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USGS2013

Climate change and watershed mercury export: a multiple projection and model analysis

Future shifts in climatic conditions may impact watershed mercury (Hg) dynamics and transport. An ensemble of watershed models was applied in the present study to simulate and evaluate the responses of hydrological and total Hg (THg) fluxes from the landscape to the watershed outlet and in-stream THg concentrations to contrasting climate change projections for a watershed in the southeastern coastal plain of the United States. Simulations were conducted under stationary atmospheric deposition and land cover conditions to explicitly evaluate the effect of projected precipitation and temperature on watershed Hg export (i.e., the flux of Hg at the watershed outlet). Based on downscaled inputs from 2 global circulation models that capture extremes of projected wet (Community Climate System Model, Ver 3 [CCSM3]) and dry (ECHAM4/HOPE-G [ECHO]) conditions for this region, watershed model simulation results suggest a decrease of approximately 19% in ensemble-averaged mean annual watershed THg fluxes using the ECHO climate-change model and an increase of approximately 5% in THg fluxes with the CCSM3 model. Ensemble-averaged mean annual ECHO in-stream THg concentrations increased 20%, while those of CCSM3 decreased by 9% between the baseline and projected simulation periods. Watershed model simulation results using both climate change models suggest that monthly watershed THg fluxes increase during the summer, when projected flow is higher than baseline conditions. The present study's multiple watershed model approach underscores the uncertainty associated with climate change response projections and their use in climate change management decisions. Thus, single-model predictions can be misleading, particularly in developmental stages of watershed Hg modeling.

South Carolina↗

USGS2019

Toxicity of aluminum to Ceriodaphnia dubia in low-hardness waters as affected by natural dissolved organic matter

We conducted a series of 7‐d toxicity tests with Ceriodaphnia dubia in dilutions of low‐hardness natural waters, which contained dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations up to 10 mg/L. Stream waters were mixed with well water to achieve 2 target hardness levels (20 and 35 mg/L) and 4 DOC concentrations. Tests with aluminum (Al)‐spiked waters were conducted in a controlled CO 2 atmosphere to maintain the pH at a range of 6.0 to 6.5. The results were used to estimate effect concentrations for survival and reproduction, expressed as total (unfiltered) Al concentrations. There were small differences in total‐Al thresholds between waters with 20 and 35 mg/L hardness, but effect concentrations for C. dubia survival (median lethal concentrations) and reproduction (effect concentrations, 20%) increased log‐linearly with increasing DOC concentrations in the range, 0.3 to 6 mg/L. Slopes of these regressions were similar to slopes from data used to revise the US Environmental Protection Agency water quality criterion for Al, but toxic effects in the present study occurred at total‐Al concentrations 8‐ to 10‐fold greater than toxicity values used for criteria development. This difference probably reflects the long equilibration (aging) times of Al test waters used in the present study (up to 192 h) compared with short (3‐h) equilibration times in other studies used for criteria development. These results confirm the importance of DOC as a control on Al toxicity in low‐hardness waters, but they also demonstrate that total‐Al concentrations are not predictive of Al toxicity, except under defined water quality (pH, hardness, DOC) and exposure conditions (e.g., aging of test waters).

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗

USGS2020

Temperature‐related responses of an invasive mussel and 2 unionid mussels to elevated carbon dioxide

Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) have exacerbated the decline of native freshwater mussels (Order Unionida) in North America since their arrival in the 1980s. Options for controlling invasive mussels, particularly in unionid mussel habitats, are limited. Previously, carbon dioxide (CO2) showed selective toxicity for zebra mussels, relative to unionids, when applied in cool water (12 °C). We first determined 96 h lethal concentrations of CO2 at 5 and 20 °C to zebra mussels and responses of juvenile plain pocketbook (Lampsilis cardium). Next, we compared the time to lethality for zebra mussels at 5, 12, and 20 °C during exposure to partial pressure of CO2 (PCO2) 110¬–120 atmospheres (atm; 1 atm = 101.325 kPa) and responses of juvenile plain pocketbook and fragile papershell (Leptodea fragilis). We found efficacious CO2 treatment regimens at each temperature that were minimally lethal to unionids. At 5 °C, plain pocketbook survived 96 h exposure to the highest PCO2 treatment (139 atm). At 20 °C, the 96 h LC10 (lethal concentration to 10% of animals) for plain pocketbook [173 atm PCO2, 95% confidence interval (CL) 147–198 atm] was higher than the LC99 for zebra mussels (118 atm PCO2, CL 109–127 atm). Lethal time to 99% mortality (LT99) of zebra mussels in 110 to 120 atm PCO2 ranged from 100 h at 20 °C to 300 h at 5 °C. Mean survival of juvenile unionids exceeded 85% in LT99 CO2 treatments at all temperatures. Short-term infusion of 100 to 200 atm PCO2 at a range of water temperatures could reduce biofouling by zebra mussels with limited adverse effects on unionid mussels.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗

