Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/733
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Item Understanding rancher's beliefs and behaviors regarding drought and natural water storage in southwest Montana(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2018) Moore, Megan Alison; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Jamie McEvoyDrought has the potential to impact both natural environments and human communities, with specific repercussions for agricultural communities. In the face of changes to the quality, quantity, and timing of water runoff, water storage for drought mitigation is one of the top concerns for many water managers and water users. Due to a growing recognition of negative social and environmental impacts of traditional infrastructure, such as dams, there is a need for alternative forms of water storage. The concept of nature-based solutions, specifically natural water storage systems, has gained traction as a potential strategy to slow spring runoff, store water, and raise water tables, often resulting in an increase in late season streamflows. This research examines the adoption of these new strategies, specifically flood irrigation and beaver mimicry projects in the context of a changing climate in Montana. This thesis uses the theory of planned behavior to better understand findings from twenty-two amenity and traditional ranchers in the Red Rock Watershed/Upper Beaverhead Watershed in southwestern Montana. Results show that ranchers' beliefs toward drought can impact their drought planning responses. In this watershed, it is impractical for ranchers to convert to flood irrigation due its high labor needs and low production outputs. There is potential for beaver mimicry projects to be adopted, but economic and regulatory hurdles must first be addressed. Results suggest that natural water storage practices will be more successful if organizations involved form better relationships with ranchers, remain flexible, and integrate local knowledge into decisions and policies.Item Impacts of low summer streamflows on water resources in the Jefferson Valley : historical responses and future challenges(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2016) Leone, Alex Michael; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Julia Hobson HaggertyIn an attempt to understand the complex interrelationships between climate, water infrastructure regimes, and water governance this thesis examines relationships between drought and water use in the Jefferson River Basin in southwest Montana. The Jefferson River is one of the three great headwater streams of the Missouri River and is itself comprised of the Beaverhead, Big Hole and Ruby Rivers, encompassing a substantial drainage basin of 9,532 sq. miles. The Jefferson's unique hydrological position inherently situates the basin "at the end of the line" of water users and flows at its confluence have plummeted to 200 cubic feet per second (cfs) during extreme drought periods, leaving little water in the river to appease appropriators along the river's remaining 80 miles. The Jefferson River (and all of its important tributaries) is highly utilized for agriculture, resulting in chronic dewatering during peak irrigation demand (typically July through mid-September). Persistent water scarcities over the last 15 years have tested the Basin's ability to sustain historic levels of agricultural production and maintain a commercial sports fishery. This thesis provides a resilience assessment of water resources in Jefferson Basin. RA's attempt to conceptualize dynamic interactions between linked social and ecological systems (SES's). Analysis of complex human use systems (SES's) is inherently interdisciplinary and necessitates a mixed methods approach. The RA completed for this thesis integrated physical analyses of the water use system (utilizing GIS, hydrology, climate and demographic data) with a qualitative survey of water stakeholders with the goal of understanding the processes that drive the Jefferson SES and identifying weaknesses that reduce resilience. Over the last 30 years the Jefferson Basin has benefited from a unique subset of water users and natural resource managers that have successfully worked to improve conditions in the face of extreme environmental challenges. This RA found that although it is highly likely that the Jefferson will be challenged by extreme conditions in the future (related to a changing climate), it is also evident that there is potential for the basin to transition into alternate and more resilient regimes.Item Tree-ring reconstructed streamflow and drought history for the Bighorn River Basin, Wyoming(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2011) Swindell, Bryan Cameron; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Cathy WhitlockPredictions made by climate models suggest that in the coming decades the western United States will experience warmer temperatures, as well as changes in streamflow patterns. To better understand how climatic variability affects water resources and to critique current water-supply assumptions, water-resource management can benefit from proxy-based paleoclimatic information. Instrumental records of precipitation, streamflow, and snowpack are typically less than 100 years long and usually only capture a subset of the full range of hydrologic variability possible in a given watershed. This study presents water-year streamflow reconstructions for six gages in the Bighorn River Basin in Wyoming and Montana. The reconstructions are based on tree-ring data from various locations in the Northern Rocky Mountain region. The streamflow reconstructions are between 500 and 800 years long. Calibration models between the tree-ring data and the gage record explain up to 60% of the variation in gaged streamflow. Analysis of the reconstructions indicates that the 20th century was relatively wet compared with previous centuries, and recent droughts were matched or exceeded (in duration and magnitude) many times during the last 800 years. Pre-instrumental droughts also show strong spatial coherence across the entire Bighorn River watershed. These reconstructions can be used to develop more-robust water-management plans that take into account a broader range of conditions than those presented by gage records alone.