Riparian Condition Assessment for the Pawnee River Fort Larned National Historic Site, Kansas.

摘要

The National Park Service (NPS) is preparing a Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Fort Larned National Historic Site. To inform this assessment, the NPS Water Resources Division was asked to evaluate the functional condition of the Pawnee River riparian area within and adjacent to the park. We performed our assessment during a June 2013 site visit. Using methods described in “A User Guide to Assessing the Proper Functioning Condition and the Supporting Science for Lotic Areas” (U.S. Department of the Interior, 1998), we determined that the entire reach of the Pawnee River at Fort Larned is in a “nonfunctional” condition (lowest of three possible ratings). This rating is given to riparian areas that lack adequate vegetation or channel/floodplain forms necessary to dissipate energy during flood flows. As a result, they may become unstable during flood events and exhibit excessive erosion or sedimentation, with resulting loss of many of the beneficial functions and values provided by healthy riparian ecosystems.