USGS1990

Enhanced bioaccumulation of mercury, cadmium and lead in low-alkalinity waters: An emerging regional environmental problem

During the past decade or so, observations of high mercury concentrations in fish have renewed concerns and mercury, primarily in two groups of fresh waters: low-alkalinity lakes (the topic of this editorial) and newly created impoundments. The recent focus on the chemistry and biota of low-alkalinity (< 50 mu eq/L) waters stemmed largely from concerns about acidic deposition and its effects on sensitive aquatic ecosystems. Such studies have revealed high concentrations of mercury in biota from low-alkalinity waters in some regions--even in seemingly pristine, semi-remote watersheds lacking both identifiable anthropogenic sources of the metal and mercury-enriched ores. Consequently, much of the concern about mercury in aquatic systems has shifted from direct point sources to more diffuse, poorly defined sources, possibly associated with atmospheric transport and deposition.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗

USGS1990

Partitioning and bioavailability of mercury in an experimentally acidified Wisconsin lake

We studied the partitioning of mercury (Hg) among air, water, sediments and fish at Little Rock Lake, a clear water seepage lake in north-central Wisconsin. The lake was divided with a sea curtain into two basins, one acidified with sulfuric acid to pH 5.6 for two years and the other an untreated reference site (mean pH 6.1), to document the effects of acidification. Trace-metal-free protocols were used to measure Hg at the picomolar level in air and water. Total gaseous Hg in air samples averaged 2.0 ng/m 3 . Total Hg in unfiltered water samples collected in 1986 after the fall overturn averaged about 1 ng/L in the acidified and reference basins. Mercury in surficial sediments was strongly correlated with volatile matter content and ranged from 10 to about 170 ng/g (dry weight) in both basins. Total Hg concentrations in whole, calendar age-1 yellow perch ( Perca flavescens ), sampled after one year of residence in the lake, averaged 114 ng/g (fresh weight) in the reference basin and 135 ng/g in the acidified basin – a highly significant ( p < 0.01) difference. The mean whole-body burden (quantity) of Hg in age-1 perch did not differ between basins after the first year, but was significantly greater in the treatment basin than in the reference basin after the second year of acidification. Differences between the two basins in the bioaccumulation of Hg were attributed to internal (within-lake) processes that influence the bioavailability of the metal. An initial Hg budget for the treatment basin of Little Rock Lake showed that atmospheric deposition and sedimentary remobilization of Hg are potentially important processes influencing its biogeochemical cycling and uptake by fish.

Wisconsin↗

USGS1999

Hydrolysis of tert-butyl formate: Kinetics, products, and implications for the environmental impact of methyl tert-butyl ether

Asessing the environmental fate of methyl tert -butyl ether (MTBE) has become a subject of renewed interest because of the large quantities of this compound that are being used as an oxygenated additive in gasoline. Various studies on the fate of MTBE have shown that it can be degraded to tert -butyl formate (TBF), particularly in the atmosphere. Although it is generally recognized that TBF is subject to hydrolysis, the kinetics and products of this reaction under environmentally relevant conditions have not been described previously. In this study, we determined the kinetics of TBF hydrolysis as a function of pH and temperature. Over the pH range of 5 to 7, the neutral hydrolysis pathway predominates, with k N = (1.0 ± 0.2) × 10 −6 /s. Outside this range, strong pH effects were observed because of acidic and basic hydrolyses, from which we determined that k A = (2.7 ± 0.5) × 10 −3 /(M·s) and k B = 1.7 ± 0.3/(M·s). Buffered and unbuffered systems gave the same hydrolysis rates for a given pH, indicating that buffer catalysis was not significant under the conditions tested. The activation energies corresponding to k N , k A , and k B were determined to be 78 ± 5, 59 ± 4, and 88 ±11 kJ/mol, respectively. In all experiments, tert -butyl alcohol was found at concentrations corresponding to stoichiometric formation from TBF. Based on our kinetics data, the expected half-life for hydrolysis of TBF at pH = 2 and 4°C (as per some standard preservation protocols for water sampling) is 6 h. At neutral pH and 22°C, the estimated half-life is 5 d, and at pH = 11 and 22°C, the value is only 8 min.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗

