The poster session is a forum for presenters to highlight programs and to share successful ideas with colleagues by presenting a research study, a practical problem-solving effort, or an innovative program or project. Posters are listed alphabetically by title.
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Full AbstractsAdaptive Management Strategies at Big Bend Habitat Restoration AreaAnders Eckert, Utah Conservation Corps & West Jordan City ParksThe Big Bend Restoration Project is located along the Jordan River and is filled with a high abundance of biodiversity. The Big Bend provides a native home for many different species offering reprieve from the Urban infrastructure found around the park. This presentation will inform Adaptive Management Strategies and plans for the Big Bend Site.
An Urban Canal and the Logan River: Bugs, Leaves, and Water QualityEllie Smith-Eskridge, Utah State UniversityFor my masters research, I compared water quality, freshwater invertebrates, and leaf decomposition between an urban canal and a natural stream, the Logan River. The canal showed faster leaf decomposition relative to the Logan River, and leaf-shredding amphipods were abundant in the canal.
End-Member Mixing Analysis of the Upper Provo RiverAlyssa Thompson, Brigham Young UniversityThe Provo River is an important water source for Utah County, but little is known about the sources of water that feed into this river. This study identifies these main sources of water, what the chemistry of these sources look like, and calculates the percent contribution from each of these sources to understand how these sources change over time.
Green Infrastructure Microbial Community Response to Storm EventsYvette Hastings, University of UtahHave you ever wondered what stormwater green infrastructure (SGI) bioswales are? In this presentation, I will describe what these are and how soil microbial communities respond to precipitation events in experimental bioswales.
How Dry Must the Great Salt Lake Be to Produce Hazardous Dust?Thorn Merrill, University of UtahAirborne dust effects the air quality of the Wasatch front in Utah. One of the closest dust sources is the Great Salt Lake Playa. Surface crust and soil moisture are two main dictators of dust emission in an emissive area. Where there is broken or absent crust dust emission decreases as soil moisture increases.
Investigating Ground and Surface Interactions within Utah Lake, UTJustin McCurry, Courtney Brown, Kyle Johnson, Daren Nelson, Utah Valley UniversityOur team is investigating the effectiveness of identifying groundwater and surface water interactions of cold water springs at Utah Lake, UT by integrating traditional flow analyses with thermal imaging cameras from small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Jordan River Channel Improvements at Brighton North Point DiversionHannah Murphy, Salt Lake County Watershed Planning & RestorationRemoval of the Brighton North Point Canal diversion structure provided a seamless, navigable river system, reestablishing flood plains, improving instream habitat, and mitigating invasive weed species throughout.
LGBTQIA+ DEI Efforts of Birding & Bird Conservation OrganizationsGeorgie Corkery, Utah State UniversityThe goal of this research is to develop a DEI handbook template for the birding community, with a completed section on LGBTQAI+. This will be executed via an analysis of DEI efforts of 16 birding and bird conservation organizations, interviews with queer birders, and a look into queer ecology.
Mapping Flows of Influence Across Utah's Two Largest LakesShannon Lambson, Brigham Young University; Ben Abbott,
Brigham Young UniversityAn interactive look at how information and influence move between stakeholders, using the Utah Lake islands proposal as a case study. We invite input during the session from the community about how to improve coordination and communication in conservation and restoration efforts for the integrated Great Salt Lake system.
Microbial Community Analysis of Anaerobic DigestersMaliea Holden, Brigham Young UniversityCaldicellulosiruptor bescii, when used as a pretreatment of waste activated sludge, increases gas production and decreases solid waste in anaerobic digestion effluent.
Microbial Community Composition to Fingerprint Dust Emission SourcesDeTiare Leifi, Brigham Young UniversityParticular microbial communities unique to land use and location may serve as general indicators in dust fingerprinting.
Muddy Snow and Hazardous Air: Dust Transport from Great Salt LakeMaura Hahnenberger, Shane Schmidt, Salt Lake Community CollegeThe decline of the Great Salt Lake has exposed large areas of shoreline that now produce hazardous dust when winds blow. Continued episodic drought and consumptive water use will make recovery of Great Salt Lake levels a challenge, posing the threat of continued hazardous dust transport into the future.
Nutrient Release from Utah Lake Wetting and Drying CyclesKate Scanlan, Brigham Young UniversityUtah Lake littoral sediments are subject to frequent drying and wetting cycles that are a result of annual variability in water levels across Utah Lake. These changing water levels result from a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors, and can lead to potentially increased nutrient release rates of N, P, and organic C.
Opportunities for Increasing Mass Transit in Suburban Utah CountyKatie Lawrence, Brigham Young UniversityTransportation is a large source of air and stormwater pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. This pollution has only increased with suburban sprawl. Thus, we are proposing a framework for changes to Utah's mass transit infrastructure based on a local spatial analysis, and discussing the implications for air and water quality.
Seasonal Nutrient Limitations of Various Microbes in Utah LakeSarah Chan, Brigham Young UniversityCyanobacterial and algal blooms present unique issues to be understood thoroughly. We found that the nutrient limitation of cyanobacteria, and to a lesser extent phytoplankton, was influenced by season and space.
Thermal Spring Interactions at Utah Lake via the use of UAVSKyle Johnson, Justin McCurry, Courtney Brown, Daren Nelson, Utah Valley UniversityOur team is investigating the effectiveness of utilizing thermal imaging cameras from small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to better understand how thermal hot springs are interacting with Utah Lake and its surrounding ecosystems.
Toxic Algae in a Changing Climate: Protecting Recreational HealthHannah Bonner, Utah Division of Water QualityWarming water temperatures, declining reservoir levels, and increasing human disturbance all foster the growth of harmful algal blooms (HABs). The Utah Division of Water Quality (UDWQ), in partnership with local health departments, works to mitigate this risk through cooperation, communication, and proactive monitoring in Salt Lake County.
Toxin Producers or Non-Toxin Producers: What causes them to Bloom?Shadman Kaiser, University of Utah; Ramesh Goel,
University of Uta
