2008 Projects

Erin Brooks Biological & Agricultural Engineering (208) 885-6562 ebrooks@uidaho.edu	*A Program in Hydrology and Water Quality to Support and Evaluate Watershed Restoration, Erin Brooks, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering:* We educate future hydrology and water quality experts as we improve our understanding of water and pollutant transport in Pacific Northwest watersheds. We study the watershed of Paradise Creek (adjacent to UI campus) as an outdoor laboratory for teaching and research on hydrology and water quality issues for both students and the public. A major component of our research is identifying and managing sources of pollution within managed watersheds. The motivation for our work is to improve water quality in our natural water resources to fully support the natural aquatic habitat ensured by the Clean Water Act. One component of our research is to assist with local and government agencies by developing management tools and providing recommendations to better manage water resources. One of the unique challenges with developing watershed management plans is management of effluent from waste water treatment plants (WWTP) in streams having extremely low flows during summer months. Often small communities in Idaho are required to either invest in many costly upgrades to their WWTP to treat effluent or consider alternative methods to dispose of this water, such as land application. Land application of effluent during these low flow months may mean that some stream reaches go dry during extended periods of time during low flows periods. In some communities it is cheaper and easier to dispose of effluent on agricultural land than to upgrade the WWTP facility. Land application of effluent during these low flow months may mean that some stream reaches go dry during extended periods of time during low flows periods. The primary question that needs to be addressed is whether the loss of water to the stream through land application has a more detrimental effect on spawning and rearing habitat then releasing lower quality effluent to the stream. Our research objectives will be to monitor and investigate the downstream variability in water quality below an effluent point throughout the dry season and compare this to land application scenarios. The REU student with use this information and provide recommendations at the end of the project for alternative management strategies.

Susan Childers Geological Sciences 208/885-4289 childers@uidaho.edu	Microbial Activities Effecting Selenium Mobility in Black Shales: Extraction of oil from shales is one of the primary energy alternatives under development in the United States. Known U.S. oil shale resources are expected to yield more than 2 trillion barrels of oil, yet mining of shales has the potential to cause significant harm to the environment because a variety of toxic metals and metalloids are commonly associated with shales and are leached from shales during oxidative weathering processes. Selenium is one metalloid common to shales that is soluble and mobile when oxidized to selenate or selenite. In the 1980's, agricultural runoff collected in the Kesterton Reservoir (California) resulted in the accumulation of selenium oxyanions which led to an increase in the number of deformities and fatalities of aquatic and migratory birds. Elevated selenium levels have also been noted in other shale-rich regions in the western U.S., including the Phosphoria Formation in southeastern Idaho. We have been investigating microbiological controls on selenium mobility associated with black shales in southern Idaho, specifically the release of selenium by oxidative processes and the immobilization of selenium by reductive processes. The REU student would assist in these ongoing studies by 1) working directly with selenate-reducing microorganisms to characterize these novel organisms, 2) extracting hydrocarbons from shales and assessing the potential of extracts to be used as carbon sources for microbiological growth studies, and 3) initiating experiments to address the potential for selenium oxidation by native microorganisms. The student will acquire skills standard to the disciplines of microbiology, molecular biology, and geochemistry.

Kathleen Kavanagh Forest Resources 208/885-2552 katyk@uidaho.edu	*Salmon contributions to nutrient cycling in forested riparian ecosystems; linking water resources to riparian vegetation:* Anadromous fish (Chinook and Steelhead) have been largely extirpated from much of south central Idaho within the last 100 years by the installation of dams and other structures for agricultural divertment, hydroelectric production, storage, and flood control. Riparian ecosystems accustomed to the large marine nutrient inputs from anadromous fishes had to adapt. The opportunity has arisen to reintroduce this marine source to a select number of streams within the North Fork Boise River watershed and monitor the ecosystem responses. As such, nine streams were selected and a field site established in each stream. Three streams are controls, three received a combined total of roughly 8000 lbs of salmon carcasses, and three received a nutrient equivalent of fish analog pellets. This is a collaborative project between University of Idaho, Washington State University, Idaho State, University of Alaska, and Idaho Fish and Game. University of Idaho’s role in this study focuses on marine nitrogen contributions from the stream to the terrestrial ecosystems. The tools being utilized include isotope analysis to measure alterations in soil and vegetative chemistry in response to the introduced source. As a side observation, we have noticing insect behavior that could be significantly contributing to the dispersion of nutrients from their source (i.e. anadromous fish carcasses) into the surrounding riparian forest. This would be a great opportunity for REU student interested in riparian ecology to implement a research project. Research will likely involve (based on student design): Fertilizer treatments, collection of target insects, isotope analysis. The graduate student working on this project is Tadd Wheeler and can be contacted at taddw@uidaho.edu.