USGS2000

Whole-lake burdens and spatial distribution of cadmium in sediments of Wisconsin seepage lakes, USA

Cadmium was quantified in the surface sediments of six seepage lakes ranging from 8 to 70 ha in surface area, 6 to 20 m in maximum depth, 5.2 to 7.0 in mean epilimnetic pH, and 1.7 to 6.8 mg·L −1 in dissolved organic carbon. Within each lake, dry-weight concentrations of cadmium (range, 0.02–7.17 μg·g −1 ) were positively correlated with volatile matter content of the sediments, which increased with water depth. Volumetric concentrations (i.e., mass per volume of wet sediment) were correlated with water depth in only one lake, and they more accurately represented the spatial distribution of sedimentary cadmium within the lakes. Analysis of sediment cores from two of the lakes indicated that surface sediments were enriched with cadmium. The source of cadmium and the within-lake processes controlling deposition to the sediments were presumably similar among the lakes, as demonstrated by the strong correlation between lake area and whole-lake burdens of cadmium in the surface sediments (range, 625–5785 g/lake). Hence, cadmium in these lakes appears to be derived largely from atmospheric deposition. When normalized for lake area, cadmium burdens in the surface sediments ranged from 62 to 92 g·ha −1 and were strongly correlated with dissolved organic carbon, but not with lake pH, which suggests a link between the transport of cadmium and organic matter to the sediments.

Wisconsin↗

USGS2002

Polychlorinated biphenyls and toxaphene in Pacific tree frog tadpoles ( Hyla regilla ) from the California Sierra Nevada, USA

Pacific tree frog ( Hyla regilla ) tadpoles were collected throughout the Sierra Nevada mountain range, California, USA, in 1996 and 1997 and analyzed for the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and toxaphene. Whole-tadpole Σ PCB levels ranged from 244 ng/g (wet wt) at lower elevations on the western slope to 1.6 ng/g high on the eastern slope, whereas Σ toxaphene levels ranged from 15.6 to 1.5 ng/g. Linear regression of PCB and toxaphene residue levels versus elevation indicated a significant relationship, with an r 2 value of 0.33 for PCB and 0.45 for toxaphene indicating a significant elevation effect on PCB and toxaphene bioaccumulation in Sierra Nevada H. regilla. Tadpole samples from sites in east-facing versus west-facing drainage basins showed significant differences in PCB and toxaphene residue levels, suggesting the possibility of a rain-shadow effect in the long-range atmospheric transport of these contaminants to the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗

USGS2013

Linkages between lake shrinkage/expansion and sublacustrine permafrost distribution determined from remote sensing of interior Alaska, USA

[1] Linkages between permafrost distribution and lake surface-area changes in cold regions have not been previously examined over a large scale because of the paucity of subsurface permafrost information. Here, a first large-scale examination of these linkages is made over a 5150 km 2 area of Yukon Flats, Alaska, USA, by evaluating the relationship between lake surface-area changes during 1979–2009, derived from Landsat satellite data, and sublacustrine groundwater flow-path connectivity inferred from a pioneering, airborne geophysical survey of permafrost. The results suggest that the shallow (few tens of meters) thaw state of permafrost has more influence than deeper permafrost conditions on the evolving water budgets of lakes on a multidecadal time scale. In the region studied, these key shallow aquifers have high hydraulic conductivity and great spatial variability in thaw state, making groundwater flow and associated lake level evolution particularly sensitive to climate change owing to the close proximity of these aquifers to the atmosphere.

