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Factsheet – Monitoring and assessment of streamflow regime in headwater streams of the Upper White River Watershed

A research project funded by the Indiana Water Resources Research Center through the U.S. Geological Survey’s 104B annual base grants (section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984, as amended).

Start Date: 2021-09-01

End Date: 2022-08-31

Total Federal Funds: $25,000

Total Non-Federal Funds: $51,235

The headwater region of the White River is the leading contributor of nitrogen to the Gulf of Mexico across the entire Mississippi River Basin. Preliminary long-term water quality analysis has shown increasing nutrient release, indicative of non-point source influence from agriculture. Managing headwater streams is an essential part of watershed management. However, headwater streams have been extensively influenced or have even disappeared as a result of climate change and human activities, which directly deteriorates habitat in these ecologically vulnerable areas.

To date, substantial investment has established watershed plans and supported the adaptation of conservation practice in the region. Models are being developed to target the implementation of additional conservation practices in the Upper White River’s agricultural headwaters, but recent studies have determined there is inadequate flow data from the region, making it difficult to calibrate hydrologic models and support detailed conservation practices. This study analyzed existing streamflow data to analyze the hydrologic alteration in the region, interpret factors influence the changes, and expand the network of streamflow monitoring gaging sites.

Research Objectives

1. Examine the environmental flow statistics.

 

2. Connect the flow regime alteration with climate change and anthropogenic factors such as land use change and dam construction/removal.

 

3. Build new flow and water level monitoring sites.

 

4. Collect and provide data in a usable form to the public.

 

Data collected from this project are publicly available through Ball State University.

Upper White River Watershed
Upper White River Watershed, Indiana

Researcher Profile

Dr. Bangshuai Han

Principal Investigator Dr. Bangshuai Han is an Associate Professor of Water Resources in the Department of Environment, Geology, and Natural Resources at Ball State University.

Major Conclusions & Significance

  • The greatest alteration occurs in monthly flow events, high-pulse events, and 90-day maximum flow events.
  • Monthly flows are lower in late summer after dam construction and higher in January and June.
  • There is an increase in small flood frequency but decrease in magnitude. With the construction of dams, the timing of the small floods also shifted to about two months earlier every year. 
  • No significant changes in the magnitude and frequency of large floods, extreme low flows, or high flow pulses.
  • All the events timing is shifted earlier in various degrees, which is an indication of climate change impact to local water resources.
  • Expanded monitoring network in the headwater regions of the White River watershed through establishment of two new gauging sites.
  • Provided real-time water level data and outflow data of the Prairie Creek Reservoir for public use.

What Does This Mean For Indiana?

The project addresses two urgent regional needs in Indiana. 1) The project analyzed the HA in long-term environmental flow conditions based on current datasets from the USGS Muncie gauging site; and 2) The project extended the flow monitoring network by establishing new continuous flow/water level monitoring sites at the Prairie Creek Reservoir which is Muncie’s emergent drinking water source and largest park. The work revealed the impacts of human activities and climate change from the alternations of streamflow, contributed to local water and environment decision-making processes, established collaborative relationship among BSU, TNC, Ecosystems Connections Institute, and Indiana American Water, trained undergraduate and graduate students from BSU with basic hydrological instrumentation, measurement and statistical analysis. In the long run, the new datasets will improve the ability to characterize contributions of non-point sources of nutrient loading in the region and aid water balance analysis at local/regional scale. The datasets have been made public via online archives.

Training The Next Generation

One of the missions of the Indiana Water Resources Research Center, and all Water Centers, is to train the next generation of water scientists. This project successfully funded research for one Masters student and one Ph.D. student within Dr. Han’s lab and trained three undergraduate researchers.

 

Contact Laura Esman, Managing Director, to request a printed copy of this factsheet.

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