RAPID: Initial response of step-pool streams to wildfire

台阶和水池是控制陡峭山溪河道形态的特征性底形，调节流入低地河流和较大水体的水流和沉积物动力学。2012年夏天，几场灾难性的野火蔓延到科罗拉多的落基山脉，烧毁了许多包含阶梯池通道的流域。这些事件提供了机会，监测野火的影响，作为一个主要的干扰步骤池流，并最终发展预测了解的弹性和潜在的恢复等系统。 该项目旨在迅速建立基线条件的步骤池渠道发生重大变化之前，以应对沃尔多峡谷火灾。沃尔多峡谷大火于2012年6月23日开始，并于2012年7月10日完全控制。它烧毁了科罗拉多斯普林斯市西北部18,247英亩的地区，大部分在国家森林土地上。 在派克国家森林公园内被烧毁的台阶池溪流的通道条件将在选定的河段记录下来。在研究地点安装的临时基准将提供河床高程。物理测量包括纵剖面、水池横截面、悬浮泥沙和浊度。还将收集底栖大型无脊椎动物样本，用于分析野火对底栖群落的影响，特别是河流沉积物状况变化的影响，该项目将产生可供环境管理人员使用的信息，这些管理人员为科罗拉多斯普林斯等社区管理水资源，同时还致力于保护居民免受洪水和沉积物危害。由于阶池溪流是许多敏感水生物种的重要栖息地，本研究的结果也有望对生态管理产生影响。该项目将吸引研究生和本科生，并与美国地质调查局合作。

Steps and pools are characteristic bedforms that dominate the channel morphology of steep mountain streams, regulating the flow and sediment dynamics feeding into lowland rivers and larger water bodies. In summer of 2012, several catastrophic wildfires spread across the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and burned numerous watersheds containing step-pool channels. These events provide opportunities to monitor the impacts of wildfire as a major disturbance on step-pool streams, and to ultimately develop predictive understanding of the resilience and potential recovery of such systems. This project seeks to quickly establish baseline conditions in step-pool channels before significant changes occur in response to the Waldo Canyon Fire. The Waldo Canyon Fire started on 23 June 2012 and was fully contained on 10 July 2012. It burned 18,247 acres of an area just northwest of the city of Colorado Springs, mostly on national forest land. Channel conditions in burned step-pool streams within the Pike National Forest will be documented at selected reaches. Temporary benchmarks installed in the study sites will provide bed elevations. Physical measurements include longitudinal profiles, cross-sections at pools, suspended sediment, and turbidity. Benthic macroinvertebrate samples will also be collected for analysis of wildfire impacts on benthic communities, particularly in relation to the impacts of changes in sediment regime in the streams.The project will generate information that can be used by environmental managers who manage water resources for communities such as Colorado Springs while also working to protect residents from flood and sediment hazards. Because step-pool streams are important habitats for many sensitive aquatic species, results of this study are also expected to have implications for ecological management. The project will engage graduate and undergraduate students, and develop a collaboration with the US Geological Survey.