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COURSE INFO PROVIDER: SWSPCP Webinar
COURSE TITLE: Prioritizing Floodplain Reconnection to Improve Ecohydrological River Corridor Function

INSTRUCTORS Dr. Elizabeth Doran, PhD

COURSE DESCRIPTION Abstract:
Functioning alluvial floodplains perform many ecosystem services including sediment and nutrient storage; flood attenuation; groundwater recharge; and the creation and maintenance of aquatic and riparian habitats, including forms that support plant and animal occurrence and adaptation. Statewide assessments by the Vermont Conservation Design Program assign a high priority to all riparian corridors for conservation and restoration, however limited resources and capacity require a more granular approach. The Vermont Functioning Floodplain Initiative (FFI) tool provides a framework for prioritization and tracking floodplain reconnection projects to support nutrient retention and community resilience and will include instream and floodplain habitat function. Prioritizing specific floodplain reconnection projects to enhance habitat function across the watershed requires establishing the functional relationship between natural communities, indicator species occupancy, and eco-geomorphic connectivity. The Lewis Creek watershed, located within the Lake Champlain Basin of Vermont serves as a case study. The watershed has a decades long history of conservation and restoration. The modeling process for developing the natural community distribution maps using geomorphic floodplain units and modeled flood inundation extent will be outlined. We then outline ongoing work to develop functional relationships using indicator species and their occurrence to inform departure and restoration prioritization objectives based on floodplain to upland connectivity. The watershed is currently instrumented to monitor for inundation along four target reaches, as well as River Otter (Lontra canadensis) and Northern Leopord Frog (Lithobates pipiens) presence at N = 48 sites. Preliminary map and occupancy results will be shared with implications for future findings.

Speaker Bio
Dr. Doran is an environmental engineer and Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Vermont. Her research focuses on understanding and enabling adaptation and resilience to climate change. Her work seeks to understand change in the underlying physical and social processes of the climate-land system; and create resilience through application of technical and policy interventions across scales. She employs an interdisciplinary, collaborative, and multi method approach, combining in-situ and remotely sensed observations with advanced numerical modeling techniques. Dr. Doran is also an FAA certified private pilot and enjoys running, biking and skiing with her family.

Course Duration: 60 minutes
Credit Points: 0.06

SYLLABUS/TOPICAL OUTLINE - Introduction (10 min.) - Methods (10 min.) - Lewis Creek Watershed Case Study (25 min.) - Q&A (15 min.)

COURSE CONTACT

Jason Tucker
9999 Carver Road, Suite 210, Blue Ash, OH 45242
jason.tucker@hdrinc.com
P: 5133492478
F:

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