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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Comparison Of The Chemical And Isotopic Composition Of Groundwater And Surface Water In The South Sound Region, Andrew H. Oberhelman Jan 2016

Comparison Of The Chemical And Isotopic Composition Of Groundwater And Surface Water In The South Sound Region, Andrew H. Oberhelman

Summer Research

This project seeks to characterize the chemical and isotopic compositions of groundwater and surface water in portions of Pierce and King Counties, with the goal of using these results to determine the water sources of local lakes. Specifically of interest are lakes studied by Puget Sound students over the past ~10 years where water analyses appear to define a mixing line, likely between surface runoff and the shallow groundwater (Figures 1, 2, and 3). Existing data pertain only to surface water from the lakes while data pertaining to groundwater is patchy or nonexistent and includes only a few of the …


Reintroduced Beavers Rapidly Influence Sediment Storage And Biogeochemistry In Headwater Streams Of The Methow River, Wa, Rita Mccreesh Jan 2016

Reintroduced Beavers Rapidly Influence Sediment Storage And Biogeochemistry In Headwater Streams Of The Methow River, Wa, Rita Mccreesh

Summer Research

To understand how rapidly beaver bioengineering impacts sediment organic material accumulation, we characterized the short-term, temporal dynamics of how reintroduced beavers have influenced sediment and organic material accumulation on 1st and 2nd order streams over the past decade. Sources of beaver related organics include coarse woody debris, fecal matter, and allochthonous material. We measured sediment physical properties, and analyzed samples for weight percent carbon and nitrogen. Our temporally constrained results provide insight into the rapidity at which beavers can influence biogeochemical systems in headwater streams.