WyCEHG Voices of the River

Learn how one University of Wyoming student conducts research that reimagines the science behind water in the Mountain West. 

Following the Flow

Better Understanding Water Processes in Wyoming 

Wyoming is a state that pays attention to water. As a semi-arid head water state, citizens and organizations need to know how much water we have, and where this water is going. With scientific research we can answer these questions. Working with WyCEHG, Associate Professor Ginger Paige has been able to conduct hydrology research that has been able to contribute to a better understanding of water processes across the state.

She became interested in hydrology after working with the Peace Corps for three years in Mali, located in West Africa. She worked on community development and technology to improve well construction and irrigation in the area.

She is currently working on two different research projects; one in the upper Wind River Basin watershed and another in the Crow Creek watershed.

"Wyoming is beautiful and I love the places where we work. I'd rather be doing the ground research than modeling. Measurements give you the chance to look at variability such as changing landscapes or changing soil," Paige said.

Through her research Paige has been able to quantify the return flow processes in the Wind River Basin using geophysics technology provided by WyCEHG. Her team has been looking at the partitioning of surface and subsurface water and mapping out the subsurface hydrologic pathways.

At the Crow Creek watershed site there is a focus on the partitioning of surface waters. The next step for these findings are putting it into a watershed modeling framework. This modeling demonstrates where the water is going; whether it returns to the stream, is transpired, or goes into deep percolation.

The results from this research will help inform water management decisions when looking at the tradeoffs between irrigation practices. 

"WyCEHG has given us new instrumentation and new ideas to expand our capability and allows us to work with partners across Wyoming," Paige said.

Communication with other stakeholders in Wyoming is an integral part of Paige's work. Part of the outreach that Paige has participated in includes Water Interest Group meetings.

"We will have three meetings over the five year grant. The first introduced WyCEHG and it's capacity, to water entities in the state and region, in terms of water resource questions, and the second highlighted the partnerships we've formed. The final meeting will be a summary of what we've been able to do and a pathway forward," Paige said.

WyCEHG also attends Wyoming's monthly water forums led by the state's engineer office to share information on their findings with other state agencies.

Paige has also worked with graduate students as a supervisor and project director.

"Graduate students are helping me with my research but also have their own research topics. For masters or PhD students its important that they have ownership for their own research and they tend to be allowed more freedom. We have shared goals, but we do want that ownership," Paige said.

The biggest piece of advice she has for students interested in science research is to find an area of research that they are passionate about.

"Find a piece that really interests you because science takes time. It's about asking the questions, finding the answers and taking the time to do field work or lab work," Paige said.

Arapaho Ranch Safari

By: Jennifer Wellman

Mentor program offers exploratory study for summer youth

During late July, several organizations on the Wind River Reservation collaborated to provide an interdisciplinary field camp, the Arapaho Ranch Safari, for students aged 14-23. The setting was Arapaho Ranch, a rural, historic ranch on the Wind River Reservation, northwest of Thermopolis at the confluence of the Owl Creek Mountains, the Absaroka Range, and Hamilton Dome. 

During the program, youth improved the Arapaho
 Ranch by working on service projects.

Run by the Northern Arapaho Tribe, the ranch includes a cattle operation, historic homesteads, and vast tribal lands and water for creative and scientific study. 

The Northern Arapaho Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Summer Program employs reservation youth in various tribal departments and businesses. This summer, with a grant from the US Department of Labor, WIA formed a partnership to create the Ranch Safari with Wind River EPSCoR, Maker Space 307, Poetics of Peace, Wind River Native Advocacy Center, Arapaho Tribal Health and numerous other artists and local experts. 

The Ranch Safari was the first, multi-faceted 5 day field camp for WIA workers that offered an adventure in filmmaking, cultural awareness, scientific study, and creative environmental exploration. 

The group set base camp at the historic old mansion, built in the late 1800's, and the Ranch's yurt, established in 2012 by the Wyoming Conservation Corps. Water conservation was critical during the week as the house's plumbing was not functional; students were able to use other local showers and bathrooms and had to haul water for drinking and cooking. 

Each day consisted of chores and activities, including assisting with cooking and clean up. Meals included fresh salads, lean meats, and delicious snacks to guide students toward healthy options that were easy to make, with assistance from UW's Centsible Nutrition Program. 

Youth went on a horse culture ride with Alison
Sage from Arapaho Tribal Health.

