Forest hydrology and watershed management

Forests and Water: An Inseparable Combination

As high-quality fresh water (and the undisturbed forest lands that supply most of it in the western United States) becomes scarcer, there will be an increasing demand for land managers who also posses the skills of the hydrologist. the efficient combining of two disciplines is the challenge facing programs n forest hydrology.

In a research mode, we study the relationship between forest practices and water production both in terms of quantity and quality. Water balances is a primary tool and we are developing a site-specific water-balance methodology. Also, at the altitude of Flagstaff (7,000 feet), the importance of snowpack sublimation may be overlooked; we are investigating the circumstances under which mountain snowpacks quickly can be depleted of their moisture by this phenomenon.

Erosion processes and their prediction for both river beaches and forest lands can be a significant concern for resource managers, and for several years, we have been involved in studies related to this factor. In addition, we have been engaged in a complex study related to the land application of wastewater from a pulp mill. Not only is the assessment of the evapotranspiration component of that system of interest but we also are turning to develop means of predicting the impact of wastewater on the aquifer.

Education

B.S., Utah State University, 1961
Cert., French National School of Forests and Waters, 1962
M.F., Duke University, 1963
Ph.D., University of Washington, 1972

Selected Publications

Rowlands, P. G., H. G. Johnson, C. C. Avery, and N. J. Brian, 1995. The effect of dewatering a stream on its riparian system: A case study from northern Arizona. Proceedings of the 1995 Annual Meeting of the Hydrology Section of the Arizona Nevada Academy of Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ.

Bionti, F., D. E. Myers, and C. C. Avery, 1994. Geostatistically modeling stem size and increment in an old-growth forest. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 24:1354-1368.

Avery, C. C., L. R. Dexter, R. R. Weir, W. G. Delinger, A. Tecle, and R. J. Becker. 1993. Where has all the snow gone? Snowpack sublimation in northern Arizona. Proceedings of the Western Snow Conference, Jackson Hole, WY, April 13-17, 1993.

Beus, S. S. and C. C. Avery. 1993. the influence of variable discharge regimes on Colorado River sand bars below Glen Canyon Dam. Flagstaff, AZ: U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, Glen Canyon Environmental Studies. Final Report.

Dexter, L. R. and C. C. Avery. 1991. Using spreadsheet software in water-balance modeling. Computer and Geosciences. 17(4):527-536.

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 27 June 2007 )