Matheson Wetlands Preserve Water Monitoring, Water Budget, Wetland Mapping, and Wetland Change Analysis (SS-174)

By: Kathryn Ladig, Rebecca Molinari, Kayla Smith, Trevor H. Schlossnagle, J. Lucy Jordan, Diane Menuz, Janae Wallace, Hugh Hurlow, Paul C. Inkenbrandt, and Christian Hardwick

The Scott and Norma Matheson Wetlands Preserve (“the Preserve”) is a rare riparian environment in the Colorado River corridor and a popular recreation area adjacent to Moab, Utah. We undertook this study to better understand the hydrologic system of the wetlands and a brine layer that underlies fresh water within the boundaries of the Preserve. We calculated a water budget for the Preserve using field measurements, remote sensing, and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Soil-Water Balance Model, version 2, for water years 2017 to 2022. We conducted a dye tracer test to track the flow of surface water into and through the Preserve.  We used transient electromagnetic (TEM) surveys, electromagnetic-induction (EMI) logging, and groundwater chemistry analyses to constrain the location and origins of the brine. We improved our understanding of the intersection between the dual-density hydrologic system and the ecology by mapping the vegetation and conducting remote-sensing analyses of the Preserve. Field work took place from February 2021 to June 2023.

Other Information:
Published: 2024
Pages: 173
Appendices: 2
Location: Utah
Media Type: Paper Publication