Project Name:
Recharge, forest health, fire risk, and water supply
Collaborators:
David Dralle, Daniella Rempe, W Jesse Hahm, Joel Biederman, Salli Dymond, Jackson Leonard, Roger Tyler, Jason Williams
Goals/purpose:
Drought and high temperatures drive forest fire risk and reduce reliability of water resources. In the Western United States, much of our water supply originates in mountainous, forested watersheds. 
Photo of a drill rigWater from rainfall and snowmelt is the central force that sustains ecosystems as well as providing water to downstream water users. In forested watersheds, almost all rain and snowmelt infiltrate into the ground. Thus, the moisture status of the root zone is the key to understanding forest health, wildfire risk, and water supply dynamics. Scientists install boreholes to observe moisture content throughout the full depth of the root zone. These measurements are then related to downstream streamflow, plant stress, and wildfire risk. At larger scale, scientists use remote sensing to infer root zone moisture content in real time.