Blog Post 1: Observations
Observations, Blog Post 1:
Date of Field Visit: 2023-03-31
Time: 3:05 Pm (MST)
Weather: Sunny Skies, wind = 13km per hour, Humidity is 41%, Currently it is early spring with the star of winter melt.
Temperature: 9 degrees Celsius
Elevation: 1,084.59 M
Location: Airdrie Alberta (N)
Coordinates: Latitude: 51.337 Longitude: -114.0288
Size: Perimeter is 2,443.64m, Area is 336,370.79 m^2
Airdrie was established as a railway siding in 1889 and has developed into a city of 84,000 (2023), due to its accessible location and efficient water from hill runoff and underground reservoirs. The Nose Creek River runs North to South through Airdrie, Alberta. The location of focus is the start of the Nose Creek River within the Northern part of the City of Airdrie limits (see pin on map), against Range Road 12 and 8th Street. From West to East, elevation decreases by 24.56 m over agriculture land with little to no shrubbery, but home to a variety of biodiversity include, but are not limited to, hawks, elk, deer, burrowing owls rainbow trout, northern pike, yellow perch, brook trout and troutperch. The location in focus, is within the Nose Creek River which has 4-foot banks on either side and filled with aquatic vegetation.
As the City of Airdrie continues to expand construction North, over the Nose Creek River, there are three questions that come into mind:
1. How will construction effect water runoff and underground water reservoirs (including direct location and downstream effects).
2. How will the expansion of Airdrie shape the natural flow of the Nose Creek River?
3. How will increased human activity affect the local species like ducks and fish which are dependent on this location for survival?
Emily Marston
these are great questions.
suggest narrowing focus down to something that can be measured / observed in the time frame available
for example, is there active construction which might be useful for observing impacts on say plants etc?
these questions about construction impacts could be used to frame why studying this area is important
but what to observe/study? perhaps differences in plant communities at different elevations, or in flood vs not flood zone (if say construction impacts flooding regime)? something like that
Nancy
Hey Nancy!
You were right, I absolutely needed to focus my questions in a bit more! Thank you so much, it has made this way easier!