Ranch Safari highlights included: 

• Documentary film-making with Alan O'Hashi, a regional film producer, using iPad minis;
• Poetry reading and writing with henry Real Bird (Crow Tribe), the 2009-2011 Montana poet laureate;
• Field trips to cultural and environmental sites: a buffalo jump, tipi rings, historic petroglyphs at Legend Rock, Thermopolis hot springs, and Anchor Reservoir;
• Service learning projects at the mansion and the ranch headquarters, clearing vegetation and debris from the grounds and updating paint on a roadside fence;
• Horse culture ride with Alison Sage from Arapaho Tribal Health;
• Buffalo wallow ecology discussion with Jason Baldes, an Eastern Shoshone scientist and buffalo expert.

Ranch Safari mentors were:

Clarinda Calling Thunder, WIA program director

Jason Baldes, Wind River Native Advocacy Center

Hetty Brown-Tabaha, WIA Program

Alfred Burson, Arapaho tribal guide

Susan Grinels, Maker Space 307

Lorre Hoffman, Wind River Development Fund

Clina Longtimesleeping, WIA Program

Barbara May, photographer

Alan O'Hashi, Wyoming Community Media

Kelli Pingree, UW Centsible Nutrition

Henry Real Bird, Crow Tribe

Alison Sage, Arapaho Tribal Health

Marvene Thunder, Sky People Higher Education

Manuela Twitchell, local artist and poet

Jennifer Wellman, Wind River EPSCoR

In addition to US Department of Labor funding for the ranch Safari, Wyoming EPSCoR supported the purchase of supplies, food, and teaching materials. Additional funds were provided by a Wyoming Arts Council grant to Wind River Development Fund, a local non-profit. 

For more information on this project or other collaborative science opportunities on the Wind River Reservation, contact Jennifer Wellman at jwellman2@uwyo.edu. 

Spring Creek Water Project

On Tuesday Sept. 27, 2016 Spring Creek Elementary 3rd and 4th graders went to LaPrele Park to study human impacts on water and the water cycle. 

Prior to their field trip, the class had studied the water cycle, aquifers, and the effects humans have on water.

Wyoming EPSCoR was able to help teachers bring place-based education where students could preform tests and observe water close to home. Science and Math Teaching Center graduate student, Claire Ratcliffe and EOD coordinator Emily Vercoe went out with the class to help with class discussions and testing. 

Before they started testing, the class learned what an aquifer is and how features like a spring form in an aquifer. An example used was the Casper Aquifer. The Casper Aquifer accounts of 60-100% of Laramie's drinking water. Students were able to make personal connections to the science of water by studying it in the context of their local environment. 

Students tested water quality in Huck Finn Pond, a spring fed fishing pond. They were also able to test along Spring Creek. This creek is also spring fed, but comes from a different source further east. These two different testing areas offered the opportunity to compare and contrast moving and still water. 

The class conducted a variety of tests including; pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and temperature. Based on the information collected, students could make predictions on the health of the stream and pond. 

While testing, students had time to observe macro-invertebrates. Macro-invertebrates commonly found in the water of Huck Finn Pond and Spring Creek are stoneflies, mayflies, or sowbugs. Most students went hunting for crawdads, by far the most coveted catch of the macro-invertebrates. 

There was also playful creativity incorporated into the field trip. The students played "Macro Mayhem", a version of the game sharks and minnows. Students were asked to mimic a stream, helping them to see how sensitive macro-invertebrates quickly die off if stream quality is damaged.

To conclude their day of scientific explorations the class walked back to school along Spring Creek Road, making observations along the way. 

The class can look forward to another day out in the field on Oct. 10 when they return to the water cycle, with a focus on watersheds. 

Snowy Science: "End of Snow" Film Premiere

The world premiere of "End of Snow" will be shown on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016 at the Adventure Film Festival in Boulder, CO. "End of Snow" is a film that was produced by Day's Edge Production with support from Wyoming EPSCoR, University of Wyoming, and WyCEHG. 

Dr. Jane Zelikova, producer and talent in the film, has grown to be passionate about snow and the role it plays in our lives. She was inspired to document and explore the effects of climate change on snow in the Rocky Mountain regions. 

"I wanted to help make a film about science and the people and unexpected places where innovation can come from," Dr. Zelikova said. 

Dr. Zelikova talking with Bryan Schumanan, a geology professor at the University of Wyoming.

Dr. Zelikova became involved with the Wyoming EPSCoR program as a part of a collaborative research team that is characterizing the factors that influence snowpack dynamics in the Snowy Range Mountains.

