Evaluation of water table conditions within a grove of Picea sitchensis, HOH River visitor center, Olympic National Park, Washington
Inglis R. 1990. Evaluation of water table conditions within a grove of Picea sitchensis, HOH River visitor center, Olympic National Park, Washington. Technical Report NPS/NRWRD/NRTR-90/06 and NPS D-184. National Park Service, Water Resources Division. Fort Collins, CO
The Water Resources Division has recently conducted a study of the effects of water level changes within an adjacent pond on water table elevations beneath a grove of old-growth Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis). This study is a part of an ongoing program to evaluate water table conditions in the subject grove, specifically to determine if ground water conditions are affecting the trees. These large trees have been exhibiting stress since a road, constructed during the 1960's, impounded drainage and formed a pond adjacent to the grove. It is hypothesized that the pond has altered groundwater levels beneath the trees, increasing root zone saturation and thus contributing to the poor condition of the trees. Data analysis of a local ground water monitoring program, established 3 years ago, has not conclusively indicated that water table changes in the subject grove are caused by changes in pond water levels, or are different than those beneath trees showing less stress. The recent study involved artificially inducing changes in pond water levels and recording the effects on water tables within the grove of stressed trees. The objective is to determine if groundwater levels under the subject grove respond to changes in the stage of the pond. This study contributes to the overall description of hydrologic conditions in the subject grove, assisting the final analysis of the causes of the reduced growth vigor. Several pond management alternatives are also presented
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Inglis, Richard
- Date of Issue
- 1990-10
- Publisher
- National Park Service, Water Resources Division
- Units
- BIBE , OLYM , WRD
- Keywords
- Aquatic, Clemson, Discharge, Groundwater, Hoh River Visitor Center, root zone saturation, Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), Taft Creek, Water Level, Water Resources, water table conditions