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OLC-OST Environmental Protection Program Research and Educational Collaboration

Presentation to the Oglala Sioux Tribe Environmental TECH Team on December 21, 2013. OLC-OST Environmental Protection Program Research and Educational Collaboration. Charles Jason Tinant, OLC Robert Pille, OLC Delinda Simmons, OST EPP Hannan LaGarry, OLC.

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OLC-OST Environmental Protection Program Research and Educational Collaboration

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  1. Presentation to the Oglala Sioux Tribe Environmental TECH Team on December 21, 2013 OLC-OST Environmental Protection Program Research and Educational Collaboration • Charles Jason Tinant, OLC • Robert Pille, OLC • Delinda Simmons, OST EPP • Hannan LaGarry, OLC

  2. How Are OLC students and Faculty working to improve Reservation Stream Health? • 1) Finalized the OST watershed protection plan for the USEPA in January 2014 • 2) Develop a TMDL for smaller reservation streams • 3) Improve an algae prediction model to better handle stream scour • 4) Conduct a multivariate analysis of the macroinvertebrate community over time and across ecoregions Pass Creek during an algal bloom

  3. OLC MST Degrees • Natural Science BS Degree in Earth (and Water) Science and Conservation Biology • Pre-Engineering AA Transfer Degree in collaboration with SDSMT and SDSU • Information Technology BS • Life Science AA

  4. Reservation- Centered Coursework • Place-Based • Service Learning and Course Embedded Research • We welcome service-learning opportunities and analyze data from our summer research in the classroom • Cultural Preservation • We house the OST Cultural Resource Repository (Thank you NSF ARI and TCUP program) and have Cultural Resource Management coursework (Sci 493)

  5. Writing - Intensive Individualized Student Research Projects

  6. Watershed Protection is a National Challenge 2006 EPA Wadable Stream Assessment AnthropogENic Stressors Are impacting the Nation’s Waters

  7. Non-Point Source Impacts from Land use Harm the Environment Sun + Nutrients = Eutrophication -> NighT time Low Oxygen -> Ecosystem Changes

  8. DIFFERENT LAND USE PRACTICES AND DIFFERENT WATERSHED RESPONSES TO PRECIPITATION:Badlands Streams are Event Dominated and Sandhills Streams are Base flow dominated

  9. So Where should the OST Begin When 85% of PRR Steams Do not Meet Existing Water Quality Standards ?

  10. Collaboration in the Field from 2010:1) Biological Monitoringof Fish and Macroinvertebrates2) Chemical and Flow Monitoring

  11. Laboratory Collaboration • Macroinvertebrate Analysis • Identification of macroinvertebrates to family • Calculation of stream health metrics based on the macroinvertebrate community • We have completed over 100 stream samples with over 20,000 identified bugs between 2010 and 2013!

  12. Continuous Stream flow and Water Quality Monitoring • We are collecting the following parameters at 15 minute intervals at 6 stations (2013-2014): • Stream stage • Dissolved oxygen • pH • Conductivity • Temperature

  13. Student service-learning research (NSci233 – Hydrology) to determine flow duration curves

  14. Water Pollution Reduction Approaches through a TMDL – Beginning Spring 2014 in nsci 373 Watershed assessment

  15. Analysis and modelingI developed an Algal Predictive Modelas part of pHDstudies – an olc student intern will be calibrating the model this spring

  16. Zero canopy cover Canopy cover varies from 0% - 70% Zero canopy cover increasing Canopy cover in the tablelands ecoregion can reduce eutrophication caused by nutrient loading

  17. Low N:P variance High N:P variance These stations have persistent algal blooms High N at one station The n:P ratio might tell us something about Anthropogenic nutrient loading

  18. Best Management Practice Prioritization • Frequent scour increases the assimilative capacity of Badlands streams – However, algal blooms are beginning to occur downstream of larger winter feeding operations • BMPs in Sandhills streams should focus on ground water quality protection • The most rapid ROI may be to focus BMPs on riparian area protection / improvement in Tablelands streams with high N:P ratios

  19. Next Steps in Stream Health • 1) Research whether streams are N, P limited or N+P co-limited (Nsci 373 – Watershed Assessment Spring 2013) • 2) Develop a TMDL for smaller reservation streams – guided undergraduate research • 3) Calibrate the model and improve the algal predictive model to better handle stream scour - guided undergraduate research • 4) Conduct a multivariate analysis of the macroinvertebrate community over time and across ecoregions (NMDS Ordination)

  20. Are THere ways we Can Help other programs? • Charles Jason Tinant • surface water quality / aquatic ecology • Hannan LaGarry • cultural resources / geology • Alessandra Higa • conservation biology • James Sanovia • - GIS mapping • Bob Pille • General (e.g. the guy who gives the orders and solid waste) Research funded by the NSF TCUP Program grants #0903686 and #1037661

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