After receiving a Wyoming EPSCoR grant in spring of 2015, the crew began filming in August.

Morgan Heim, "Mo", was the director of the film and was involved in the filming and editing process. Although she may be a terrible skier, she has been in love with snow from an early age. Growing up on the Virginia coast she rarely saw snow, and began to find herself craving it. When Dr. Zelikova asked her to help with the project, she did not hesitate.

"I would get to work with a dear friend on a climate change issue tailored to the environment and communities that I call home. This seemed like a way I could contribute," Heim said. 

Billy Bar, a resident of Gothic, CO, who has kept a 40 year record of snow in the area. 

Heim has affectionately called the film "her baby", but she was sure to mention how the project would not have been possible without the help of her team. 

"Jane was an inspiration throughout, and a great talent in front of the camera and with planning. Neil Losin, Nathan Dappen and Aly Nicklas all lent their considerable talents behind the camera. The whole team gave invaluable editing input. Kori Price, our production manager and assistant saved our butts and sanity more than once," Heim said. 

A still shot from the third chapter of "End of Snow" filmed near Big Piney, Wy.

Dr. Zelikova plans to continue her career in filmmaking and this past summer worked on a film about SRAP the summer research program for high schoolers funded by EPSCoR.

"I hope people walk away from the film with a better understanding of how climate change is influencing snowpack in the West. But even more importantly, I hope the viewers are inspired to do science because science is really just curiosity about how the world works and can come from unexpected people and unexpected places. In the end, I hope we show that breaking down barriers that silo us into "scientist", "rancher", "skier", or whatever, can really expand our potential and bring innovation to address the impacts of climate change," Dr. Zelikova said. 

For more information on the "End of Snow" and future screenings click here. 

Own It! Celebrating UW Women in STEM

To highlight the achievements of women scientists on campus, Wyoming EPSCoR developed the Own It! Awards, a celebration of women researchers in STEM fields at the University of Wyoming. Last night, recipients were honored at a ceremony on campus. This event underlines the importance of visibility in STEM fields for women, highlighting disparities that increase as women complete their studies and enter the job market.

Young scientists in Wyoming were the first to receive Own It! Awards: a group of Girl Scouts in Laramie who participated in a year-long citizen science project with the Biodiversity Institute, collecting data about ecological conditions on the Laramie River.

Girl Scout hydrology researchers receiving their Own It! Award.

Next, audience members saw a multimedia presentation on the Bearded Lady Project by Dr. Ellen Currano, who used false beards to draw attention to a very real gender disparity in paleontology. You can learn more about her project at thebeardedladyproject.com; a documentary created by Ellen Currano and her creative partners will premiere later this year.

Dr. Cynthia Weinig presented an Undergraduate Own It! Award to Jazzlyn Hall, a double major in anthropology and geography. One of the graduate supervisors who nominated Jazzlyn said of her: “Within less than a year, she has proven herself by leading two research projects in our lab while continuing two other research projects in geography and anthropology departments. She has presented her research at internationally recognized conferences, including the 2015 American Geophysical Conference in San Francisco.” Jazzlyn has also been awarded an NSF award for graduate research when she begins grad school at Columbia next Fall.

Dr. Indy Burke presented the Graduate Own It! Award to Karagh Murphy, who has published in a broad range of techniques including hormone manipulations, brain imaging, and behavior. She is currently the lead investigator for two projects seeking to understand the role of mirror neurons in vocal learning. Karagh has presented research at the international Society for Neuroscience conference, and is currently organizing Wyoming’s first Brain Awareness Week.

Student Own It! Award recipients Karagh Murphy (left) and Jazlynn Hall (right)

Dr. Shawna McBride presented a Staff Own It! Award to Dr. Susan Swapp, a Senior Research Scientist and the Manager of the Materials Characterization Laboratories in the Department of Geology and Geophysics. As Dr. McBride said, “For over 20 years, Dr. Swapp has built one of the best material characteristics labs in the West.” Dr. McBride also highlighted Dr. Swapp’s exceptional mentoring of younger students, so that they can increase their confidence and expertise in using instruments in their research.

Arts & Sciences Dean Paula Lutz presented two Faculty Own It! Awards. The Early Career Own It! Award went to Dr. Melanie Murphy, a faculty member in the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences in the department of Ecosystem Science and Management. Professor Murphy’s nominees described her as “a terrific scientist” and an “outstanding mentor.”