Timothy Link Forest Resources 208/885-9465 tlink@uidaho.edu	*Sustainable Stream Temperature Thresholds in Managed Forest Ecosystems*: The primary variables adversely affecting water quality in forested uplands of the western U. S. are sediment and temperature. In managed forest ecosystems, increased radiative inputs resulting from the removal of forest canopy are commonly believed to be the primary driver of stream temperature increases. Streamside protection zones (SPZs) are a requirement designed in part to retain riparian shade and therefore moderate stream temperatures. Stream temperatures however, are strongly controlled by flow pathways that may be altered by forest roads. Road networks may affect stream temperatures by increasing inputs of warmer surface flows, decreasing cooler subsurface flows, and increasing radiative loading near stream crossings. Understanding how different road characteristics and landscape position affect stream temperatures is important to sustain aquatic ecosystem health in forested uplands. This research will take place at the Mica Creek Experimental Watershed (MCEW) near Moscow, ID. The experimental area is an intensively instrumented working forested watershed for interdisciplinary studies on how coupled hydrological and ecological processes are impacted by canopy disturbances. The research will involve the management of and analysis of data from a network of automated water temperature sensors, coupled with surveys of stream water conductivity and digital hemispheric photography. These methods will be combined to elucidate background conditions, flow paths, and impacts of road networks on stream temperatures. The REU student will also assist and interact with other scientists who are studying the effects of riparian restoration on stream temperatures, to gain breadth as well as depth in their REU program.

Robert Mahler PSES 208/885-7025 bmahler@uidaho.edu	*Evaluator of public attitudes towards water resources.* I am looking for a student that is interested in learning to conduct public surveys about water resources. The student will participate in developing, delivering and analyzing the data collected from a mail-based survey effort. The student will be exposed to evaluation techniques and will be expected to help develop educational and research recommendations based on survey findings.

John Marshall Forest Resources 208-885-6995 jdm@uidaho.edu	*Identifying water sources used by trees: the stable-isotope fingerprint in tree rings*: The growth of a forest requires tons of water per hectare. Where this water comes from is frequently unclear, especially where soils are shallow, roots are deep, or tree species are mixed. Some have used stable (non-radioactive) isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen to identify these water sources. When the isotopic measurements are made on tree rings, it is possible to describe changes in water source over the lifetime of the tree. Only one remaining problem interferes with this kind of interpretation: the evaporation of water from leaves. This project would measure the extent of that interference by comparing stable isotopes of stemwater, which were measured previously, to the isotopic composition of the tree ring material, to be collected by the student in the forest. If successful, this approach would support the notion that an isotopic fingerprint exists in tree rings that reflects the water being used by the tree at that point in its life. Such a fingerprint would be useful to hydrologists, foresters, and others who are interested in the water cycle and its far-reaching consequences.

Christine Moffitt Fish and Wildlife 208-885-7047 cmoffitt@uidaho.edu	Restoration repeat spawning opportunities in steelhead populations in the Snake River of Idaho: Hydro dams and hydro management systems in the Snake and Columbia River impede the natural downstream movement of spawned out steelhead trout, and reduce the probability of their returning to the ocean environment. Unlike their Chinook, sockeye and coho salmon cousins, steelhead trout that reach the ocean are capable of surviving to grow and return to freshwater to spawn again. In free-flowing river systems, significant proportions of the steelhead stocks can return to the ocean after spawning in the spring, and this repeat spawning life history strategy is important in population dynamics and recovery potential of the stocks. We are evaluating potential management strategies that can provide a physiological boost to spawned fish from the Snake River system so that their survival to return to spawn again can be enhanced. The undergraduate student will partner with graduate students and professional staff in studies of the physiology of hatchery and wild origin steelhead kelts from the Snake River. The studies will include genetic analysis of enzyme capability, evaluation of different short-term rearing or enhancement protocols using groups of captive fish. The students will also assist tribal and student researcher tag and transport fish to reaches of the lower Columbia River system.

