Minnesota Water Resources Conference - Water Resources Center ...

Poster Session 4:45–5:45
BOOK OF ABSTRACTS
Tuesday, Monday, October 27 23
Regionalization of Ground Water Systems in Support of Water Resources Sustainability Atlases in
Minnesota
Roman Kanivetsky, University of Minnesota, kaniv001@umn.edu; John Nieber, University of Minnesota; Boris Shmagin, South
Dakota State University; David Mulla, University of Minnesota; Heidi Peterson, University of Minnesota; Francisco Lahoud,
University of Minnesota
Organizing knowledge for water resources sustainability requires a new approach in regionalization of
terrestrial hydrologic system. We propose an approach based on a definition of the hydrological unit as the land
area that integrates all components of the terrestrial hydrologic system. Such nomenclature provides not only a
much fuller characterization of the hydrologic system than using just the component parts such as aquifers or
confining beds, but it is also a prerequisite to study water resources sustainability. The hydrologic response of
such hydrologic units, once established based on measurements at an appropriate scale, can be directly related
to the hydrologic response of geometrically similar hydrogeologic units elsewhere. This similarity allows the
scaling (up or down) of hydrologic response based on the absolute size of the unit.
Soil Seed Bank Analysis of a Drained Peatland in East-central Minnesot Pre- and Post-Grading: a Case
Study for Wetland Restoration
Allyz Kramer, SEH Inc., akramer@sehinc.com
This study evaluated native seed bank viability in a peatland subjected to prolonged drainage for sod production
in Ham Lake, Minnesota. The study area was within a proposed wetland restoration and mitigation site, and
included assaying the soil seed bank prior to, and immediately after, site grading. The goals of the study related
to wetland restoration and future management activities were to quantify viable plant species present in surface
and subsurface seed banks; evaluate native origins of viable germinants; and, determine relative densities of
viable hydrophytes in the seed bank. Both assays included a high density of weedy species associated with moist,
disturbed sites and waste places, which provide a strong argument for scraping and removing extant vegetation
prior to attempting native vegetation reestablishment. Spreading surface soils around the site during grading
activities should be avoided because of relative densities of undesirable weedy species contained in surface soils.
Minnesota Water Resources Conference, October 27–28, 20078 44