Browsing by Subject "White River"
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Item Late Holocene Climate-Flood Relationships on the White River, Indiana, USA(2022-05) Wright, Maxwell N.; Bird, Broxton; Licht, Kathy; Gilhooly, William, III.The frequency and magnitude of floods in the midcontinental United States have increased in recent decades due to changing precipitation patterns as global temperatures rise. These trends pose major social and economic risks to the region, which is home to tens of millions of Americans and a global agricultural center. It is therefore critical to understand if current fluvial dynamics are within the scope of past fluvial-climate relationships, or if they represent a novel response to recent climate and land-use changes. Presented is a 1600-year-long flood frequency record for the moderately sized (~29,400 km2 watershed) White River, Indiana. Flood frequencies were determined using 14C-based sediment accumulation rates at Half Moon Pond, an oxbow lake on the lower White River’s floodplain. Comparison with regional paleoclimate data shows that White River flooding was frequent when atmospheric circulation resembled the negative mode of the Pacific-North American (PNA) teleconnection, particularly during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (950-1250 CE) and the Current Warm Period (last ~150 years). During these times, the regional climate was dominated by warm-season precipitation originating from the Gulf of Mexico. Conversely, White River flooding was less frequent during the Little Ice Age (1250-1800 CE) when cold-season precipitation from the North Pacific/Arctic dominated (+PNA-like conditions). The pre-1790 CE White River flood history was antiphased with reconstructed Ohio River flood frequencies from southern Illinois. This dynamic is consistent with discharge in small to moderate sized watersheds being sensitive to rainstorm runoff and large watersheds being sensitive to snowmelt runoff. After 1790 CE, flooding frequencies of both river systems increased to their highest levels, despite a shift to -PNA-like conditions. This change was likely due to extensive Euro-American land-clearance, which increased runoff/erosion by reducing evapotranspiration, interception, and infiltration. While the White River responded strongly to climatic conditions in the past that were similar to present conditions (-PNA-like conditions), recent land-use practices have amplified the effects of the current hydroclimate. Since a warming climate is expected to increase regional average precipitation and extreme rainfall events, and that landscape modifications have lowered surface resilience to hydroclimate events, flooding will likely become more frequent in the coming decades.Item One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Dead Fish: How Two Fish Kills in the White River Demonstrate Changes in the Historic Protection of the Commons in Indiana(2023-09) Dewey, Heather Corrinne; Scarpino, Philip V.; Robertson, Nancy Marie; Shrum, Rebecca K.Common property resources, often shortened to the commons, are natural resources meant to be accessible by all. In Indiana, an important part of the commons is the White River. Although the concept of the commons entered American intellectual spheres through the earliest European settlements and has been a part of the American legal system since the official formation of the United States in 1776, the role of common property resources in American history has constantly changed. Fish kills in the White River near Noblesville in 1896 and Anderson in 1999 are the basis for a comparative study of American intellectual perception and legal protection of the commons at the state and federal level. While both events resulted in great damage to the ecosystem of the White River, they had disparate outcomes, which have yet to be studied from a historic perspective. In 1896, there were minimal legal consequences for the industry that polluted the White River, consisting of a small fine of $250. In 1999, there were civil and criminal court cases with charges brought against the primary industrial polluter, which resulted in approximately $14 million in fines, as well as the creation of a consent decree, state and federal efforts to clean and rehabilitate the White River, and further economic consequences for the polluter. The outcomes to the fish kills represent a social and intellectual shift in the United States which paved the way for greater protection of the commons. The former American conception of nature, which focused on the wilderness and conquest, transformed into a model influenced by science with much more emphasis on protecting the integrity of the natural world. Communities confronted by the consequences of pollution and ecological damage needed to find new ways to protect the commons through the law. Ultimately, the commons in the state of Indiana and within the United States at large continues to have an ever-changing intellectual and legal status and will continue to undergo changes and scrutiny as experts debate who should be allowed to access the commons and who is responsible for its protection in the modern world.Item Reimagining the River: An Outdoor Vision of the Anthropocene and the White River through the Lens of Place(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2016-04-08) Boyle, Elliot; Catt, Braden; Goss, Sarah; Harrah, Peter; Smith, Rebekah; Walker, WhitneyIn 2016, the International Union of Geological Sciences will decide whether or not human impact on the Earth constitutes a new geologic epoch – the Anthropocene. If agreed upon, this epoch will acknowledge the effects human agency has upon the stratigraphic record, and the implications of a human-driven world. Reimagining the River takes the global Anthropocene to the City of Indianapolis by creating an outdoor museum of the White River. This museum exhibit will display the past, present, and future of the White River, showcasing the historical narrative of the human-river relationship. Exploring the Anthropocene through the story of the White River will engage the citizens of Indianapolis to develop a sense of ownership for the intertwined state of the River and Indianapolis. The intention of this engagement is to build a community that reimagines what the river was, is, and can become. Reimagining the River will be located on the White River State Park Bridge, and will feature audiovisual elements that relate current scenes surrounding the River to the past. Historical photographs complemented with a brief historical narrative will be juxtaposed with the areas surrounding the installation, framing Indianapolis’ urban environment as the exhibit. The installation will be accessible to all demographics, including children and individuals with disability. The exhibit will also include resources to encourage further audience participation, including podcasts, geocaching, and a website. Ongoing research pathways will be created to encourage the tracking and measurement of audience engagement and understanding of how human agency has affected the White River, its tributaries, and the City of Indianapolis.Item A View of the Valley: The 1913 Flood in West Indianapolis(2009) Germano, Nancy M.; Scarpino, Philip V.; Coleman, Annie Gilbert; Kelly, Jason M.This study explores the shared history of West Indianapolis and the White River and reveals an interdependent, yet conflicted, relationship between the people and the river. This relationship was part of a broader set of attitudes that natural resources were unlimited and that humans must master the landscape. From the founding of Indianapolis in 1821 until the flood of 1913, a series of uncoordinated human actions related to settlement and growth of the city took place. Despite noble intentions of progress and improvement, the cumulative effect of these actions resulted in unintended and undesired consequences in the form of a flood disaster in 1913, an unhealthy environment in West Indianapolis, and a negative identity for that community. One might argue that these results occurred because nineteenth century settlers in the Indianapolis area lacked an understanding of the nature of rivers or that scientists had not yet proven the germ theory. As shown in this study, however, the historical sources support an argument that the relationship between the people and the river dictated the fate of the river and the community of West Indianapolis, which suffered significant damage when White River overflowed its banks in the “Great Flood” of 1913.