Alaska↗

USGS2014

Water's Way at Sleepers River watershed – revisiting flow generation in a post-glacial landscape, Vermont USA

The Sleepers River Research Watershed (SRRW) in Vermont, USA, has been the site of active hydrologic research since 1959 and was the setting where Dunne and Black demonstrated the importance and controls of saturation-excess overland flow (SOF) on streamflow generation. Here, we review the early studies from the SRRW and show how they guided our conceptual approach to hydrologic research at the SRRW during the most recent 25 years. In so doing, we chronicle a shift in the field from early studies that relied exclusively on hydrometric measurements to today's studies that include chemical and isotopic approaches to further elucidate streamflow generation mechanisms. Highlights of this evolution in hydrologic understanding include the following: (i) confirmation of the importance of SOF to streamflow generation, and at larger scales than first imagined; (ii) stored catchment water dominates stream response, except under unusual conditions such as deep frozen ground; (iii) hydrometric, chemical and isotopic approaches to hydrograph separation yield consistent and complementary results; (iv) nitrate and sulfate isotopic compositions specific to atmospheric inputs constrain new water contributions to streamflow; and (v) convergent areas, or ‘hillslope hollows’, contribute disproportionately to event hydrographs. We conclude by summarizing some remaining challenges that lead us to a vision for the future of research at the SRRW to address fundamental questions in the catchment sciences.

Vermont↗

USGS2015

Hydropedology: Synergistic integration of soil science and hydrology in the Critical Zone

Soil and water are the two critical components of theEarth’s Critical Zone (Figure 1): Soil modulates the connection between bedrock and the atmospheric boundary layer and water is a major driving force and transport agent between these two zones. The interactions between soil and water are so intimate and complex that they cannot be effectively studied in a piecemeal manner; they require a systems approach. In this spirit, hydropedology has emerged in recent years as a synergistic integration of soil science and hydrology that offers a renewed perspective and an integrated approach to understanding interactive pedologic and hydrologic processes and their properties in the Critical Zone.

Hydrological Processes↗

USGS2019

Effects of climate-related variability in storage on streamwater solute concentrations and fluxes in a small forested watershed in the Southeastern United States

Streamwater quality can be affected by climate-related variability in hydrologic state, which controls flow paths and affects biogeochemical processes. Thirty-one years of input/output solute fluxes at Panola Mountain Research Watershed, a small, forested, seasonally water-limited watershed near Atlanta, Georgia, were used to quantify the effects of climatic-related variability in storage on streamwater solute concentrations and fluxes. Streamwater fluxes were estimated for ten solutes from weekly and event sample concentrations using regression-based methods. The most pertinent storage attribute (current or antecedent watershed, shallow, and deep storage) for each solute was determined by fitting separate concentration relationships. The concentration-discharge relationships varied more for reactive solutes such as potassium, sulfate, and DOC and less for weathering products (base cations and dissolved silica) and conservative chloride. Many solutes exhibited higher concentrations when storage levels were lower or wetting up, which was likely the result of the concentrating effects of evapotranspiration and/or the buildup and flushing of weathering products associated with longer residence times. The impacts of storage modeling on annual fluxes varied by solute, ranging from about 5% (magnesium) to 52% (nitrate) as relative standard deviations, and sufficiently removed climate-related patterns observed in streamwater concentrations. Sulfate was particularly mobilized following growing season droughts but only if deep storage was sufficiently recharged, possibly indicating that sulfides in the deep storage pool were oxidized to sulfate during droughts and mobilized when re-wetted. The lack of streamwater sulfate response to 61% declines in atmospheric deposition indicates the importance of watershed biogeochemical processes on controls of streamwater export of sulfate. The approach of explicitly incorporating storage in the streamwater concentration modeling elucidated the effects of climate on streamwater water-quality and may provide insight into the effects of climatic change on future fluxes.

Georgia↗

USGS2020

Hillslopes in humid-tropical climates aren’t always wet: Implications for hydrologic response and landslide initiation in Puerto Rico, USA

