Description
In drylands, the abundance and health of the vegetation in riparian areas can serve as an indicator for the state of the local water quantity. These areas consist of vegetation growing in proximity to a water source that is therefore greatly affected by changes to that source, such as decreased input due to human alteration or climate change. In the Reese River Valley of Nevada, the driest state in the US, within one generation members of the Shoshone Yomba tribe have reported noticeable changes to the landscape and its water supply. A lack of available data from stream gauges and updated aerial imagery hinders research in the area. In such cases, changes in river characteristics such as the measured areas of riparian coverage, sandbars, and the active water channel can be used as proxies for surface water supply. Increasing total areas of sandbars and decreasing total areas of riparian vegetation and the active water channel over time, can signal changes in the surface water supply in the Valley and may be evident of climate change. In this project, I use Google Earth imagery from 2010, 2013, and 2016 to digitize sandbars, riparian vegetation, and active water channel and ArcGIS Pro to calculate the total areas from each year of the Reese River within the Yomba reservation to assess measurable changes to the landscape. The greatest changes occurred between 2010- 2013, with a decrease in riparian and an increase in sandbar areas, reflecting concerns in a decreased water supply in the valley.
River Characteristics as an Indicator of Climate Change in the Reese River Valley
In drylands, the abundance and health of the vegetation in riparian areas can serve as an indicator for the state of the local water quantity. These areas consist of vegetation growing in proximity to a water source that is therefore greatly affected by changes to that source, such as decreased input due to human alteration or climate change. In the Reese River Valley of Nevada, the driest state in the US, within one generation members of the Shoshone Yomba tribe have reported noticeable changes to the landscape and its water supply. A lack of available data from stream gauges and updated aerial imagery hinders research in the area. In such cases, changes in river characteristics such as the measured areas of riparian coverage, sandbars, and the active water channel can be used as proxies for surface water supply. Increasing total areas of sandbars and decreasing total areas of riparian vegetation and the active water channel over time, can signal changes in the surface water supply in the Valley and may be evident of climate change. In this project, I use Google Earth imagery from 2010, 2013, and 2016 to digitize sandbars, riparian vegetation, and active water channel and ArcGIS Pro to calculate the total areas from each year of the Reese River within the Yomba reservation to assess measurable changes to the landscape. The greatest changes occurred between 2010- 2013, with a decrease in riparian and an increase in sandbar areas, reflecting concerns in a decreased water supply in the valley.