'Interdisciplinary Green Infrastructure Research for Northern Utah: Social, Ecological and Hydrological Sciences Across Multiple Sites'
Plenary Speaker |
Abstract: |
Along Red Butte Creek in the Salt Lake Valley, interdisciplinary teams of researchers are exploring ways to restore more natural hydrological flows, improve water quality, reduce irrigation needs and enhance the community’s relationship with the creek and the watershed’s natural systems using green infrastructure approaches. Our network of study sites currently includes elements of WEO (Wasatch Environmental Observatory), GIRF (Green Infrastructure Research Facility - an experimental site with replicated bioretention systems), Red Butte Garden’s Water Conservation Garden, and the Landscape Lab (a research and demonstration garden open to the public in the University of Utah’s Research Park). These different contexts allow us to frame complementary questions associated with green infrastructure ecology, design, and implementation. Ultimately, we would like to expand these questions to multiple sites, canyons, or basins in the region. I will report on experimental design and preliminary results from ongoing data collection efforts on water quality, evapotranspiration, and community perceptions, and invite a conversation about future collaborations. |
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