A dye tracing experiment was conducted at the Classen site in the La Salle River watershed on June 8th, 2015. Blue dye was applied to two plots and soil profiles were excavated three days later to reveal the flow pathways present in the thick clay soils of the area. After getting covered in blue dye and a few blisters later, we were able to capture many photos of the stained soil profiles, which will be analyzed to determine the dominant flow processes.
Here is a quick video summarizing the experiment:
The experiment was planned and led by summer student Matthew Walker. Matthew also benefited from the help of fellow summer students Aaron Desilets, Brendan Brooks, Laura Blunden and PhD student Kokulan Vivekananthan for the dye application and soil profile excavation. Stay tuned for the results of the blue-dyed soil profile analysis.