Tag: Water quantity

Forests to Faucets 2.0

by Jennifer Moore Myers and Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
Standing on the banks of the Yadkin River in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the river tumbles peacefully by. The river water has made a long journey: it originated as rainfall deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. It flows through the Uwharrie, Sumter, and Francis Marion National Forests. It travels through Winston-Salem, Charlotte, and Charleston…  More 

Hill Demonstration Forest Joins Experimental Forest Network

by Ivan Garcia, SRS Science Communications Intern, and Jennifer Moore Myers, SRS Science Communications  • 
The USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station and the North Carolina State University College of Natural Resources recently signed an agreement adding NC State’s Hill Demonstration Forest to the SRS Experimental Forest Network. The Hill Demonstration Forest covers more than 2,600 acres in the Carolina Slate Belt and has a variety of forest types and…  More 

Groundwater Recharge in the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley

by Ivan Garcia, SRS Science Communications Intern  • 
The Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley is a floodplain that spans seven states. It is suffering from groundwater depletion – a long-term water level decline due to human use. Irrigation and overuse of water resources have led to a seven meter drop in groundwater levels from 1987 to 2014. Water from precipitation and other sources…  More 

Modeling Study on Cattle Feed Crops & River Flow Depletion

by Casey Conrad, SRS Science Communications Intern  • 
A new study uses a USDA Forest Service modeling tool – the Water Supply Stress Index, or WaSSI, ecosystem services model – to explore the relationship between water use, river flows, and fish populations across the conterminous U.S. Brian Richter from the University of Virginia led the study. SRS researcher Peter Caldwell’s expertise with WaSSI…  More 

Ying Ouyang Receives Soil Science Society of America’s Highest Honor

by Teresa Jackson, SRS Public Affairs  • 
Research hydrologist Ying Ouyang was recently named a 2019 Fellow by the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), the highest recognition bestowed by the organization. The SSSA is an international scientific society whose members are dedicated to advancing the field of soil science to sustain global soils. Each year, members nominate colleagues based on their professional…  More 

The Future of Fish in the NC Piedmont

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
What will fish communities of the North Carolina Piedmont look like in the future? “Many factors could affect this,” says U.S. Forest Service research hydrologist Peter Caldwell. “Water withdrawals could be one of the most important.” Water withdrawn from rivers may eventually flow out of kitchen faucets. Many municipalities get drinking water from rivers and…  More 

Sustainable Growth & the Future of Forested Watersheds

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
Forests provide high quality and dependable supplies of surface water. More than 19 million people in the Southeast get at least some of their drinking water from national forests, as U.S. Forest Service research revealed. However, most forest land in the Southeast U.S. is privately owned. Such land could be converted to other uses in…  More 

More Productive U.S. National Forests and Grasslands Could Yield Less Water in a Future Climate

by Stephanie Worley Firley, Eastern Threat Center  • 
A warmer climate may lead to higher growth and productivity on U.S. national forests and grasslands, but university and U.S. Forest Service researchers say this could reduce quantities of fresh water flowing from most of these lands, even with increases in precipitation. Results were published today in Scientific Reports. “The national forests and grasslands managed…  More 

A Future for Freeze-Tolerant Eucalyptus in the South?

by Zoё Hoyle, SRS Science Delivery Group  • 
Recently published research by U.S. Forest Service scientists provides important first-time analyses of the potential impacts of introducing plantations of freeze-tolerant Eucalyptus into the South. Eucalyptus, a fast-growing tree native to Australia and Indonesia, is planted across large areas of Asia, Africa, and South America as a major source of hardwood fiber for paper and…  More