The impacts of ski slope development on stream channel morphology in the White River National Forest, Colorado, USA

Abstract

The combined influence of tree-clearing, road construction, snowmaking, and machine-grading can cause increased flow and sediment loads along streams in or adjacent to commercial ski resorts. These changes to stream channels can increase bank failures, bed material size, pool scour, and, in extreme cases, channel incision. We used field data from the White River National Forest in Colorado, which includes several major ski resorts, to test the hypothesis that ski slope development causes a significant difference in bank stability, undercut banks, fine sediment, wood load, pool residual depth, and particle size ( D 84) between the ski area project streams and reference streams. We further hypothesize that the changes in a stream are mitigated by the density and type of vegetation growing along the banks. A significant difference is defined as a project stream that is outside the range of variability of the reference streams. To test these hypotheses, we surveyed channel conditions, channel dimensions, and vegetation along 47 stream reaches (200–300 m in length). Twenty-four of these streams are within ski areas (project streams), either adjacent to or downstream from ski slopes. Twenty-three reference streams with very little to no development in their basins are used to define reference conditions of bank stability, bank undercutting, bank height, wood load, pool residual depth, sediment size, and vegetation structure. A combination of statistical techniques, including Principal Components Analysis and Classification and Regression Tree Analysis, was used to assess the controls on stream channel morphology and to analyze the differences between project and reference streams. Project streams that are significantly different than reference streams have a combination of a higher percentage of fine sediment, smaller pool residual depth, and higher percentage of unstable banks. The impacted project streams have bed material derived from granitic rocks and a lower density of understory vegetation. These results show the importance of considering vegetative and geologic influences on channel form and processes when assessing impacts of land use change. Roads and machine-grading have the most significant impact on the streams, causing bed fining and pool filling. These data and results will help in revising a forest management plan to provide guidelines for planning and development of ski areas on public lands.