Memories in the Soil: Efficacy of Stream Restorations Over Time via Denitrification and Other
Soil Health Metrics
Joseph G. Galella
University of Delaware
Elkridge, Maryland
Authors: Joseph G Galella, University of Delaware; Shreeram Inamdar, University of Delaware; Md Moklesur Rahman, University of Delaware; Alexis M Yaculak, University of Delaware; Marc Peipoch, Stroud Water Research Center
Stream and floodplain restoration have been a growing industry in the Mid-Atlantic for the past 20 Years. However, limited long-term monitoring of those restorations has been conducted. Soil and water samples were collected from 15 stream restorations 1 to 22 years post-restoration. The majority of restorations followed the principles of Natural Channel Design and were located in Maryland and Virginia. Replicate soil samples were collected in restored and unrestored reaches at each restoration. Results indicated increasing soil moisture, organic matter, organic carbon, and microbial denitrification rates with restoration age at restored sties. Bulk density decreased with restoration age at restored sites (likely recovering from restoration-induced compaction) but not to a significant degree. 15N concentrations decreased with restoration age at restored sites possibly due to organic N accumulation from plant matter. Both organic matter and organic carbon were significantly higher in restored samples than unrestored samples indicating carbon capture was occurring. As post-restoration monitoring is often compulsory for planned stream restorations this research will help guide project design choices and what factors can best be correlated with restoration goals.
About Joseph Galella
Joe Galella earned his undergraduate degree in Geology from Franklin and Marshall College in 2011, his masters in Geo-environmental Studies from Shippensburg University in 2016 and his PhD from the University of Maryland in 2023. He has experience studying road salt pollution, stream restoration and the unintended consequences of colonial milldams in the Mid-Atlantic. His current research helps quantify the effectiveness of stream restorations over time by analyzing floodplain soils in restored and unrestored catchments.