Land use effects on water quality parameters such as stream temperature are critical for properly managing riparian ecosystems. We are conducting intensive monitoring of multiple ecological and water quality metrics along Oak Creek in the Willamette river basin. Oak Creek originates in the Coastal mountain foothills and is a tributary to two water quality impaired waterways of Oregon, Mary�s River and the Willamette River. In order to assess water quality and riparian vegetation interaction we are in the process of installing monitoring equipment in various locations along the creek and at some selected locations within its contributing watershed. Stand-alone temperature sensors have been deployed to collect data on water temperature as well as ambient temperature. In addition, we are installing soil moisture and groundwater monitoring stations to look at stream-aquifer interactions as affected by agricultural land use. Multiple weather parameters to determine crop and riparian vegetation water uptake are also being deployed. We are taking a systems-based approach to better understand multiple soil-water-vegetation relationships occurring in this at-risk riparian system at. Expected project results will help producers, landowners, and other stakeholders make better-informed decisions related to land management practices and their potential effects on water quality.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.