Streamflow data from nine small watersheds in Oregon's H.J. Andrews Forest have been continuously monitored since 1953. The dataset includes three sets of paired watershed experiments and one larger old-growth watershed, designed to evaluate hydrologic impacts of forest management treatments like clearcutting. Data collection is managed by the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program.
Use Cases
- Analyze streamflow time-series from paired watersheds (e.g., WS 1 vs. WS 2) to quantify the impact of 100% clearcut treatments on water yield.
- Model long-term hydrologic trends in old-growth forest controls (WS 2, 8, 9) using continuous data from Leopold-Stevens A-35 recorders.
- Correlate streamflow metrics with watershed characteristics like drainage area (9-100 ha) and elevation range (460-960 m) across the nine sites.
- Compare pre-treatment calibration periods (at least 8 years) with post-treatment streamflow records to assess recovery from shelterwood or patch cut logging.
- Integrate streamflow summaries from small watersheds with U.S.G.S. gauging station data for Lookout Creek (63 km2 drainage area) for basin-scale analysis.
Strengths
- Continuous monitoring since 1953 provides over 70 years of temporal coverage for long-term trend analysis.
- Experimental design includes three paired watershed sets and calibrated pre-treatment periods of at least 8 years, enabling causal inference.
- Covers nine specific watersheds with documented treatments (clearcut, patch cut, shelterwood) and controls, allowing for comparative studies.
Limitations
- Specific row counts, column details, and data granularity (e.g., daily vs. hourly) are unknown from the description.
- Geographic scope is limited to a single forest in Oregon's Cascade Range, which may limit generalizability to other ecoregions.
- The description does not specify data completeness, potential gaps in the long-term record, or metadata availability for the streamflow summaries.
Provenance
- Source
- Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program, H.J. Andrews Forest (AND).
- Collection Method
- Streamflow measured continuously with Leopold-Stevens A-35 recorders at nine watershed sites; Lookout Creek data maintained by U.S. Geological Survey.
- Time Range
- 1953 to present (ongoing).
- Geography
- H.J. Andrews Forest, western Cascade Range, Oregon, USA. Watersheds within the 15,800-acre Lookout Creek drainage basin.