Northern Colorado Plateau Network Riparian Monitoring of Big Rivers
Perkins D. Northern Colorado Plateau Network Riparian Monitoring of Big Rivers. 2012. National Park Service
In several Northern Colorado Plateau Network (NCPN) national parks, big rivers and their associated riparian zones provide habitat for federally listed terrestrial and aquatic species, are intimately associated with unique geologic features cited in enabling legislation, and are major recreation destinations. As an increasing human population fuels increased demands for Colorado River (CR) water in states across the West, streamflow in virtually all rivers within the CR drainage has been altered by water development projects. In most cases, peak flows have been reduced, resulting in channel narrowing, geomorphic simplification, and loss of riparian structure and related biological diversity. In response to these concerns, the NCPN is implementing a big rivers monitoring program at four network parks: Dinosaur NM, which provides a unique paired experiment with the Yampa River (the longest relatively freeflowing river reach in the CR basin) and Green River (highly regulated by Flaming Gorge Dam); Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP and Curecanti NRA, where the Gunnison flows; and Canyonlands NP, where the Colorado and Green rivers meet.
- Type
- Project
- Authors
- Perkins, Dustin
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- BLCA , CANY , CURE , DINO , NCPN
- Keywords
- Geomorphology, Hydrology, Monitoring, Plant Studies, Riparian, Vegetation
Program
Products
- Northern Colorado Plateau Network monitoring brief: big rivers monitoring
- Northern Colorado Plateau Network monitoring brief: big rivers monitoring
- Northern Colorado Plateau Network monitoring brief: big rivers monitoring
- Big rivers monitoring within Dinosaur National Monument: A summary of monitoring results to detect change in channel condition
- Riparian Vegetated Area in Pre-Dam, Post-Dam, and Environmental Flow Periods in Canyonlands National Park From 1940 to 2022
- Northern Colorado Plateau Network big rivers monitoring standard operating procedures: 2019 field season
- Predicting Vegetation and Topographic Change in Response to Altered River Flows
- Protocol implementation plan for monitoring geomorphic change along the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park
- Data quality standards for big rivers monitoring protocol for park units in the Northern Colorado Plateau Network
- Big rivers monitoring protocol for park units in the Northern Colorado Plateau Network: Version 1.01
- The science of conserving native fish: mitigating potential effects of flow experiments along the Green River in Dinosaur National Monument
- Big-River Monitoring on the Colorado Plateau
- Invasive exotic plants and river regulation at Dinosaur National Monument
- Riparian Vegetation Response to Flow Modification: Water Management Impacts in Canyonlands National Park