Matthew Morra PSES 208/885-6315 mmorra@uidaho.edu Daniel Strawn PSES 208/885-7760 dgstrawn@uidaho.edu	*Heavy Metal Contamination in Soils and Sediments of the Coeur d’Alene Basin in northern Idaho:* Mining activities within the Coeur d’Alene (CDA) Basin have resulted in large areas of metal pollution far beyond the designated Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical Superfund Site, contaminating the CDA River and Lake CDA. It will be impossible to remove and dispose of contaminated sediments and soils, and thus management decisions that protect the environment and human health are required. Unfortunately, we lack a clear understanding of metal transport and behavior within these environments. Our objective is to chemically characterize the contamination in order to provide a better understanding of contaminant mobility and bioavailability. Research will involve field sampling in which sediment samples from Lake CDA and soils from the Basin are collected. Laboratory research will involve chemical analysis of the collected samples using chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. The student will learn environmental sampling protocols and be given the opportunity to use various analytical instruments. The successful candidate will work closely with graduate research assistants who are conducting their thesis research. Expectations include a willingness to work in the field and laboratory, familiarity and appreciation for environmental chemistry, ability to work as part of a team, good sense of humor, and strong motivation to conduct publishable research. Two students will be accepted for this project to work with each faculty member. One student will work on the soil aspects of this project and the other on the lake aspect.

Frank Wilhelm Fish and Wildlife 208/885-7218 fwilhelm@uidaho.edu	Examination of long distance circulation on the mitigation of harmful algal blooms in a reservoir in Oregon. This project aims to quantify the efficacy of long distance circulation (LDC) by solar power on the phytoplankton community of a reservoir that experiences harmful algal blooms. Harmful algae produce the most potent toxins known to humans, and are becoming more frequent in water bodies worldwide as we place greater demands (reduction of water quantity, input of nutrients from runoff) on those systems. Our overall goal is to examine mechanism by which LDC reduces algal blooms, to reduce their impact and restore systems to a balanced state. We will undertake sampling of water for the analysis of water chemistry, phytoplankton, and zooplankton density and diversity. There are many open questions, and the student would be expected to contribute to our regular work and develop a small project of their own that would dovetail with the overall research. One masters level graduate student, potentially another undergraduate and myself will be working on this project. The student can expect to learn standard limnological techniques, operation of a small outboard powered boat, interaction with agency (USACE) personnel, and interactions with other members of the lab group (three graduate students). Enthusiasm, willingness to learn and interest in biology and aquatic systems are the main requirements. OR Quantifying the movement of nutrients in surface waters of Lake Pend Oreille by the opossum shrimp, /Mysis relicta/. This project aims to quantify the nutrients - mainly P and N - removed from surface waters of Lake Pend Oreille (LPO) by /Mysis relicta/ on a daily basis to examine the impact of this introduced species on the food web of the lake. We hypothesize that because of the great depth (>1000') of LPO, mysids do not bring nutrients to the surface during nightly migrations, and thus are net nutrient exporters from surface waters, impoverishing the productive zone of the lake which cascades to fish populations. In an effort to restore the LPO fisheries, it is crucial to understand the movement of nutrients through the various compartments of the lake. We will undertake periodic cruises on the lake to collect mysids to estimate densities, experimentally determine nutrient release rates and quantify depth distributions. One graduate student and myself will be working on this project, along with personnel from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Students can expect to learn limnological techniques, and nutrient analyses, as well as handle invertebrates and interact with agency personnel. We seek an enthusiastic student willing to learn with an interest in biology and aquatic systems. The student would be expected to contribute to our daily field and lab activities, with an emphasis on a small independent project that contributes to the overall research questions. Being comfortable on large deep lakes or 30' boats is a must, and some mechanical aptitude would be an asset. Dr. Wilhelm will accept one student to work with one of the above projects.

.	University of Idaho - Environmental Science Program Morrill Hall 216, Moscow, Idaho 83844-3006 Phone: (208) 885-6113 E-mail: envs@uidaho.edu