Changes in Characteristics of the Reese River within the Shoshone Yomba Reservation, Nevada (2010-2016)
Abstract Code: 30042

Abstract

In drylands, riparian vegetation abundance can be indicative of water availability. Riparian vegetation is greatly affected by changes to its water source from human alteration or climate change. In the Reese River Valley, Nevada, members of the Shoshone Yomba tribe have reported noticeable changes to the landscape and water supply within one generation. A lack of available data from stream gauges and updated aerial imagery hinders research in the area. Thus, changes in river characteristics such as areas of riparian coverage, sandbars, and the active water channel can be used as proxies for surface water quantity. In this project, we digitized these characteristics along the river within the Yomba reservation from 2010, 2013, and 2016 Google Earth imagery and calculated the total areas from each year in ArcGIS Pro to assess changes in the landscape. The greatest total change occurred laterally along the river, with a 33% decrease in riparian area and a 73% increase in exposed sandbar area, while the channel exhibited less overall change (8%) in area but the most variation in shape and (dis) connectivity. These results reflect tribal member concerns about reduced water supply in the valley. Despite a notable rainfall event during the study timeframe, it may be that periods of heightened rainfall may not offer enough time for vegetation recovery between droughts. Long-term monitoring could improve understanding of lag time between changes in climate and landscape response (temporal and spatial) beyond typical dryland variability.