SEEING THE FORESTS FOR THE STREAMS: DESIGNING HEADWATER STREAM DIAGNOSTICS IN NORTHERN WOODLAND LANDSCAPES

Fluvial channel conditions are reflective of controls on water and sediment supplies, resistance to water flow and erosion, and corresponding relations to channel dynamics and morphology. As such, changes to water and sediment supplies can result in geomorphic alterations to fluvial channel conditions with possible implications for the quality of water and aquatic habitat. In the woodlands of northern Maine, pervasive human activities that have the potential to alter watershed hydrology and erosion patterns include roadway and skid trail construction, and removal of forest cover on hillslopes and in stream corridors. In addition to these perturbations, contemporary stream systems can be affected by landscape alterations related to past forest harvest operations. They can also be affected by rapid changes in climate that alter the timing and magnitude of stream flows. In Maine, long term watershed management and sustainability solutions require effective and applicable geomorphological diagnostic tools. The foundation that watershed diagnostics in Maine woodlands rest upon includes variables predictive of surface runoff, terrain elevations, hydraulic dimensions, and features governing water flows and sediment transport in stream corridors. Here we summarize recent outcomes from efforts to develop diagnostic tools tailored to the conditions of headwaters in northern Maine’s woodlands. The research focuses on applying stream mapping protocols, hydrologic measurements and modeling, and hydraulic analyses in Smith Brook watershed extending down to Fish River Lake in Aroostook County. Outcomes are being framed to support watershed management related to large scale forest harvest operations and the sustainability of cold-water fisheries.