HR: 16:30h
AN: NB14C-05    [Abstracts]
TI: The Influence of Climate Change on Sediment Retention by Riparian Buffers
AU: * Johnson, T
EM: johnson.thomas@epa.gov
AF: AAAS Fellow, USEPA/ORD/NCEA 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW , Washington, DC 20460 United States
AU: Huang, M
EM: MHuang@icfconsulting.com
AF: ICF Consulting, 1725 Eye Street, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20006
AU: Rogers, C
EM: rogers.catriona@epa.gov
AF: USEPA/ORD/NCEA, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW , Washington, DC 20460 United States
AU: Freed, R
EM: RFreed@icfconsulting.com
AF: ICF Consulting, 1725 Eye Street, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20006
AU: Furlow, J
EM: furlow.john@epa.gov
AF: USEPA/ORD/NCEA, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW , Washington, DC 20460 United States
AU: Pape, D
EM: DPape@icfconsulting.com
AF: ICF Consulting, 1725 Eye Street, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20006
AB: During the last century, many parts of the U.S. experienced warming temperatures and increases in precipitation amount and intensity. Projections of future climate suggest these trends are likely to continue. Previous studies have illustrated potentially significant changes in soil erosion from agricultural fields under alternative climate conditions. Riparian buffers are widely applied to reduce sediment loading to streams, but their effectiveness will likely vary depending on buffer characteristics and on future climate. In this study, we link the WEPP and REMM hillslope-scale models to evaluate how different climate change scenarios could influence upland soil erosion and sediment retention by riparian buffers. Results suggest complex, non-linear relationships between changes in precipitation volume and intensity and resulting changes in upland erosion and sediment loading to streams. For example, in one test case, an 18% decrease in annual precipitation decreased sediment loading to a riparian buffer by 3%, but increased sediment loading to the stream by 11%. In a different case, doubling precipitation increased sediment loading to the buffer and stream by 1200% and 3900%, respectively. A quantitative understanding of these relationships will help watershed managers develop effective adaptation strategies to achieve sediment management goals over a range of time scales.
DE: 1803 Anthropogenic effects
DE: 1815 Erosion and sedimentation
DE: 1871 Surface water quality
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly