Big Muddy Speaker Series

Presentation by Research Engineer Brandon Sansom, USGS

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

NOTE – this presentation has been rescheduled to the THIRD Tuesday of the month. Next month we will return to our normal second Tuesday schedule.

• 7 p.m. presentation (6 p.m. Social Hour)
• Register for Virtual Zoom Option here.
• Watch it LIVE on our YouTube Channel (and you can also catch the recording there later)
• The Bistro at Les Bourgeois Vineyards in Rocheport, MO
• Google Map – Directions Below

The Bistro Restaurant is closed on Tuesdays, but the bar will be open. You ARE welcome to come early, bring some food and gather with friends before the presentation. Speaker Series attendees are welcome after 6:00 p.m.

Hosted by Missouri River Relief 

On May 5^th, 2021, researchers from the USGS – Columbia Environmental Research Center released approximately 23 gallons of Rhodamine WT dye into the Missouri River about 2 miles downstream of the I-70 bridge in Boone County. Rhodamine WT is a non-toxic but very visible dye that is frequently used to study time of travel in river systems. Scientists monitored the dispersal of the dye downstream for five miles using a series of fluorometers installed throughout the river as well as a series of videos and photographs that were captured using multiple aircraft.

Brandon will share with attendees the goal of this dye experiment and how it helps us better understand complex flow patterns in the Missouri River. In particular, how these flow patterns influence the dispersal of passively drifting age-0 pallid sturgeon. The data was used to help refine computer simulations to evaluate how well the computer models predict transport of larvae into restoration projects — called interception-rearing complexes, or IRCs — designed to increase growth and survival of pallid sturgeon. Results from both the dye experiment and computer simulations show that IRCs intercept and slow down the transport of dye, a potentially important feature to the development of age-0 sturgeon.

Brandon Sansom is a research engineer in the River Studies Branch at the U.S. Geological Survey – Columbia Environmental Research Center working on transport phenomena in riverine ecosystems. His research focuses on organism-flow interactions, how these interactions contribute to the structure and function of river ecosystems, and how improved understanding of organism-flow interactions can aid aquatic ecosystem conservation and management efforts. Current research projects include: 1) characterizing and quantifying pallid sturgeon age-0 dispersal, 2) predicting freshwater mussel eDNA transport and fate, and 3) quantifying optimal mussel habitat in Ozark streams. He has received a B.A. from Washington and Jefferson College, a M.S. from the University of Oklahoma, and a Ph.D. from SUNY Buffalo.

Directions

• 14020 W. Hwy BB, Rocheport, MO
• Take I-70 to the Rocheport, MO, exit (Exit #115). It’s the first exit east of the Missouri River.
• Head north toward Rocheport.
• After about a mile, turn left at the sign for Les Bourgeois Bistro. Follow the signs to the Bistro. You will probably need to park in the lot above the Bistro and walk the trail down.
• The presentations are held in upstairs in the restaurant. The restaurant is no longer open on Tuesdays but the bar is! You are welcome to bring your own food or snacks.