The role of floodplain wood in enhancing river corridor resilience
Abstract
Downed wood in floodplains can influence geomorphic processes, provide sites of seedling establishment, enhance organic matter and nutrient storage, and create habitat for biota. Compared to in-channel wood, we know relatively little about the dynamics of wood deposition onto floodplains, the persistence of wood in floodplain environments, and the geomorphic, hydrologic, and ecological effects of floodplain wood. We discuss how floodplain wood can be used to enhance resiliency in floodplains, focusing on floodplain wood as a carbon stock, as a site of seedling establishment, as a constituent of transport during flooding, and as a management and restoration tool. We use West Creek, located in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, USA, as an example of a location in which there are large amounts of floodplain wood deposited during a historic flood event in 2013. We also discuss management decisions in the Front Range of Colorado following the 2013 flood, highlighting contrasts between locations at which wood was removed compared to locations at which wood was not removed. Wood in river corridors (channels and floodplains) is often removed due the potential for wood to create hazards to infrastructure. We present data demonstrating that floodplain wood jams are likely more stable than jams located within channels, providing an opportunity to leave wood in the river corridor and incorporate wood into efforts to enhance floodplain resilience.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFM.H51C..07L
- Keywords:
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- 1813 Eco-hydrology;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 1820 Floodplain dynamics;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 1890 Wetlands;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 4327 Resilience;
- NATURAL HAZARDS