The devastating impacts of the widespread flooding and landsliding in Puerto Rico following the September 2017 landfall of Hurricane Maria highlight the increasingly extreme atmospheric disturbances and enhanced hazard potential in mountainous humid‐tropical climate zones. Long‐standing conceptual models for hydrologically driven hazards in Puerto Rico posit that hillslope soils remain wet throughout the year, and therefore, that antecedent soil wetness imposes a negligible effect on hazard potential. Our post‐Maria in situ hillslope hydrologic observations, however, indicate that while some slopes remain wet throughout the year, others exhibit appreciable seasonal and intra‐storm subsurface drainage. Therefore, we evaluated the performance of hydro‐meteorological (soil wetness and rainfall) versus intensity‐duration (rainfall only) hillslope hydrologic response thresholds that identify the onset of positive pore‐water pressure, a predisposing factor for widespread slope instability in this region. Our analyses also consider the role of soil‐water storage and infiltration rates on runoff generation, which are relevant factors for flooding hazards. We found that the hydro‐meteorological thresholds outperformed intensity‐duration thresholds for a seasonally wet, coarse‐grained soil, although they did not outperform intensity‐duration thresholds for a perennially wet, fine‐grained soil. These end‐member soils types may also produce radically different stormflow responses, with subsurface flow being more common for the coarse‐grained soils underlain by intrusive rocks versus infiltration excess and/or saturation excess for the fine‐grained soils underlain by volcaniclastic rocks. We conclude that variability in soil‐hydraulic properties, as opposed to climate zone, is the dominant factor that controls runoff generation mechanisms and modulates the relative importance of antecedent soil wetness for our hillslope hydrologic response thresholds.

Puerto Rico↗

USGS2004

Tritium hydrology of the Mississippi River basin

In the early 1960s, the US Geological Survey began routinely analysing river water samples for tritium concentrations at locations within the Mississippi River basin. The sites included the main stem of the Mississippi River (at Luling Ferry, Louisiana), and three of its major tributaries, the Ohio River (at Markland Dam, Kentucky), the upper Missouri River (at Nebraska City, Nebraska) and the Arkansas River (near Van Buren, Arkansas). The measurements cover the period during the peak of the bomb-produced tritium transient when tritium concentrations in precipitation rose above natural levels by two to three orders of magnitude. Using measurements of tritium concentrations in precipitation, a tritium input function was established for the river basins above the Ohio River, Missouri River and Arkansas River sampling locations. Owing to the extent of the basin above the Luling Ferry site, no input function was developed for that location. The input functions for the Ohio and Missouri Rivers were then used in a two-component mixing model to estimate residence times of water within these two basins. (The Arkansas River was not modelled because of extremely large yearly variations in flow during the peak of the tritium transient.) The two components used were: (i) recent precipitation (prompt outflow) and (ii) waters derived from the long-term groundwater reservoir of the basin. The tritium concentration of the second component is a function of the atmospheric input and the residence times of the groundwaters within the basin. Using yearly time periods, the parameters of the model were varied until a best fit was obtained between modelled and measured tritium data. The results from the model indicate that about 40% of the flow in the Ohio River was from prompt outflow, as compared with 10% for the Missouri River. Mean residence times of 10 years were calculated for the groundwater component of the Ohio River versus 4 years for the Missouri River. The mass flux of tritium through the Mississippi Basin and its tributaries was calculated during the years that tritium measurements were made. The cumulative fluxes, calculated in grams of 3II were: (i) 160 g for the Ohio (1961-1986), (ii) 98 g for the upper Missouri (1963-1997), (iii) 30 g for the Arkansas (1961-1997) and (iv) 780 g for the Mississippi (1961-1997). Published in 2004 by John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.

Mississippi River basin↗

USGS2021

The Robinson Forest environmental monitoring network: Long‐term evaluation of streamflow and precipitation quantity and stream‐water and bulk deposition chemistry in eastern Kentucky watersheds

The University of Kentucky (U KY) has owned Robinson Forest (37.460723° N, 83.158598° W) since 1923, conducting experiments crucial to understanding the environmental effects of land management in the region. Part of the management of Robinson Forest has been collection of environmental data, including precipitation quantity, bulk‐deposition chemistry, streamflow, stream‐water chemistry, and air and stream temperature. Over the years, these data have been collected and archived using various technologies and have been mostly inaccessible for research use – unedited and uncompiled, scattered across several spreadsheets and paper records. Through a partnership between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and U KY, daily precipitation data for six stations and stream data from four watersheds in Robinson Forest have been compiled for 1971–2018, checked for transcription errors, and annotated for changes in methodologies. These data are available as a USGS data release at https://doi.org/10.5066/P9FPLG1O . Improved accessibility of this data set provides an important research resource for understanding water quality in minimally effected forests in the region. Preliminary results indicate that these data present a valuable opportunity to evaluate linkages among atmospheric deposition and stream chemistry, the effects of environmental policy, such as the Clean Air Act, and effects from nearby land disturbance in the form of surface mining. Furthermore, these data fill a geographic and physiographic gap in what is available to examine deposition and streamflow patterns over the last 45 years, supplementing those long‐term records of research sites in northern (e.g., Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest), central (e.g., Fernow Experimental Forest) and southern Appalachia (e.g., Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory). As an oasis in the midst of significant surface mining activity, Robinson Forest presents a unique opportunity to understand environmental conditions characteristic of minimally disturbed forests similar to pre‐mining conditions in the Central Appalachian region.

