HR: 1340h
AN: H13D-1540    [Abstracts]
TI: Associations Between Groundwater-Surface Water Dynamics and Coaster Brook Trout Spawning Habitat in the Salmon Trout River, Marquette County, Michigan
AU: * Van Grinsven, M J
EM: mjvangri@mtu.edu
AF: Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences, 630 Dow Building, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, MI 49931, United States
AU: Mayer, A S
EM: asmayer@mtu.edu
AF: Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences, 630 Dow Building, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, MI 49931, United States
AU: Huckins, C J
EM: cjhuckin@mtu.edu
AF: Biological Sciences, 740 Dow Building, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, MI 49931, United States
AB: The Salmon Trout River (STR) is the only river on the south shore of Lake Superior known to sustain a reproducing coaster brook trout (CBT) population. Related studies demonstrate that brook trout tend to select spawning sites, based on the presence of groundwater discharge into the river. The results of these studies also suggest that groundwater presence is vital to the reproductive success of CBT. Previous studies of the STR have characterized the life history strategies and ecology of CBT, but to date no study has investigated the influence of groundwater on CBT spawning habitat in the STR. We hypothesize that spatial distributions of groundwater inflows through river-bottom sediments are a critical factor in the selection of spawning sites. In this study, high-resolution data collection methods are implemented to quantify the interaction between the groundwater and surface water in order to verify the presence or absence of groundwater discharge into the river at sites that support a reproducing population of coaster brook trout. By independently inverting temperature and pressure measurements the exchange of water between groundwater and surface water can be simultaneously analyzed, permitting a more precise estimate of groundwater velocity. An array of 1.5 inch diameter PVC piezometers, are installed into the river banks and bottom sediments in two active spawning sites. Transects containing three piezometers a piece are located in the active section of each site, as well as immediately upstream and downstream of the active spawning sections. Each piezometer is equipped with multiple temperature sensors placed at incremental depths (0 to 4 feet) beneath the riverbed. Manometers are used to monitor pressure gradients between the groundwater and surface water at depths equal to the placement of temperature sensors. The study will span the course of one full year beginning in August of 2007 and ending in August of 2008. Preliminary data will be presented to show how simultaneous analysis of temperature and pressure data can be used to achieve refined estimates of groundwater velocity.
DE: 1830 Groundwater/surface water interaction
DE: 1832 Groundwater transport
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting