Date of Award

2021

Document Type

Open Access Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Geology (MS)

Administrative Home Department

Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences

Advisor 1

John Gierke

Committee Member 1

Rodney Chimner

Committee Member 2

Fengjing Liu

Abstract

Wetlands are a vital component of the landscape, a keystone ecosystem, that are prone to degradation and destruction with urbanization. As a result, significant efforts from communities, scientists, sportsmen and government agencies have been made to protect and restore wetlands. In 2019, The Nature Conservancy began re-wetting, contouring, and seeding a 55-ha parcel of farmland in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, restoring the site in an attempt to resemble pre-settlement conditions. The Nature Conservancy Restoration site is part of the groundwater recharge zone of Chiwaukee Prairie and its restoration aimed to increase the available groundwater for adjacent Chiwaukee Prairie State Natural Area wetlands. This research examines the pre-restoration hydrology of the study area using water table levels, water temperature, and meteorological data. Electric sounding tape and pressure transducers were utilized to collect water table measurements from May to November 2019 and June to November 2020. Meteorological data were acquired from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources air quality station located within Chiwaukee Prairie. This data allows for a comparison between the restoration site and Chiwaukee Prairie and is assisting The Nature Conservancy’s restoration efforts by providing valuable feedback while providing a better understanding of the shallow groundwater systems within the Chiwaukee Illinois Beach Lake Plain.

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