Please join us next Wednesday February 19th from 12-1pm MDT via Zoom for our first installment of our new Clark Fork Science Forum monthly webinar and discussion series. Our first speaker will be Dr. Payton Gardner from the University of Montana Department of Geosciences. Dr. Gardner will present his research titled, “Estimating Groundwater Gain and Loss Along the Upper Clark Fork Using Non-Applied Tracers.” A full description of this exciting research is below as well as a Zoom link for joining the presentation. Grab your lunch and join us!

Estimating Groundwater Gain and Loss Along the Upper Clark Fork Using Non-Applied Tracers

Dr. Payton Gardner, Department of Geosciences, University of Montana
In this talk, I explore the use of synoptic surveys of environmental tracers and stream discharge to quantify stream loss, gain and net exchange along the Upper Clark Fork between Warm Springs Pond and Deer Lodge. Estimating integrated stream gain and loss from/to the subsurface over long reaches is challenging. Current measurement methods require injections of applied tracers, or are point-based, are mostly limited to hydraulic gradient and/or temperature profile time series and are difficult to upscale. In this talk, I develop a new interpretation method for synoptic surveys of stream and ground water concentration and stream discharge of non-applied (environmental tracers) and use that method to quantify the location and amount net exchange, groundwater gain and loss along a 47 km reach of the Upper Clark Fork. Groundwater loss from the river to the alluvial groundwater system dominates along the upper 20 km below Warm Springs. Groundwater gain from the alluvial system to the stream dominates the lower 20 km. These results provide an initial survey of integrated groundwater exchange in Upper Clark Fork and illustrate that synoptic sampling for environmental tracers and discharge is a powerful method for detecting and quantifying groundwater discharge (gain) to streams over 1-100 km length scales.

Zoom Information

Topic: Clark Fork Science Forum – Lunchtime Science Seminar Reboot!
Time: Feb 19, 2025 12:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88170062525?pwd=C2Nbxb9NCzElLR35vdyRwCjP3B3jM8.1

Meeting ID: 881 7006 2525
Passcode: 618560

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