Linking watersheds and streams through functional modeling of watershed processes David Theobald, Silvio Ferraz, Erin Poston, and Jeff Deems Natural Resource Ecology Lab Dept of Recreation & Tourism Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO USA 19 May 2004

Watershed - Stream Stand-alone watershed Watershed HUCs/WBDReach Contributing Areas (RCAs) Grain (Resolution) Process/Functional Zonal Accumulate Up/down (net.)

Watershed - Stream Stand-alone watershed Watershed-based analyses (HUCs) Tesselation of true, adjoint catchments Watershed HUCs/WBDReach Contributing Areas (RCAs) Grain (Resolution) Process/Functional Zonal Accumulate Up/down (net.)

“Watershed”-based analyses % agricultural, % urban (e.g., ATtILA) % agricultural, % urban (e.g., ATtILA) Average road density (Bolstad and Swank) Average road density (Bolstad and Swank) Dam density (Moyle and Randall 1998) Dam density (Moyle and Randall 1998) Road length w/in riparian zone (Arya 1999) Road length w/in riparian zone (Arya 1999) But ~45% of HUCs are not watersheds But ~45% of HUCs are not watersheds EPA An ecological assessment of the US Mid-Atlantic Region: A landscape atlas. Southern Rockies Ecosystem Project

Watershed - Stream Overlapping watersheds - Delineate watershed from outlet Stand-alone watershed Watershed-based analyses (HUCs) Tesselation of true, adjoint catchments ? Watershed HUCs/WBDReach Contributing Areas (RCAs) Grain (Resolution) Process/Functional Zonal Accumulate Up/down (net.)

River continuum concept (Vannote et al. 1980)

Watershed - Stream Overlapping watersheds Tesselation – catchments accumulate downstream Stand-alone watershed Watershed-based analyses (HUCs) Tesselation of true, adjoint catchments ? Watershed HUCs/WBDReach Contributing Areas (RCAs) Grain (Resolution) Process/Functional Zonal Accumulate Up/down (net.)

Upper and lower Colorado Basin Flows to downstream HUCs

Watershed - Stream Overlapping watersheds Accumulate downstream FLOWS (and SPARROW) Stand-alone watershed Watershed-based analyses (HUCs) Tesselation of true, adjoint catchments ? Watershed HUCs/WBDReach Contributing Areas (RCAs) Grain (Resolution) Process/Functional Zonal Accumulate Up/down (net.)

Reach Contributing Areas (RCAs) Automated delineation Inputs: Inputs: stream network (from USGS NHD 1:100K) stream network (from USGS NHD 1:100K) topography (USGS NED, 30 m or 90 m) topography (USGS NED, 30 m or 90 m) Process: Process: “Grow” contributing area away from reach segment until ridgeline “Grow” contributing area away from reach segment until ridgeline Uses WATERSHED command Uses WATERSHED command “true” catchments “adjoint” catchments Reaches (segments)

RCA example US ERF1.2 & 1 km DEM: 60,833 RCAs US ERF1.2 & 1 km DEM: 60,833 RCAs

Reaches are linked to catchments 1 to 1 relationship 1 to 1 relationship Properties of the watershed can be linked to network for accumulation operation Properties of the watershed can be linked to network for accumulation operation

Watershed - Stream Hydrologic distance: - Instream - Up vs. down? Overlapping watersheds Accumulate downstream FLOWS (and SPARROW) Stand-alone watershed Watershed-based analyses (HUCs) Tesselation of true, adjoint catchments ? Watershed HUCs/WBDReach Contributing Areas (RCAs) Grain (Resolution) Process/Functional Zonal Accumulate Up/down (net.)

