5/22/2016  |   15:30 - 15:45   |  306

EVAPOTRANSPIRATION IN THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE BOSQUE, IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT AND RESTORATION An interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers studied water fluxes in the Middle Rio Grande Bosque (the riparian forest, generally defined between the Cochiti and Elephant Butte dams, running through Albuquerque, NM) using study sites equipped with monitoring wells and 3-D eddy covariance towers. The study sites compared native to invasive species and areas that might flood to those that stayed dry. Through various funding agencies and cycles, the measurements were maintained for a decade. Evapotranspiration rates at the sites were highly variable depending further on health of vegetation, climatic conditions, and river flow. Further investigations resulted in a model that estimated ground water depth based on flow in the river allowing for predicted response to climate change scenarios. This interdisciplinary team was led by Cliff Dahm who continually brought new researchers into studies, proposals, and conversations. Dr. Dahm left a legacy at the University of New Mexico that promotes interdisciplinary research and education. Further, his legacy is felt by all those that care about a healthy Rio Grande.

Julie Coonrod (Primary Presenter/Author), University of New Mexico, jcoonrod@unm.edu;


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5/22/2016  |   15:45 - 16:00   |  306

THE RIO GRANDE IN NEW MEXICO: MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES CREATE A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SYSTEM The Middle Rio Grande in New Mexico is characterized by extreme variability in discharge, both in terms of frequency and magnitude, contributing to frequent turnover in the biological community. Studies by Cliff Dahm and associates have investigated fluctuating hydrology, associated changes in water chemistry, and floodplain carbon dynamics in our study system. Understanding these factors has contributed to our knowledge of the resistance and resilience of instream biological communities to recurring disturbances. With this background, we conducted surveys and built experimental mesocosms to investigate the effect of riparian connectivity and leaf litter decomposition on trophic dynamics. In part due to Cliff’s contribution to this work over the last decade, we have been able to characterize the importance of flow regime in this desert river, as well as illustrate its role in nutrient dynamics, macroinvertebrate assemblages, and fish community structure. Particularly for arid regions, maintaining the necessary connections for ecosystem function needs to remain a priority as stress on water resources expands in the future.

Ayesha Burdett (Primary Presenter/Author), River Bend Ecology, Australia, Ayesha.Burdett@gmail.com ;


Corey Krabbenhoft ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Minnesota, krabb012@umn.edu;


Thomas Turner ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of New Mexico, turnert@unm.edu;


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5/22/2016  |   16:00 - 16:15   |  306

FROM SCIENCE TO POLICY THROUGH TRANSDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH It’s not so easy or natural to move away from the comfort zone. Most of us prefer to stay home during thunderstorms, and most of us prefer to stay in the comfort zone of our own discipline. It was during my stay at UNM that I started moving away from Biology and I entered into Chemistry, and later on into other disciplines. However, Cliff pushed me further, and I moved from inter-disciplinarily into transdisciplinary research. While our coffee discussions at Winnings, Cliff told me that those moves far from the comfort zone where necessary if we were to support policy making in the Gila or anywhere else. My career was certainly shaped by those steps, and this talk is a personal view on the scientific support to policy through transdisciplinary research.

Vicenç Acuña (Primary Presenter/Author), Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), vacuna@icra.cat;


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5/22/2016  |   16:15 - 16:30   |  306

THE ECOLOGICAL ROLE OF FLOOD DISTURBANCE IN DESERT STREAMS: FROM THE SOUTHWEST TO THE ANTARCTIC Research by Dahm and colleagues has provided a foundation for understanding desert streams worldwide, where ephemeral flows and flood events influence stream ecosystem function. Flood events can scour microbial mats and transport particulate organic material (POM) downstream. Like streams in the deserts of New Mexico, streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica support thriving microbial mats composed of cyanobacteria and diatoms and have extensive hyporheic zones. The McMurdo Dry Valleys Long-Term Ecological research project has studied stream ecosystem response through a 18 year cooling period interrupted by four "flood events". We found that POM from the microbial mats is transported downstream predominantly during the daily peak flows associated with changes in sun angle, indicating limitation by available mobile biomass. Based on these results and the isotopic signature of mat biomass and POM, we hypothesize that the hyporheic zone is recharged with readily degradable POM during these pulses, which degrades and releases nutrients back to the microbial mats, similar to processes in hot desert streams. These sources of hyporheic nutrients may promote mat recovery following flood events.

Diane McKnight (Primary Presenter/Author), University of Colorado, diane.mcknight@colorado.edu;


Tyler Kohler ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland, tyler.j.kohler@gmail.com;


Michael Gooseff ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Colorado, michael.gooseff@colorado.edu;


Lee Stanish ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Colorado, Boulder, lstanasih@gmail.com;


James Cullis ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Auerocon, jdscullis@gmail.com;


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5/22/2016  |   16:30 - 16:45   |  306

STEWARDING SCIENCE IN THE SAN FRANCISCO ESTUARY: CLIFF DAHM’S YEARS AS DELTA LEAD SCIENTIST FOR CALIFORNIA The San Francisco Estuary is a highly altered urban estuary that also serves as the point of diversion for water serving more than half of the state’s forty million residents. The increasing disparity between natural supply and demand for water implicates enduring conflict among agricultural and urban water agencies, environmentalists, Delta residents, and commercial fishermen. Cliff Dahm served as the state’s Delta Lead Scientist during a particularly difficult transitional period from 2008 through 2011, as the state passed and implemented landmark legislation reforming management of the Estuary. Amid political turmoil, budget upheaval, and widespread litigation over Delta issues, he became a science advisor to many government policymakers and stakeholders who was widely trusted for his vast experience and evident unbiasedness. He also led and mentored the staff of the Delta Science Program and was a great supporter of young scientists. In late 2015, Cliff returned as interim Lead Scientist, and recently co-authored “Challenges facing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta” at the request of the state and the US Department of the Interior.

Mike Chotkowski ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), USGS, mchotkowski@usgs.gov;


Nicholas Aumen (Primary Presenter/Author), US Geological Survey, naumen@usgs.gov;


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5/22/2016  |   16:45 - 17:00   |  306

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING AND INTERDISCIPLINARY FRESHWATER FOUNDATIONS TO ENHANCE SCIENCE FOR UTAH’S WATER FUTURE Cliff Dahm inspired his graduate students and postdocs to read broadly, think interdisciplinary, and work collaboratively. This legacy lives on in many universities and resource management agencies around the globe. Utah has a semi-arid climate that relies on snow to fill its reservoirs – much like California. Climate change, coupled with rapid population growth and urbanization, could force Utah to “run on empty.” We established a collaborative learning and interdisciplinary research and training program (iUTAH) to address these issues for Utah’s water future. This talk will describe the program, highlighting the ways it aligns with Cliff’s legacy, and showcasing some surprising results of the coupled socio-hydro-ecological water system in Utah.

Michelle Baker (Primary Presenter/Author), Utah State University, michelle.baker@usu.edu;


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