Isabel Rodrigues ’23
Geosciences
Understanding Watershed Processes in Complex Terrain: Mountain Hydrology at Snodgrass Hillslope
Certificate(s): Environmental Studies
I studied the hydrologic characteristics of Snodgrass Hillslope, a high-altitude region in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. This area is representative of other mountainous watersheds in the Western United States, and studying it has helped better inform models of water availability in the West. I assisted in the design and deployment of a multistep field campaign, extending a study that has been ongoing since 2018. My co-intern and I selected and mapped out two areas of study (one at higher altitude and another at lower altitude), translated the digital map we created to the physical site using a high-precision GPS, and completed a month-long, daily soil moisture study. We also applied several updates to the group’s three climate towers, including adding new sensors and solar panels. Finally, we installed a weir on a local stream, allowing us to measure changes to streamflow throughout the year. Simultaneously, I developed and proposed a long-term project that will investigate the effects of tree mortality on water circulation in this region. I’m grateful to have had this opportunity and am excited to continue working on this project in the fall.
2022
Water and the Environment
Integrated GroundWater Modeling Center, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University - Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Gothic, Colorado
Reed Maxwell, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the High Meadows Environmental Institute; Jackson Swilley, Ph.D. candidate, Civil and Environmental Engineering