Characterizing the Role of Floodplains in Supporting Basin-Scale Resilience to Flood Hazards

This research focuses on understanding the effectiveness of process-based river restoration in reducing flooding impacts following a wildfire, including changes in sediment and flow properties in rivers.

Objectives:

  • Create new conceptual models of flood attenuation at catchment scales with an emphasis on dynamics between river discharge, floodplain vegetation, and river network characteristics.
  • Understand changes in flood attenuation caused by the combined effects of river network characteristics and wide-scale restoration.
  • Use the Poudre watershed as a “test-shed” in Colorado to generate generalizable decision criteria for wide-scale restoration approaches that account for stakeholder priorities.
floodplains

Charter Summary:

Large, wide floodplains (beads) are important for slowing down floodwaters and reducing downstream impacts of floods. These beads are especially important in headwater systems following a wildfire because they trap sediment and reduce floods that are more likely to occur in burned areas. This research focuses on understanding the effectiveness of river beads in reducing flooding impacts following a wildfire, including changes in sediment and flow properties in rivers. In partnership with the Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed (CPRW), this research includes monitoring several restoration sites and providing scientific guidance to help CPRW interpret the monitoring data and plan for new restoration activities. In addition, this research includes hydrodynamic modeling of restored and unrestored headwater systems to understand the effectiveness of river restoration in reducing downstream impacts of floods.

Primary Contact

Team Members

Graduate Students

  • Brady Jones (CSU)
  • Bijoux Schoner (CSU)
  • Kayla Schultz (CSU)

Former Graduate Students

  • Jack Derbique, M.S., Graduated Fall 2023 (CSU

Community Partners

Publications:

  • Marshall, A., Morrison, R.R., Jones, B., Triantafillou, S., and Wohl, E. (2024) Handheld lidar as a tool for characterizing wood-rich river corridors. River Research and Applications, 40(3), 353–364. https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.4239
  • Morrison, R.R., Simonson, K., McManamay, R.A. et al. Degradation of floodplain integrity within the contiguous United States. Commun Earth Environ 4, 215 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00877-4