Colleen O'Brien
Northwestern University
Recent Activity
ABSTRACT:
Indian Boundary Prairies is a complex of remnant and restored tallgrass prairies and wetlands in southern Cook County, Illinois, USA. Beginning in 2016 at Gensburg-Markham Prairie and expanded in 2020 to Sundrop and Paintbrush Prairies, a network of groundwater wells was instrumented with sensors measuring water level and electrical conductivity. Sensors recorded measurements at 30-minute (Gensburg-Markham) or hourly (Sundrop and Paintbrush) intervals and were installed concurrently with soil sampling and site characterization. This dataset provides multi-year records of groundwater and surface-water dynamics across prairie, wetland, swale, and drainage-ditch environments spanning a gradient of ecological quality and restoration history. The data support investigations of groundwater–surface water interactions, stormwater storage, hydrologic response to precipitation, restoration ecology, and long-term monitoring of urban prairie ecosystems.
ABSTRACT:
Gensburg Markham Prairie comprises over 100 acres of well-preserved tallgrass prairie and wetland south of Chicago and is one of the Indian Boundary Prairies in Illinois. A U.S. National Natural Landmark, this site is valuable as a sentinel ecosystem for changing regional climate and a reference ecosystem for restoration and management of urban prairie nature preserves. In June of 2016, 13 piezometers containing water level sensors (InSitu LevelTroll 400 pressure transducers) were installed throughout the prairie, in addition to 8 of the same sensors deployed in ditches and surface channels in and around the prairie. The installation coincided with soil sampling and manual-visual characterization at each well location. Each sensor collects a water level measurement every 30 minutes. This installation and sampling campaign is a part of larger effort to assess surface water and groundwater dynamics in urban environments. Additional sensors, including soil moisture sensors, provide supplementary data for this project. This resource includes 46 months of data from 2016-2020.
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Created: March 19, 2024, 8:06 p.m.
Authors: O'Brien, Colleen · Rivera, Vivien A · Hernandez, Liliana Maria · Phillips, Colin B · Karl Gnaedinger · Emilie Pfeiffer · Martha Lopez-Salazar · William M. Miller · Packman, Aaron
ABSTRACT:
Gensburg Markham Prairie comprises over 100 acres of well-preserved tallgrass prairie and wetland south of Chicago and is one of the Indian Boundary Prairies in Illinois. A U.S. National Natural Landmark, this site is valuable as a sentinel ecosystem for changing regional climate and a reference ecosystem for restoration and management of urban prairie nature preserves. In June of 2016, 13 piezometers containing water level sensors (InSitu LevelTroll 400 pressure transducers) were installed throughout the prairie, in addition to 8 of the same sensors deployed in ditches and surface channels in and around the prairie. The installation coincided with soil sampling and manual-visual characterization at each well location. Each sensor collects a water level measurement every 30 minutes. This installation and sampling campaign is a part of larger effort to assess surface water and groundwater dynamics in urban environments. Additional sensors, including soil moisture sensors, provide supplementary data for this project. This resource includes 46 months of data from 2016-2020.
Created: June 30, 2026, 1 a.m.
Authors: O'Brien, Colleen · Jennifer Jenkins · Rivera, Vivien A · Hernandez, Liliana Maria · Jordan Gurneau · Karl Gnaedinger · Emilie Pfeiffer · Shane Tripp · Phillips, Colin B · Martha Lopez Salazar · William Miller · Packman, Aaron
ABSTRACT:
Indian Boundary Prairies is a complex of remnant and restored tallgrass prairies and wetlands in southern Cook County, Illinois, USA. Beginning in 2016 at Gensburg-Markham Prairie and expanded in 2020 to Sundrop and Paintbrush Prairies, a network of groundwater wells was instrumented with sensors measuring water level and electrical conductivity. Sensors recorded measurements at 30-minute (Gensburg-Markham) or hourly (Sundrop and Paintbrush) intervals and were installed concurrently with soil sampling and site characterization. This dataset provides multi-year records of groundwater and surface-water dynamics across prairie, wetland, swale, and drainage-ditch environments spanning a gradient of ecological quality and restoration history. The data support investigations of groundwater–surface water interactions, stormwater storage, hydrologic response to precipitation, restoration ecology, and long-term monitoring of urban prairie ecosystems.