Leveraging native species restoration and remote sensing techniques for large-scale dust mitigation enhancement

该提案旨在通过改善植被恢复成果，并通过利用植被恢复工作来额外提高当地生物多样性和文化价值，推进水电库区的大规模降尘战略。我们的团队在大学研究人员、卑诗水电、环保行业合作伙伴和当地原住民社区之间建立了战略合作伙伴关系，以现有的水库缓解计划和知识为基础，为决策提供跨学科和利益相关者知情的方法。在不列颠哥伦比亚省的威利斯顿水库，我们试图确定哪些植物物种能够提供最好的年内粉尘控制和年之间的土壤稳定性，物种选择过程优先考虑对当地社区具有潜在文化价值的本地物种。我们将使用实验室和温室试验来测试一系列潜在植物物种的生长速度和成功情况，无论是否进行土壤改良剂，这些土壤改良剂可能会改善恶劣水库下降区的生长条件。实验室结果将指导威利斯顿水库的大规模现场试验。这些试验将跨越收缩区复杂的地形景观，允许根据位置和当地条件对工厂性能变化进行持续评估。远程无人机方法将监测精细尺度的植被结果，并将其与地形和下降带位置叠加。这些数据将共同用于创建预测模型，针对减少区域内各个地点的最佳物种和处理建议。这些将直接为威利斯顿的实践提供信息，并将在BC水电和其他加拿大专业水电网络中共享。这些方法和过程代表了粉尘缓解的新发展，可在全国范围内的水库系统中推广。研究结果将加强对沙尘暴的缓解，沙尘暴对水库附近的许多社区构成重大健康风险，并将允许在创新的科学框架中将多种价值明确纳入正在进行的管理实践。

This proposal aims to advance large-scale dust mitigation strategies in hydroelectric reservoir sites through improved revegetation outcomes, and through leveraging revegetation efforts to additionally enhance local biodiversity and cultural values. Our team has developed a strategic partnership between university researchers, BC Hydro, environmental industry partners, and the local First Nations community to provide an interdisciplinary and stakeholder-informed approach for decision-making that builds on existing reservoir mitigation programs and knowledge. Focusing on the Williston Reservoir in British Columbia, we seek to determine which plant species are able to provide the best within-year dust control and between-year soil stability, with species selection processes that prioritize native species with potential cultural value to local communities. We will use lab and greenhouse trials to test growth rates and success of a range of potential plant species, with and without soil amendments that may enhance the growing conditions of the harsh reservoir drawdown zone. Lab results will guide large-scale field trials at Williston Reservoir. These trials will cross the complex topographic landscape of the drawdown zone, allowing continuous assessment of plant performance changes based on location and local conditions. Remote UAV methods will monitor fine-scale vegetation outcomes, and overlay them against topography and drawdown zone position. Together, the data will be used to create predictive models that target optimal species and treatment recommendations for individual locations across the drawdown zone. These will directly inform practices at Williston, and will be shared across BC Hydro and other Canadian professional hydroelectric networks. The methods and processes represent new developments in dust mitigation that are generalizable across the nationwide system of reservoirs. Results will enhance mitigation of dust storms, which pose a significant health risk for many communities near reservoir locations, and will allow explicit incorporation of multiple values into ongoing management practices in an innovative scientific framework.