Kentucky↗

USGS2001

Pesticides in the hydrologic system - What do we know and what's next?

Even though the occurrence and behaviour of pesticides in the environment have been studied for decades, water-quality managers and the public still demand more complete and consistent information, and there are many unanswered questions for environmental scientists. In many respects, the greatest potential for unintended adverse effects of pesticides is through contamination of the hydrologic system, which supports aquatic life and related food chains and is used for recreation, drinking water, and many other purposes. The movement of water is one of the primary mechanisms by which pesticides are transported from targeted application areas to other parts of the environment; thus, there is potential for movement into and through all components of the hydrologic system. Extensive reviews of existing information on pesticides in the hydrologic system, including the atmosphere (Majewski and Capel, 1995), ground water (Barbash and Resek, 1996), surface water (Larson et al., 1997), and fluvial sediments and aquatic biota (Nowell et al., 1999), uncovered volumes of useful information, but also noted critical information gaps. For example: (a) relatively few pesticides have been thoroughly studied, particularly transformation products; (b) most data have been collected for small-scale site and field studies in agricultural areas; (c) urban areas have received little attention for monitoring or research; (d) the geographic and temporal distributions of data collection have been highly uneven; and (e) comparing and synthesizing results from most studies is difficult because of inconsistent approaches to data collection and chemical analysis.

Hydrological Processes↗

USGS2026

Groundwater dependency and hydroclimatic influences on riparian and upland vegetation productivity, Upper San Pedro, Arizona, United States

In arid and semi-arid regions, groundwater sustains vegetation through subsurface water access, yet the responses of groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) to changing hydroclimate and groundwater availability are relatively understudied. This study investigates seasonal and spatial patterns in vegetation greenness using Landsat Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) values across riparian and upland zones in the semi-arid Upper San Pedro (USP) watershed, southern Arizona, which experiences a bimodal precipitation regime. We paired 25 years (2000–2024) of EVI and depth to groundwater (DTG) data from 89 wells and climate metrics (precipitation and vapour pressure deficit) to quantify the sensitivity of vegetation to subsurface moisture as well as atmospheric moisture supply and demand. Vegetation at wells near the USP riparian area showed strong associations between EVI and DTG anomalies during the monsoon season, indicating sustained groundwater use even during this wet period when summer precipitation is abundant. In contrast, upland vegetation that lacked access to groundwater showed minimal sensitivity in EVI to DTG and was generally less responsive to vapour pressure deficit. Interestingly, the riparian GDEs were not decoupled from precipitation and climate variability. These results underscore the importance of groundwater for maintaining riparian productivity and highlight the utility of remote sensing in identifying vegetation-climate-groundwater linkages across heterogeneous dryland landscapes.

Arizona↗

USGS2008

Effects of 2003 wildfires on stream chemistry in Glacier National Park, Montana

Changes in stream chemistry were studied for 4 years following large wildfires that burned in Glacier National Park during the summer of 2003. Burned and unburned drainages were monitored from December 2003 through August 2007 for streamflow, major constituents, nutrients, and suspended sediment following the fires. Stream-water nitrate concentrations showed the greatest response to fire, increasing up to tenfold above those in the unburned drainage just prior to the first post-fire snowmelt season. Concentrations in winter base flow remained elevated during the entire study period, whereas concentrations during the growing season returned to background levels after two snowmelt seasons. Annual export of total nitrogen from the burned drainage ranged from 1·53 to 3·23 kg ha −1 yr −1 compared with 1·01 to 1·39 kg ha −1 yr −1 from the unburned drainage and exceeded atmospheric inputs for the first two post-fire water years. Fire appeared to have minimal long-term effects on other nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, and major constituents with the exception of sulfate and chloride, which showed increased concentrations for 2 years following the fire. There was little evidence that fire affected suspended-sediment concentrations in the burned drainage. Sediment yields in subalpine streams may be less affected by fire than in lower elevation streams because of the slow release rate of water during spring snowmelt.

Hydrological Processes↗