Presenter: Corey Guerrant
Mentor: Patricia McDowell
Oral Presentation
Major: Environmental Science
In the last 5-10 years, there have been intensive river restoration efforts along the Middle Fork of the John Day River—including the placement of engineered log jams—to increase sinuosity and help improve anadromous fish habitat. To understand how these log jams have affected river morphology, I have used aerial photography within a Geographic Information System to quantify river planform change over time in stream reaches with and without placed log jams. Specifically, I have looked at how the centerline of the river has changed between 2006 and 2011, before and after many of the log jams were installed. Preliminary results indicate that there have been areas of significant lateral movement, but it is still yet to be determined whether or not they are associated with the engineered log jams. To ground-truth my results, I traveled out to my study sites and looked for physical evidence of lateral movement in the specific areas indicated by my model. Upon the completion of my research, I will be able to propose important management implications on whether or not the engineered log jams have begun to create the desired geomorphological responses.