Presentation Title
Exploring the role of geomorphic variability on the function of Vermont’s floodplains: an analysis of sedimentation
Abstract
Excess sediment and associated phosphorus contribute to poor water quality and induce harmful algal blooms in freshwater lakes, including Lake Champlain. Floodplains alter nutrient transport by slowing flood waters and creating a depositional environment for sediment and nutrients. The capacity of floodplains to capture sediment and nutrients is poorly understood in the Lake Champlain Basin (LCB), limiting the efficacy of remediation work to reduce phosphorus loads. This project evaluated the controls on measured variability in sediment deposition on selected flood events in 2019 using a classification of floodplain surfaces. Samples from 20 sites across Vermont were analyzed for mass, total phosphorus, and particle size. Floodplain sites were classified by specific stream power and plots within each site were classified by local geomorphic features. These analyses were used to describe how the depositional setting relates to sediment, phosphorus, and particle size measured at the study sites. Results of this work will contribute to an improved understanding of how floodplains interact with sediment and associated nutrients during floods.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Beverley Wemple
Secondary Mentor Name
Rebecca Diehl
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
College of Arts and Sciences
Second Student College
College of Arts and Sciences
Program/Major
Geography
Second Program/Major
Environmental Sciences
Primary Research Category
Food & Environment Studies
Exploring the role of geomorphic variability on the function of Vermont’s floodplains: an analysis of sedimentation
Excess sediment and associated phosphorus contribute to poor water quality and induce harmful algal blooms in freshwater lakes, including Lake Champlain. Floodplains alter nutrient transport by slowing flood waters and creating a depositional environment for sediment and nutrients. The capacity of floodplains to capture sediment and nutrients is poorly understood in the Lake Champlain Basin (LCB), limiting the efficacy of remediation work to reduce phosphorus loads. This project evaluated the controls on measured variability in sediment deposition on selected flood events in 2019 using a classification of floodplain surfaces. Samples from 20 sites across Vermont were analyzed for mass, total phosphorus, and particle size. Floodplain sites were classified by specific stream power and plots within each site were classified by local geomorphic features. These analyses were used to describe how the depositional setting relates to sediment, phosphorus, and particle size measured at the study sites. Results of this work will contribute to an improved understanding of how floodplains interact with sediment and associated nutrients during floods.