CAREER: Tracing hydrologic and biogeochemical consequences of multiple disturbances in mountain watersheds

Wildfires, debris flows, and other related disturbances can threaten water quality in mountain watersheds. This project will investigate how these multiple disturbances affect the chemistry of mountain streams and downstream water supplies. The research will take place in Idaho's Payette River watershed, which has experienced recent wildfire and debris flow events. Standardized field safety training materials for students, faculty, and research teams will be developed in tandem with research and education activities. This training will make field experiences safer and more accessible for the future STEM workforce. This project will investigate how multiple disturbances influence nutrient processing and propagation across mountain watersheds. The research will employ field experiments, continuous monitoring, and numerical modeling. These methods will be used to characterize nutrient availability, uptake, and transport throughout the South Fork of the Payette River. The work will quantify spatial and temporal variability of nutrient loading, uptake, and export across gradients of disturbance history. Results will inform improved management of water quality and aquatic habitat in mountain watersheds. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.