Big Muddy Speaker Series presents:

This is our second consecutive presentation looking deep into what science has learned about the ancient pallid sturgeon since the Endangered Species Act kicked the science into gear. In the process, scientists are learning much more about how the Missouri River ecosystem works, and how it isn't working. And using cutting edge techniques in the process.

The term "Adaptive Management" is used to describe science and management decisions on the Missouri River, but how does it really work? How do scientists identify and address fundamental gaps in knowledge, test hypotheses, and deliver critical information to decision makers?

Research hydrologist Dr. Susannah Erwin and hydrologic technician Brian Anderson inspect velocity data on the Upper Missouri River during the larval drift study.

As a Research Hydrologist for the River Studies Branch of the U.S. Geological Survey, Susannah Erwin, is deep into the modeling of complex river processes such as hydrology, hydraulics, sediment transport, and geomorphology. In today's talk, she'll look at an example of a large-scale field experiment on the Upper Missouri River, MT, conducted in summer 2016.

The experiment consisted of a tracer experiment using fluorescent dye, the release of hundreds of thousands of larval pallid sturgeon, and an extensive hydraulic measurement campaign conducted over hundreds of river miles. Dr. Erwin will examine how results are being used to inform how dams and reservoirs are managed.