Montana State Watershed Hydrology Lab

Watershed Sciences at MSU Land Res. & Environmental Sciences Dept.

Study of watershed hydrology (streamwater sources, flowpaths, and age), land-atmosphere CO2, H2O, and energy fluxes, watershed biogeochemistry, and hydrological / biogeochemical implications of landuse change. We employ methods that include source water tracing, physical hydrology, eddy-covariance, and landscape analysis techniques. Our field-based research is focused on the spatial and temporal scaling of hydrological and biogeochemical processes in watersheds and stream networks.

Recent Highlights of Our Work in Scientific or Popular Press

Wondzell, S, *K.J. Jencso, *R. Payne. in press 2009. Water, doesn’t it just run downhill? Exploring the hydrologic connections between landscapes and streams. US Forest Service (PNW Station) Annual Scientific Findings Article.

*Riveros-Iregui, D.A. and McGlynn, B. L. (2008). Measuring and Modeling CO2 and H2O fluxes in Complex Terrain. In: Baldocchi D.D. and Vargas R (eds). FLUXLETTER. Vol 1 (4): 12-13. Invited Commentary.

Recent news article: "Flow velocity and the hydrologic behavior of streams during baseflow" reported by United Press International: "Fluctuations in stream flow are discovered"

The AGU editors have selected our recent Geophysical Research Letters paper, titled "Flow velocity and the hydrologic behavior of streams during baseflow" as an "AGU Journal Highlight." See article in EOS.

Recent Papers *student authors

Wondzell, S.M., M.N. Gooseff, and B.L. McGlynn. In press. Hyporheic exchange flows and diel fluctuations in discharge during baseflow recession. Hydrological Processes. DOI: 10.1002/hyp.7507.

*Payn, R.A., M.N. Gooseff, B.L. McGlynn, S.M. Wondzell, K.E. Bencala. In press. Longitudinal distribution of channel water balance through summer discharge recession in a Rocky Mountain headwater stream, Montana, USA. Water Resources Research. doi:10.1029/2008WR007644.

*Pacific, V.J., McGlynn, B.L., *Riveros-Iregui, D.A., Epstein, H.E., and Welsch, D.L. 2009. Differential soil respiration responses to changing hydrologic regimes. Water Resources Research, 45, W07201, doi:10.1029/2009WR007721.

*Gardner, K.K. and B.L. McGlynn. 2009. Seasonality in spatial variability and influence of land use/land cover and watershed characteristics on streamwater nitrate concentrations in a developing watershed in the Rocky Mountain West. Water Resources Research. DOI: 10.1029/2008WR007029.

*Riveros-Iregui, D.A. and B.L. McGlynn. 2009. Landscape structure controls soil CO2 efflux variability in complex terrain: Scaling from point observations to watershed scale fluxes. Journal of Geophysical Research – Biogeosciences. 114, G02010, doi:10.1029/2008JG000885

*Jencso, K. J., B. L. McGlynn, M. N. Gooseff, S. M. Wondzell, and K. E. Bencala. 2009. Hydrologic connectivity between landscapes and streams: Transferring reach and plot scale understanding to the catchment scale, Water Resources Research. W04428, doi:10.1029/2008WR007225.

*Grabs, T., J. Seibert, *K. Jencso, and B.L. McGlynn. 2009. Calculation of side-separated contributions to stream networks – A new tool to characterize riparian zones. Proceedings of Geomorphometry 2009. Zurich, Switzerland, 31 August - 2 September, 2009.

News and Awards

Seth Kurt-Mason receives the Montana American Water Resources Association outstanding student presentation award, Fall 2009.

Vince Pacific completes his post-PhD hike of the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada

Kelsey Jencso et al.’s recent Water Resources Research paper was the most downloaded paper for 3 weeks in a row and remained in the top 5 across all AGU journals for 2 weeks

Diego Riveros-Iregui et al.’s JGR - Biogeosciences paper was the most downloaded paper recently and the 3rd most downloaded the week prior.

Diego Riveros-Iregui receives the Montana State University 2008-2009 Graduate Achievement Award for Outstanding Performance in a Doctoral Program!

Vince Pacific successfully defends his PhD dissertation Spring, 2009!

Tim Covino receives a 2009-2011 EPA STAR Fellowship!

Kelsey Jencso receives a 2009 AGU (American Geophysical Union) Outstanding Student Paper Award!

Diego Riveros-Iregui successfully defends his PhD dissertation September 2008!

Diego Riveros-Iregui receives a 2008 NSF DDIG Award from Ecosystems!

Kelsey Jencso receives a 2008 AGU (American Geophysical Union) Outstanding Student Paper Award!

Diego Riveros-Iregui receives the 2008 AGU Horton PhD Research Award!

Research Group Foci