别是因为城市地区已经进行了相当大的溪流恢复工作。为了实现这一点，将检查10个河流河段内与潮汐相关的条件，相对于它们所在流域的城市化。具体的研究目标是：(1)通过现有的数字来源来量化每个流域的流域层面的城市化指标：(2)通过实地活动和现有的数字来源来衡量每条河流对地下水位交换(或替代物)的河段尺度控制；(3)利用统计分析来确定每个流域对地下水位交换的控制与城市化之间的关系；(4)相对于指定的参考条件，量化地下水位损害；以及(5)进行河流恢复和河岸/流域恢复以及河流/流域恢复的可行性评估，以减轻沿城市化梯度的河流水位损害。国际和平研究所将把这项研究纳入水资源工程课程的一个新的水资源可持续性部分，包括让学生参与分析和展示结果，以及参观修复地点。同样，联合PI将为一门绿色工程课程开发学习模块。国际工程学院将与工程学院S工程多样性促进中心合作，通过在学年进行数据分析的学期研究经验和夏季实地研究助理，招募未被充分代表的本科生参与该项目。

1066817 (Hester) This research focuses on the restoration of small-scale water (hyporheic) exchange between streams and their underlying sediments (i.e., the highly reactive ?river?s liver?), which has been heavily impacted by various human land uses. The overarching goal is to determine how the potential for ?hyporheic restoration? varies along an urbanization gradient in particular because considerable stream restoration efforts already occur in urban areas. To accomplish this, hyporheic-relevant conditions within 10 stream reaches will be examined relative to urbanization in their contributing watersheds. The specific research objectives are to: (1) quantify watershed-level urbanization metrics for each watershed via existing digital sources: (2) measure reach-scale controls on hyporhic exchange (or surrogates) at each stream via field campaign and existing digital sources; (3) identify relationships between each reach-scale control on hyporheic exchange and urbanization using statistical analyses; (4) quantify hyporheic impairment relative to designated reference conditions; and (5) conduct feasibility assessment of stream restoration and riparian/watershed restoration and riparian/watershed restoration to mitigate hyporheic impairment along an urbanization gradient. The PI will integrate the research into a new water sustainability component of a Water Resources Engineering class, including involving students in analysis and presentation of results, as well as tours of restoration sites. Similarly, the co-PI will develop learning modules for a Green Engineering course. The PI will work with the School of Engineering?s Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity to recruit underrepresented undergraduates to participate in the project both through semester research experiences conducting data analysis during the academic year and as summer field research assistants.