Inundation Damage to Vegetation at Selected New England Flood Control Reservoirs

The effect on vegetation of inundation caused by the regulation and impoundment of water at six New England flood control reservoirs during the June-July 1973 flood was assessed from color infrared photography and corroborative ground surveys. A large amount of reservoir storage was utilized during...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: McKim,Harlan L, Gatto,Lawrence W, Merry,Carolyn J
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Civil Engineering
DAMAGE
DAMS
FLOOD CONTROL
FLOODING
FLOODS
Hydrology, Limnology and Potamology
INFRARED EQUIPMENT
INFRARED IMAGES
INFRARED PHOTOGRAPHY
INFRARED RECONNAISSANCE
NEW ENGLAND
TABLES(DATA)
TREES
VEGETATION
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Summary:The effect on vegetation of inundation caused by the regulation and impoundment of water at six New England flood control reservoirs during the June-July 1973 flood was assessed from color infrared photography and corroborative ground surveys. A large amount of reservoir storage was utilized during the two-week inundation period, resulting in extensive damage to vegetation. Four degrees of apparent vegetative damage were differentiated from color infrared photography based on color differences ranging from bright red on magenta for healthy foliage to cyan for unhealthy, damaged or dying vegetation. Correlative ground truth data showed that the deciduous trees, particularly silver maple and red oak, were least affected and that coniferous trees, especially white pine, were most affected by siltation and inundation. Much of the understory vegetation, i.e. poplar, basswood and hornbeam, lost all leaves after inundation but new buds and shoots reappeared by late September 1973. Generally, trees inundated for less than 90 hours were not extensively damaged. Prepared in cooperation with Corps of Engineers, Waltham, Mass. New England Div.