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Joint 60th Annual Northeastern/59th Annual North-Central Section Meeting - 2025

Paper No. 5-22
Presentation Time: 8:30 AM-5:30 PM

EVALUATING SURFACE WATER TEMPERATURE CHANGES FOLLOWING FLOODPLAIN-WETLAND RESTORATION VIA LEGACY SEDIMENT REMOVAL AT BIG SPRING RUN


ROACH, Bryce1, AARONSON, Mia1, FENG, Ting1, OLSEN, Lucy1, WALTER, Robert1, BECHTEL, Timothy2 and HURD, Todd M.3, (1)Earth and Environment Department and The Chesapeake Watershed Initiative, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA 17603, (2)Department of Earth and Environment, Franklin & Marshall College, PO Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17603-3003, (3)Department of Biology, Shippensburg University, 142 Franklin Science Center, 1871 Old Main Drive, Shippensburg, PA 17257

This study examines the impact of floodplain-wetland restoration on surface water temperature along Big Spring Run (BSR) in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA. Legacy sediment removal (~20,000 metric tons) and aquatic ecosystem restoration were completed in 2011. Monitoring by USGS (1993-2001) and by our research group at F&M (2003-present) collected water temperature data before and after the restoration. In addition, during the summer of 2024 continuous in-stream temperature data were collected via in situ temperature loggers deployed in the stream upstream, downstream, and within the restoration area. Temperature comparisons during peak summer conditions revealed a significant reduction in surface water temperatures within the restoration site. This reduction, attributed to improved groundwater-surface water exchange, and exposed springs, highlights the effectiveness of floodplain-wetland restoration towards lowering water temperatures and improving the health of aquatic ecosystems.

Session No. 5--Booth# 22

T2. Undergraduate Research Poster Session I
Friday, 28 March 2025: 8:30 AM-5:30 PM
North Great Hall (Bayfront Convention Center)
Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 3
doi: 10.1130/abs/2025NE-408037
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