Types of Distance As the crow flies As the crow flies As the seed floats (A  B) As the seed floats (A  B) As the fish swims (C  D) As the fish swims (C  D) Upstream length (B up) Upstream length (B up) Network (dams, fragmentation) Network (dams, fragmentation)

Upstream 66 km Downstream 298 km Mainstem Upstream 37 km Network 16 km (down) 6 km (up)

Watershed - Stream Hydrologic distance: - Instream - Up vs. down? FLOWS Overlapping watersheds Accumulate downstream FLOWS (and SPARROW) Stand-alone watershed Watershed-based analyses (HUCs) Tesselation of true, adjoint catchments ? Watershed HUCs/WBDReach Contributing Areas (RCAs) Grain (Resolution) Process/Functional Zonal Accumulate Up/down (net.)

RCAs are linked together – but spatial configuration within an RCA? 1. Ignore variability2. Buffer streams3. Buffer outlet

2 major hydro. processes w/in RCA 1. Overland (hillslope): Distance (A to A’) 2. Instream flow: Distance (A’ to O)

Flow distance: overland + instream Hydro-conditioned DEM (e.g., EDNA) Hydro-conditioned DEM (e.g., EDNA) FLOWDIRECTION FLOWDIRECTION FLOWLENGTH FLOWLENGTH

Flow distance: overland Hydro-conditioned DEM (e.g., EDNA) Hydro-conditioned DEM (e.g., EDNA) Burn stream into FLOWDIRECTION Burn stream into FLOWDIRECTION FLOWLENGTH FLOWLENGTH

Flow distance: instream Hydro-conditioned DEM (e.g., EDNA) Hydro-conditioned DEM (e.g., EDNA) FLOWDIRECTION FLOWDIRECTION FLOWLENGTH from outline – overland FLOWLENGTH FLOWLENGTH from outline – overland FLOWLENGTH

Summary RCAs networked together + w/in RCA distances RCAs networked together + w/in RCA distances Practical framework for flexible, functional-based applications Practical framework for flexible, functional-based applicationsPlans Use cost-weighting for w/in RCA distances Use cost-weighting for w/in RCA distances FLOWS tools: Fall 2004 FLOWS tools: Fall 2004 Watershed True watersheds True watersheds(HCAs) By attribute By attribute By outlet pointBy outlet point By closest contributionBy closest contribution Area Area % % Discharge Discharge

Thanks! Comments? Questions? Comments? Questions? Funding/Disclaimer: The work reported here was developed under the STAR Research Assistance Agreement CR awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to Colorado State University. This presentation has not been formally reviewed by EPA. The views expressed here are solely those of the presenter and STARMAP, the Program (s)he represents. EPA does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this presentation. Funding/Disclaimer: The work reported here was developed under the STAR Research Assistance Agreement CR awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to Colorado State University. This presentation has not been formally reviewed by EPA. The views expressed here are solely those of the presenter and STARMAP, the Program (s)he represents. EPA does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this presentation. STARMAP: STARMAP: RWTools: RWTools: Funding/Disclaimer: The work reported here was developed under the STAR Research Assistance Agreement CR awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to Colorado State University. This presentation has not been formally reviewed by EPA. The views expressed here are solely those of the presenter and STARMAP, the Program (s)he represents. EPA does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this presentation. This research is funded by U.S.EPA – Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Program Cooperative Agreement # CR Funding/Disclaimer: The work reported here was developed under the STAR Research Assistance Agreement CR awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to Colorado State University. This presentation has not been formally reviewed by EPA. The views expressed here are solely those of the presenter and STARMAP, the Program (s)he represents. EPA does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this presentation. This research is funded by U.S.EPA – Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Program Cooperative Agreement # CR Funding/Disclaimer: The work reported here was developed under the STAR Research Assistance Agreement CR awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to Colorado State University. This presentation has not been formally reviewed by EPA. The views expressed here are solely those of the presenter and STARMAP, the Program (s)he represents. EPA does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this presentation. This research is funded by U.S.EPA – Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Program Cooperative Agreement # CR This research is funded by U.S.EPA – Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Program Cooperative Agreement # CR This research is funded by U.S.EPA – Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Program Cooperative Agreement # CR CR