Principal Investigator: Dr. Morgan Davis
Institution and/or Affiliation: University of Missouri
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The aim of this proposal is to execute a project focused on stream bank erosion that integrates the research, education, and management goals of Prairie Fork Conservation Area (PFCA). Our overall objective is to complete a comprehensive assessment of stream bank erosion and sediment transport across PFCA as it relates to water quantity and quality, informing past effects of management and future implications for improving watershed function. These activities will support activities under Lotic Resources of the PFCA management plan, specifically objectives 5 and 6. We will facilitate research that will contribute to the following management plan strategies: physical measurements on stream characteristics (5.3), stream water quality (5.4), sedimentation (6.4), stream bank erosion (6.6), and stream habitat-based research projects.
Team members include undergraduate students that initiated project discussions after a visit to PFCA, ultimately yielding the following proposal. Students will be an integral part of our proposed project, and education will be intertwined into research products toward the soil quality, hydrology and water quality, and response to management emphasis areas. Prairie Fork Creek will serve as a living laboratory, and equipment implemented can be used for future outdoor classrooms.