Open AccessThe East River, Colorado, Watershed: A Mountainous Community Testbed for Improving Predictive Understanding of Multiscale Hydrological–Biogeochemical Dynamics
Author(s) -
Hubbard Susan S.,
Williams Kenneth Hurst,
Agarwal Deb,
Banfield Jillian,
Beller Harry,
Bouskill Nicholas,
Brodie Eoin,
Carroll Rosemary,
Dafflon Baptiste,
Dwivedi Dipankar,
Falco Nicola,
Faybishenko Boris,
Maxwell Reed,
Nico Peter,
Steefel Carl,
Steltzer Heidi,
Tokunaga Tetsu,
Tran Phuong A.,
Wainwright Haruko,
Varadharajan Charuleka
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
vadose zone journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.036
H-Index - 81
ISSN - 1539-1663
DOI - 10.2136/vzj2018.03.0061
Subject(s) - watershed , biogeochemical cycle , environmental science , hydrology (agriculture) , watershed management , hydrological modelling , testbed , streamflow , drainage basin , water resource management , geography , ecology , climatology , geology , computer science , computer network , geotechnical engineering , cartography , machine learning , biology
Core Ideas Development of a 300‐km 2 mountainous headwater testbed began in 2016 in the East River. The testbed can be used to explore how watershed changes impact downgradient water availability and quality. System‐of‐system, scale‐adaptive approaches can potentially improve watershed dynamics simulation. We have new approaches to monitor and simulate water partitioning and system responses. The East River watershed has been developed as a “community” testbed. Extreme weather, fires, and land use and climate change are significantly reshaping interactions within watersheds throughout the world. Although hydrological–biogeochemical interactions within watersheds can impact many services valued by society, uncertainty associated with predicting hydrology‐driven biogeochemical watershed dynamics remains high. With an aim to reduce this uncertainty, an approximately 300‐km 2 mountainous headwater observatory has been developed at the East River, CO, watershed of the Upper Colorado River Basin. The site is being used as a testbed for the Department of Energy supported Watershed Function Project and collaborative efforts. Building on insights gained from research at the “sister” Rifle, CO, site, coordinated studies are underway at the East River site to gain a predictive understanding of how the mountainous watershed retains and releases water, nutrients, carbon, and metals. In particular, the project is exploring how early snowmelt, drought, and other disturbances influence hydrological–biogeochemical watershed dynamics at seasonal to decadal timescales. A system‐of‐systems perspective and a scale‐adaptive simulation approach, involving the combined use of archetypal watershed subsystem “intensive sites” are being tested at the site to inform aggregated watershed predictions of downgradient exports. Complementing intensive site hydrological, geochemical, geophysical, microbiological, geological, and vegetation datasets are long‐term, distributed measurement stations and specialized experimental and observational campaigns. Several recent research advances provide insights about the intensive sites as well as aggregated watershed behavior. The East River “community testbed” is currently hosting scientists from more than 30 institutions to advance mountainous watershed methods and understanding.