Field Report: Rain, Rocks, and a Collapsed Dam

August 17: A Difficult Start

Heavy rain and a few unexpected obstacles prevented the team from completing all the planned work during the first field visit.

Groundwater monitoring stations. Originally , the plan was to install 10 piezometers; in reality, only 2 could be completed initially. As expected, a layer of rock just below the surface significantly slowed down the drilling work.

Cross-sections of the stream. The dense vegetation along the banks made it impossible to reliably measure water depths and flow velocities. This work was therefore postponed until the fall, when the vegetation will have receded and the stream bed will be more accessible.

Drone flight. The drone flight was carried out successfully. It yielded high-quality video and photo footage of the study area. Members of the media were also on site to document the work.

August 27: Back in the Field

The team returned to the field to continue the groundwater monitoring work. Three additional piezometer monitoring stations were installed, bringing the total to five of the planned ten monitoring stations. Another field visit is scheduled to continue the work.

In addition, the team discovered that one of the monitored beaver dams had broken apart since the previous visit. Based on water level measurements, the collapse could be dated to August 22. This illustrates once again how dynamic these systems are—and is also one reason why we are investigating their hydraulic and hydrological conditions.

We will provide updates on the further progress of the study.