Langley Research Center Colorado Water Resources II Water We Drinking? Mapping Waterway Mitigation Sites in Ralston Reservoir, CO Scene 1: Opening [overlay Shuffle music] 8 second opening clip from Developedia Scene 2: Global Applications/ Introduction >>Amy: Clean water is a basic necessity for human survival. Consequently, the United States spends more than two billion dollars annually to purify water. However, rainfall transports organic compounds, heavy metals, and other contaminants from crops, mining sites, and river embankments, which compromise water quality. As weather events become less predictable and more extreme, it is increasingly important to take preventative steps to minimize sedimentation in water bodies. >>Romina: As part of the Summer 2015 NASA DEVELOP national program, the Colorado Water Resources Two Team at Langley Research Center partnered with Denver Water, who currently provides 1.3 million people in the city of Denver with clean water and is responsible for maintaining water quality in nearby watersheds. The DEVELOP team utilized NASA Earth Observations to “create soil erosivity risk maps for the Ralston Creek Watershed” to help Denver Water determine mitigation sites in the study area, which is located approximately 30 minutes north-west of Denver, Colorado.(STOP RECORDING) Part Total Time: 0:59 Total Time: Scene 3: Community concerns [insert Stormfront music] (SHOW WATER CLIPS) >>Tyler: In September, 2013, Colorado received record-breaking rainfall. Boulder, Colorado, located northwest of Denver, received 12 inches of rainfall in two days. The flood was just the beginning of increasingly unpredictable rainfall events that followed into the next two years. In May of 2015, Colorado Springs received the highest monthly average rainfall since 1894 when records began. (STOP RECORDING) >>Rebekke:The flooding event and uncharacteristically heavy precipitation have prompted concern regarding the effects surface runoff has on nearby water bodies, including the Ralston Creek Watershed. (STOP RECORDING) Scene 4: Partners (show tap water running ) >>Amy: Our team used NASA satellites and remote sensing technology to help Denver Water create an erosion risk assessment map to determine mitigation sites in the Ralston Creek Watershed for June, 2014. The 2014 risk map was then compared to risk maps from 2002 and 2010. Finally, a predictive erosion map was created for the Ralston Creek Watershed. (STOP RECORDING) Part Total Time: 0:56 Total Time: 1:55 Scene 5: Analysis >>Romina: The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation was used to create these risk maps. This equation, referred to as the RUSLE model, combines surface runoff and rainfall, soil erodibility, catchment length and slope, land cover, and conservation practices to determine areas most susceptible to erosion. (STOP RECORDING) >>Tyler: The runoff factor of the model compares average monthly precipitation to average decadal precipitation using the following equation (pause) (Show equation on screen) where p sub n equals monthly precipitation amounts over the course of 12 years and p equals 30-year-averaged precipitation. [insert clip rainfall hand-drawn] >>Rebekke: The LS, or “length slope,” factor was calculated using the following equation. Catchment length and watershed slope in degrees were calculated by running the elevation model through watershed analysis tools. (STOP RECORDING) [insert clip slope hand-drawn] >>Amy: The k factor or soil erodibility factor, ranks soil’s likelihood of erosion based on particle size and composition. (STOP RECORDING) >>Romina: The c factor ranks land cover’s ability to hold soil in place. For example, vegetation is efficient at soil retention while soil in bare land is poorly retained. (STOP RECORDING) >>Rebekke: The p factor, or conservation practice factor, which is typically used to indicate the measure of crop management practices was not included in this study because there are no crop lands in the Ralston Creek Watershed. (STOP RECORDING) >>Amy: These variable maps were multiplied together to produce the final June 2014 map. Data from 2002 and 2010 were also run through the model and then compared to the 2014 map for a change analysis. Finally, a map predicting future sites of erosion risk was created. The change analysis and prediction maps were produced with a tool that shows changes in the landscape between years. (STOP RECORDING) Part Total Time: 1:41 Total Time: 3:36 Scene 6: Results >>Romina: The following map shows the RUSLE output map for June 2014. Red areas indicate high risk of erosion. >>Tyler: This next map shows the change in soil erosivity risk between 2002 and 2014. The areas where risk has increased are highlighted in red. >>Rebekke: Finally we created this predictive risk map using the RUSLE risk maps from 2002, 2010, and 2014. Areas that are predicted to become high risk are indicated in red. Scene 7: Conclusions >>Amy: After examining all outputs, we found that locations in proximity to high risk erosion areas are more likely to degrade to high risk than those further away. >>Romina: Based on the risk maps, the change map, and the predictive map, the areas circled here represent our teams suggested mitigation sites. >>Tyler: By creating these maps, our team was able to develop a methodology that can be applied to watersheds universally. Part Total Time: Total Time: Scene 8: Ending [insert ben 1 song] RecordingsForVPS Voice 018 >>Tyler: The Colorado Water Resources team aimed to provide our partner with research to assist their decision making processes and address community concerns. (STOP RECORDING) >>Romina: This is important in a world where weather and climate are less predictable and more extreme. (STOP RECORDING) >>Rebekke: Because it is much cheaper to prevent contamination than it is to filter polluted water, it is imperative that we understand our landscapes in order to be prepared.(STOP RECORDING) >>Amy: In our changing world, NASA earth observations and remote sensing technology offer promising tools to target prevention and mitigation efforts.(STOP RECORDING) [11 second closing clip from Developedia] Part Total Time: 0:43 Total Time: