Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Reconstructing Flow History From Riparian Tree Rings

Active
By Fort Collins Science Center August 29, 2017

Aquatic Systems Branch scientists analyze rings of riparian trees relating tree growth and establishment to historical flow. We then use the tree rings to reconstruct the flow in past centuries. Flow reconstructions discover the frequency and magnitude of past droughts and floods—information that is essential for management of rivers and water supplies. We also use downscaled climate projections and watershed models to predict changes in flow and tree growth resulting from human-induced climate change. We have pioneered the use of cottonwood, a dominant riparian species, for tree ring analysis; this is a significant advance in arid regions where old trees of other species are scarce. Ongoing studies focus on rivers of the Upper Missouri Basin and the Tarim River in China.

Plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera).
Sources/Usage: Some content may have restrictions. View Media Details
Plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera). Cottonwood forests dominate river flood plains in dry regions of North America, Asia and Europe. Flood-plain cottonwoods are widely distributed and long-lived and have distinct annual rings highly correlated with river flow. Photo by USGS. Public domain.
A plains cottonwood, with increment borer used to collect a 1 cm core, and a paper straw used to transport it
Sources/Usage: Some content may have restrictions. View Media Details
A plains cottonwood, the increment borer used to collect a core 1 cm in diameter, the core, and a paper straw used to transport the core. Photo by Derek Schook. Public domain.
Photomicrograph of tree rings in a core from the flood plain of the Little Missouri River in Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Sources/Usage: Some content may have restrictions. View Media Details
Photomicrograph of tree rings in a core from the flood plain of the Little Missouri River in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota. Ring width of this cottonwood tree was reduced by drought in 1931, 1934, 1936 and 1937. Photo by Jesse Edmondson. Public domain.
Reconstruction of log-transformed April-July Flow of the Little Missouri River near Watford City ND
Sources/Usage: Some content may have restrictions. View Media Details
Reconstruction of log-transformed April-July Flow of the Little Missouri River near Watford City ND, gage 06337000, in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. This reconstruction is based on cores of plains cottonwood from the North Unit and from the lower Powder River near Moorhead, MT. Blue line is measured log of discharge, red line is reconstructed log of discharge, and black line is 15-yr smoothing spline. Spline is dashed where confidence in the reconstruction is low because of small sample size. Shaded area is the number of cores in each year. From Schook et al. 2016. Public domain.

Shapefiles and Historical Aerial Photographs, Little Missouri River, 1939-2003

This dataset includes aerial imagery of the Little Missouri River in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND from 1939 to 2005, as well as shape files delineating the channel in each image. These data were analyzed in: 

Miller, J.R., and J.M. Friedman. 2009. Influence of flow variability on flood-plain formation and destruction, Little Missouri River, North Dakota. Geological Society of America Bulletin 121:752-759.

Below are other science projects associated with this project.

link
Vegetation along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon

Riparian Ecology

Riparian ecologists at the Fort Collins Science Center study interactions among flow, channel change, and vegetation along rivers across the western United States and worldwide. Our work focuses on issues relevant to the management of water and public lands, including dam operation, climate change, invasive species, and ecological restoration. Investigations take place on a range of scales. For...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
link

Riparian Ecology

Riparian ecologists at the Fort Collins Science Center study interactions among flow, channel change, and vegetation along rivers across the western United States and worldwide. Our work focuses on issues relevant to the management of water and public lands, including dam operation, climate change, invasive species, and ecological restoration. Investigations take place on a range of scales. For...
Learn More

Below are publications associated with this project.

Flow reconstructions in the Upper Missouri River Basin using riparian tree rings

River flow reconstructions are typically developed using tree rings from montane conifers that cannot reflect flow regulation or hydrologic inputs from the lower portions of a watershed. Incorporating lowland riparian trees may improve the accuracy of flow reconstructions when these trees are physically linked to the alluvial water table. We used riparian plains cottonwoods (Populus deltoides ssp.
Authors
Derek M. Schook, Jonathan M. Friedman, Sara L. Rathburn
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Alternative standardization approaches to improving streamflow reconstructions with ring-width indices of riparian trees

Old, multi-aged populations of riparian trees provide an opportunity to improve reconstructions of streamflow. Here, ring widths of 394 plains cottonwood (Populus deltoids, ssp. monilifera) trees in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota, are used to reconstruct streamflow along the Little Missouri River (LMR), North Dakota, US. Different versions of the cottonwood chrono
Authors
David M. Meko, Jonathan M. Friedman, Ramzi Touchan, Jesse R. Edmondson, Eleanor R. Griffin, Julian A. Scott
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Dendroclimatic potential of plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera) from the Northern Great Plains, USA

A new 368-year tree-ring chronology (A.D. 1643–2010) has been developed in western North Dakota using plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera) growing on the relatively undisturbed floodplain of the Little Missouri River in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We document many slow-growing living trees between 150–370 years old that contradict the common understanding
Authors
Jesse Edmonson, Jonathan Friedman, David Meko, Ramzi Touchan, Julian Scott, Alan Edmonson
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Tree-ring records of variation in flow and channel geometry

We review the use of tree rings to date flood disturbance, channel change, and sediment deposition, with an emphasis on rivers in semi-arid landscapes in the western United States. As watershed area decreases and aridity increases, large floods have a more pronounced and sustained effect on channel width and location, resulting in forest area-age distributions that are farther from a steady-state
Authors
M.F. Merigliano, J. M. Friedman, M. L. Scott
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Influence of flow variability on floodplain formation and destruction, Little Missouri River, North Dakota

Resolving observations of channel change into separate planimetric measurements of floodplain formation and destruction reveals distinct relations between these processes and the flow regime. We analyzed a time sequence of eight bottomland images from 1939 to 2003 along the Little Missouri River, North Dakota, to relate geomorphic floodplain change to flow along this largely unregulated river. At
Authors
J.R. Miller, J. M. Friedman

Responses of riparian cottonwoods to alluvial water table declines

Human demands for surface and shallow alluvial groundwater have contributed to the loss, fragmentation, and simplification of riparian ecosystems. Populus species typically dominate riparian ecosystems throughout arid and semiarid regions of North American and efforts to minimize loss of riparian Populus requires an integrated understanding of the role of surface and groundwater dynamics in the es
Authors
M.L. Scott, P.B. Shafroth, G.T. Auble

Below are partners associated with this project.

Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)

Colorado State University (CSU)

Eastern Shoshone Tribe

National Park Service (NPS)

Northern Arapaho Tribe

The University of Arizona

Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (China)

Aquatic Systems Branch scientists analyze rings of riparian trees relating tree growth and establishment to historical flow. We then use the tree rings to reconstruct the flow in past centuries. Flow reconstructions discover the frequency and magnitude of past droughts and floods—information that is essential for management of rivers and water supplies. We also use downscaled climate projections and watershed models to predict changes in flow and tree growth resulting from human-induced climate change. We have pioneered the use of cottonwood, a dominant riparian species, for tree ring analysis; this is a significant advance in arid regions where old trees of other species are scarce. Ongoing studies focus on rivers of the Upper Missouri Basin and the Tarim River in China.

Plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera).
Sources/Usage: Some content may have restrictions. View Media Details
Plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera). Cottonwood forests dominate river flood plains in dry regions of North America, Asia and Europe. Flood-plain cottonwoods are widely distributed and long-lived and have distinct annual rings highly correlated with river flow. Photo by USGS. Public domain.
A plains cottonwood, with increment borer used to collect a 1 cm core, and a paper straw used to transport it
Sources/Usage: Some content may have restrictions. View Media Details
A plains cottonwood, the increment borer used to collect a core 1 cm in diameter, the core, and a paper straw used to transport the core. Photo by Derek Schook. Public domain.
Photomicrograph of tree rings in a core from the flood plain of the Little Missouri River in Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Sources/Usage: Some content may have restrictions. View Media Details
Photomicrograph of tree rings in a core from the flood plain of the Little Missouri River in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota. Ring width of this cottonwood tree was reduced by drought in 1931, 1934, 1936 and 1937. Photo by Jesse Edmondson. Public domain.
Reconstruction of log-transformed April-July Flow of the Little Missouri River near Watford City ND
Sources/Usage: Some content may have restrictions. View Media Details
Reconstruction of log-transformed April-July Flow of the Little Missouri River near Watford City ND, gage 06337000, in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. This reconstruction is based on cores of plains cottonwood from the North Unit and from the lower Powder River near Moorhead, MT. Blue line is measured log of discharge, red line is reconstructed log of discharge, and black line is 15-yr smoothing spline. Spline is dashed where confidence in the reconstruction is low because of small sample size. Shaded area is the number of cores in each year. From Schook et al. 2016. Public domain.

Shapefiles and Historical Aerial Photographs, Little Missouri River, 1939-2003

This dataset includes aerial imagery of the Little Missouri River in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND from 1939 to 2005, as well as shape files delineating the channel in each image. These data were analyzed in: 

Miller, J.R., and J.M. Friedman. 2009. Influence of flow variability on flood-plain formation and destruction, Little Missouri River, North Dakota. Geological Society of America Bulletin 121:752-759.

Below are other science projects associated with this project.

link
Vegetation along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon

Riparian Ecology

Riparian ecologists at the Fort Collins Science Center study interactions among flow, channel change, and vegetation along rivers across the western United States and worldwide. Our work focuses on issues relevant to the management of water and public lands, including dam operation, climate change, invasive species, and ecological restoration. Investigations take place on a range of scales. For...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
link

Riparian Ecology

Riparian ecologists at the Fort Collins Science Center study interactions among flow, channel change, and vegetation along rivers across the western United States and worldwide. Our work focuses on issues relevant to the management of water and public lands, including dam operation, climate change, invasive species, and ecological restoration. Investigations take place on a range of scales. For...
Learn More

Below are publications associated with this project.

Flow reconstructions in the Upper Missouri River Basin using riparian tree rings

River flow reconstructions are typically developed using tree rings from montane conifers that cannot reflect flow regulation or hydrologic inputs from the lower portions of a watershed. Incorporating lowland riparian trees may improve the accuracy of flow reconstructions when these trees are physically linked to the alluvial water table. We used riparian plains cottonwoods (Populus deltoides ssp.
Authors
Derek M. Schook, Jonathan M. Friedman, Sara L. Rathburn
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Alternative standardization approaches to improving streamflow reconstructions with ring-width indices of riparian trees

Old, multi-aged populations of riparian trees provide an opportunity to improve reconstructions of streamflow. Here, ring widths of 394 plains cottonwood (Populus deltoids, ssp. monilifera) trees in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota, are used to reconstruct streamflow along the Little Missouri River (LMR), North Dakota, US. Different versions of the cottonwood chrono
Authors
David M. Meko, Jonathan M. Friedman, Ramzi Touchan, Jesse R. Edmondson, Eleanor R. Griffin, Julian A. Scott
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Dendroclimatic potential of plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera) from the Northern Great Plains, USA

A new 368-year tree-ring chronology (A.D. 1643–2010) has been developed in western North Dakota using plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera) growing on the relatively undisturbed floodplain of the Little Missouri River in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We document many slow-growing living trees between 150–370 years old that contradict the common understanding
Authors
Jesse Edmonson, Jonathan Friedman, David Meko, Ramzi Touchan, Julian Scott, Alan Edmonson
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Tree-ring records of variation in flow and channel geometry

We review the use of tree rings to date flood disturbance, channel change, and sediment deposition, with an emphasis on rivers in semi-arid landscapes in the western United States. As watershed area decreases and aridity increases, large floods have a more pronounced and sustained effect on channel width and location, resulting in forest area-age distributions that are farther from a steady-state
Authors
M.F. Merigliano, J. M. Friedman, M. L. Scott
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Influence of flow variability on floodplain formation and destruction, Little Missouri River, North Dakota

Resolving observations of channel change into separate planimetric measurements of floodplain formation and destruction reveals distinct relations between these processes and the flow regime. We analyzed a time sequence of eight bottomland images from 1939 to 2003 along the Little Missouri River, North Dakota, to relate geomorphic floodplain change to flow along this largely unregulated river. At
Authors
J.R. Miller, J. M. Friedman

Responses of riparian cottonwoods to alluvial water table declines

Human demands for surface and shallow alluvial groundwater have contributed to the loss, fragmentation, and simplification of riparian ecosystems. Populus species typically dominate riparian ecosystems throughout arid and semiarid regions of North American and efforts to minimize loss of riparian Populus requires an integrated understanding of the role of surface and groundwater dynamics in the es
Authors
M.L. Scott, P.B. Shafroth, G.T. Auble

Below are partners associated with this project.

Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)

Colorado State University (CSU)

Eastern Shoshone Tribe

National Park Service (NPS)

Northern Arapaho Tribe

The University of Arizona

Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (China)

Was this page helpful?