Application of the Ecological Floodplain Inundation Potential (EcoFIP) Methodology to Enhance Nutrient Processing in the Lower Green River, Kentucky
John Stofleth
Verdantas
Wadesville, IN
Authors: Mathew Weber, Stephanie Day, Jeremy Williamson, Luke Tillman, Chris Bowles
Floodplains play an essential role in the health of riverine ecosystems, allowing for primary productivity and nutrient processing, yet there is a long history of anthropogenic activities that have disconnected floodplains from rivers to create dry land for agriculture and development. Floodplain rehabilitation reestablishes the lost connectivity between the river and the floodplain, thereby enhancing these critical floodplain functions. Given the vast scale for floodplain rehabilitation to be carried out along river corridors throughout the United States and the high cost to do so, site selection is a critical step to optimize the enhancement of floodplain function for a given investment of resources. On the Green River in western Kentucky, floodplain rehabilitation has been identified as a potential solution for mitigating high nutrient loads that degrade the aquatic ecosystem and ultimately contribute to water quality issues in downstream receiving waters and Gulf Hypoxia. Utilizing the Ecological Floodplain Inundation Potential (EcoFIP) methodology/toolbox and the novel nutrient module component of EcoFIP, we have identified and prioritized sites where floodplain rehabilitation is most likely to reduce nutrient loads on the lower 150 miles of the Green River. This approach has broad applicability for rapid identification and prioritization of floodplain rehabilitation opportunities across large spatial domains where the enhancement of nutrient processing is a priority.
About John Stofleth
John Stofleth has over 20 years of experience in hydraulic engineering, fluvial and estuarine geomorphology, and watershed ecology. At Verdantas, John has worked on several projects that include the development of one-, two- and three-dimensional hydrodynamic and sediment transport models. Additionally, he has performed extensive watershed scale hydrologic and geomorphic assessments. He is adept at evaluating and implementing projects that require complex hydraulic and geomorphic solutions. Some of John's most notable project work includes levee setback/floodplain rehabilitation projects on the Sacramento, Feather, and Bear Rivers in Northern California. Additionally, he served as a testifying expert related to downstream effects associated with the 2017 Oroville Dam spillway incident. John has also been involved in several research projects that embody new trends in the field of stream restoration including the effects of dam removal on channel morphology, the analysis of large wood as a tool in stream restoration, and the importance of hyporheic exchange in overall stream integrity. He earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental geosciences at Purdue University before continuing to the University of Mississippi for his master’s in environmental engineering. John’s multidisciplinary background and experience involving projects with multiple components of the river system make him an invaluable member of the Verdantas team.