Buchanan Kerswell, Utah Valley University
Physical Sciences
This project is designed to investigate anthropogenic impacts on the geochemistry and physical characteristics of Utah Lake-Jordan River transition zone, in Utah Valley, Utah. The zone has experienced dramatic, multifaceted shifts since European settlement in 1847, especially in recent decades. Our chosen study location is uniquely situated to capture changes recorded in the sediment cores due to land use, nutrient enrichment, vegetation shifts and river dynamics since pre-settlement.
A total of nine meter-long sediment cores along three transects were taken in June 2013. The cores were subsampled at 5 cm interval for 13C, 15N, C, and N analyses. The depth profiles of 13C, 15N, C, N in the sediment cores coupled with lead-210 and radiocarbon dating will be used to characterize important changes due to invasive species, land changes, farming practice and river dynamics. Our sediment samples are going to be analyzed by the Geological Sciences Laboratory at BYU the first week of November, 2013. The data from our samples will help us to answer the following questions: 1) How have the abundances of carbon and nitrogen isotopes changed prior to and after European settlement, and what are the carbon and nitrogen sources to Utah Lake? 2) How have trace element inputs to Utah Lake and the Jordan River varied pre- and post-settlement, and what is the anthropogenic enrichment factor for metals such as mercury, copper, and lead? 3) How has the overall ecosystem changed with respect to vegetation and river dynamics? The data will be presented at UCUR in February, 2014.
Our project has the potential to transform the way in which we understand the long- and short-term human impacts on the water resources in the Great Salt Lake Basin. Furthermore, the outcome from this project will provide valuable insights for an integrated wetland-aquatic ecosystem management plan for Utah.