The White River Badlands, located in South Dakota, are a national park known for its heavily eroded land and a harsh train that has been developing for millions of years. This has led the land to develop greatly over time, along with encapsulating different species that lived in the land over the years. These species, over time, have been engraved in the stone, leading it contain and immense amount of paleontological aspects. Because of this, Badlands national park has been considered the birthplace of vertebrate paleontology. (nature.nps.gov) Paleontology, which is the study of ancient life, focuses on, but is not exclusively to, the study of fossils. (US parks) Despite this, fossils are the primary sources that scientists use to analyze…
All waterways were not created equal. Those who have never spent time studying stream structure or ecology are likely to incorrectly assume that any stream is, for the most part, just like any other stream. However, this is a dangerous misconception that is not at all correct. The truth is that streams and rivers provide a huge diversity of food, prey, and shelter along their length. This diversity can be explained by the River Continuum Concept and stems from the many different and highly…
The role of riparian zones cannot be understated in relation to water quality and wildlife habitat. A riparian zone refers to stream bank system, including the stream, soils, flora, and fauna within it. Riparian buffers, specifically, are one of the most significant structures to implement along streams and rivers because of the structure’s many functions and abilities. Riparian buffer zones act as a canopy to shade and cool stream temperatures, as a filter strip to attenuate sediment,…
with the name first, but it surely does fit our feelings for the town. Growing up in Tillamook, I start to notice more and more of the horrifying damage the rain water and rivers do to our town. According to the Tillamook County Department of Community Development, "DO NOT ENTER FLOOD WATER!" flood…
snowpack melt in the summer. During upwelling events nutrient rich ground water would be brought up to the surface layers. If there is a spike in nutrient levels without any rainfall and low water temperature and low dissolved oxygen were observed, it usually implies to upwelling events. Upwelling can be localized and could also bring up the resting cysts of harmful plankton. Upwelling at known hotspots would lead to a bloom event during favorable conditions. A discrete sample was collected from…
Due to the flooding in Lower Onion Creek, Eric Rangel, 17, had to drop out of school due to the financial burden that flooding has imposed on his family. The Lower Onion Creek area flooded twice, once on October 31, 2013, and October 30, 2015. Many Lower Onion Creek residents are living in condemned homes five months after the latest flood. Eric Rangel said after the floods, the city condemned his home. His home was no longer inhabitable, and his family had to seek other shelter options.…
Downstream of dams, marked changes in fish populations occur as a consequence of blockage of migration routes, disconnection of the river and floodplain, and changes in flow regime, physiochemical conditions, primary production and channel morphology(McCartney, 2009, pg. 128). Due to the changes in the fish population caused by dams, the 1996 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Animals includes 617 freshwater fishes (McCartney, 2009, pg.128). Fresh water…
How long have people been fishing, not only for fun, but as a source of food? The answer, thousands of years, in “Egyptian artwork from 2000 B.C. shows people fishing” ( Hopkins 6). It is surprising, yet understandable knowing that even ancient people fished. It would of been an easy source of food. The lakes, rivers, streams, etc. were all full of a diverse population of fish, which would of made fish an easy meal to catch and eat. They were the first people to begin fishing so the…
The dam we are planning to build will not only help the environment it will slow down global warming and grow more crops for human consumption. This dam can also be used for irrigation purposes like growing crops for humans and animals alike. You can also use this water as clean drinking water. The salmon population will maintain similar to what was before because ninety-seven percent still survive. It will slow down global warming by not having us burn coal for energy creating greenhouse gases…
The formation of Mississippi Deltaic Plain (MDP) requires comprehensive work between the river and multiple coastal scales, such as temperature and space. It is very important to restore the MDP not only because it helps to understand the details that are needed to ensure the sustainability of the delta system, but it also possesses the potential to mitigate future damage from climate change to coastal ecosystem. The contribution of riverine inputs increase accretion and bulk density, benefit…