Groundwater hydrology and groundwater-dependent ecosystems of central Oregon

Marshall Gannett

U.S. Geological Survey

5:30 pm social hour

Groundwater is critical for humans and ecosystems in central Oregon. The volcanic geology of the Deschutes and upper Klamath Basins is widely known to host substantial regional aquifer systems that store and transmit large volumes of groundwater that supports year-round flow to many streams. What is less well known is that there are smaller-scale local aquifer systems that exist in the region as well, and that there are unique groundwater-depend ecosystems associated with these different scales of groundwater flow. Marshall Gannett will describe the groundwater hydrology of central Oregon, focusing on the upper Deschutes Basin, and discuss recent research aimed at understanding groundwater-dependent ecosystems and the sensitivity to climate change.