Storage-yield dynamics of a rocky mountain valley

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Mountain riverine systems and their associated valley groundwater reservoirs and wetlands supply the water demands of over one-sixth of the earth's population and over seven million people in western Canada. To address uncertainties in storage-yield dynamics in mountain regions, new observations are needed that characterize the hydrologic processes and biological activities govern the routing of water from higher elevation areas to neighbouring lowlands through wide valleys. In these valleys, water can be temporarily stored in shallow aquifers and/or in wetlands that are mostly created or maintained by beaver. The magnitude and rate of change in storage of shallow valley aquifers and valley wetlands will be measured in this research programme. Also, the hydrologic connectivity of the valley aquifer to the stream will be assessed through using a combination of hydrometric, hydrochemical and isotopic methods. Field-based measurements of the effect of beaver on flow routing through the valley will be made. All observations will take place in the Sibbald Lake Research Basin, located in Kananaskis Country, Alberta. Water from this basin drains into the Bow River and then to the South Saskatchewan River, which provides critical water for agricultural, industrial, and urban use. The observations made with this equipment will provide an improved science base that integrates stream-groundwater-wetland interactions and incorporates effects of biological activities (e.g. beaver) necessary to meet current and future water resource management and hydrologic modeling challenges in mountain regions.