Dr. Cynthia Weinig won this year’s Own It! Award for Tenured Faculty for her work in the Departments of Botany and Molecular Biology. Dr. Weinig is also a member of the leadership team for the UW Science Initiative, part of the team developing the National Science Foundation ADVANCE grant, and is now helping to lead an effort to develop a large institutional grant to better understand Wyoming’s microbiomes. 

Own It! Awards Presentation by Dr. Ellen Currano

All of the presenters acknowledged a spectacular field of nominees, making it difficult to choose just one deserving winner in each category. Presenters also spoke about the value of mentorship in their own careers, and how inspiring it was to see such a vibrant community of women in STEM fields at the University of Wyoming.

Finally, Megan Candelaria of WYSTEM presented an Own It! Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Dolores Cardona, who has worked for decades to improve the UW community by bringing awareness to issues related to race and gender. Dr. Cardona created the Summer Research Apprentice Program (SRAP) thirty years ago, still going strong as a part of EPSCoR’s education and outreach efforts. Dr. Cardona also spearheaded the Women in Math Science Engineering group (WIMSE), a vital professional development resource for young women on campus.

In her closing remarks, Liz Nysson expressed her hope that the Own It! Awards would become a UW tradition: “Wyoming EPSCoR hopes that the Own It! Awards will continue on an annual basis, so that the achievements of UW women researchers in STEM can be celebrated.”

Posted to the UW EPSCoR Blog by Jess White

Critical Hydrology Research in the Critical Zone

Bryan with the undergraduate research team about to depart for Pennsylvania
(Photo courtesy of Bryan Shuman)

With support from EPSCoR, Paleohydrology Professor Bryan Shuman took four UW undergrads to Pennsylvania this past summer to study the long history of drought in the area. With a study area of hundreds of square miles and timeframe of thousands of years, the team sought to answer questions about the hydrological past and illuminate the future.

Ground-penetrating radar allowed the team to see the ancient shorelines of these lakes, establishing a water record dating back millennia. The team pushed plastic tubing into the lake bed to collect sediment core samples. This technique allows researchers to grab a cross-section of silt layers. 

Undergraduate researchers hard at work collecting samples on the lake
(Photo courtesy of Bryan Shuman)

  As Bryan explains, “Because this is a history of drought in natural reservoirs – when water levels were high, when they were low – we can learn about hydrology and climate change over several timescales.” Lake sediment can also be used to plot forest fires, since researchers can measure fossil charcoal deposits from burned trees. “Everything washes into these lakes over time. They’re like time capsules, big memory cells that record environmental change.”

Why Pennsylvania? Ocean temperatures in the Atlantic influence conditions throughout North America. The Atlantic coastline also boasts several Critical Zone Observatories, which study the interactions between life on the earth’s surface, microbes underground, and water flowing through the ground. These complex processes generate soil, contribute to erosion, and determine what plants grow and which animals survive. The “critical zone” is the zone where this vital interaction between geology, hydrology, and biology takes place.

The EPSCoR grant offers Bryan’s team access to these Critical Zone Observatories, and two of these sites are in Pennsylvania. The team is interested in the role water plays in these interactions, especially as it changes over time. “It’s great to take students out in the field and have them see these things for the first time. Being out in the field is such a different experience from sitting in the classroom. Learning is so much more tangible when you can pull samples out of the ground.” 

Undergraduate research team with core samples
(Photo courtesy of Bryan Shuman)

The team found evidence of drastic rises in Pennsylvania water levels. “The magnitude of that change is kind of equivalent to going from the amount of rain we have on the Great Plans to the amount of water we have on the North Coast right now. Not making it a desert, but in terms of ecosystems and plants, that would be a pretty big shift. If you were to make Pennsylvania like Illinois, that would have a big impact on the water resources that people depend on and the plants they grow.”

So far, the results seem to indicate a large increase of water in the North Atlantic region, a pattern Bryan says is similar to most of the places in the US that he has studied. The pattern extends to Wyoming, which you might be surprised to learn is much soggier than it was a few thousand years ago. “There’s definitely precedent for Wyoming being drier than it is now.” The team confirmed an overall pattern of water increase, but also found evidence of droughts lasting not just a year or two but centuries.

Bryan believes that hydrological history in the state is crucial to awareness of water conditions now and in the future. “Water’s important. We need water, and we don’t know how constant our water supply is. Looking at the past gives us a chance to see how much it can change, and what that means for the land around us.”

Posted to Wyoming EPSCoR by Jess White