Big storms and watersheds

Big storms don't just cause flash flooding. A new study from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies finds that the biochemistry of watersheds can be dramatically impacted. Building on what the authors call the "pulse-shunt concept," they show that these storms push large quantities of organic material past the watershed's headwaters and further downstream. This results in changes in levels like phytoplankton. Ultimately, they suggest, that it could also change dissolved oxygen levels and water clarity.