Environmental change, catchment hydrology and the stream environment

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The overarching objective of the proposed research is to enhance our ability to understand and predict the combined influences of environmental changes such as forest harvesting and glacier retreat, in combination with a warming climate, on downstream water resources and aquatic habitat in maritime mountain catchments, particularly in relation to valued species such as trout and salmon. Field research will be conducted at sites in the southern Coast Mountains of British Columbia. At the UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest, located about 60 km east of Vancouver, research will document the effect of forest at different elevations on snow accumulation, melt and runoff. In addition, research will focus on the processes that control the water temperature in headwater streams. Water temperature is an important influence on fish growth, development and survival. These studies are motivated by the need to understand how climate warming and forest management will influence snow (e.g., more rain and less snow, earlier melting) and ultimately streamflow and water temperature. At Place Creek, located northeast of Pemberton, field research will focus on the physical processes that warm stream water as it flows from a glacier downslope to locations where salmon spawn. The process knowledge gained from field work will be incorporated into computer simulation models to improve our ability to predict the effects of climate warming, glacier retreat and forest harvesting on streamflow and water temperature. In addition to the field work, statistical analysis and application of simulation models will be combined with information from remote sensing (e.g., to determine changes in glacier area) to understand the effects of glacier retreat and forest harvesting on historic streamflow variability, including floods and low flows, and stream temperature. The models can also be used to make projections about the effects of future climate warming on streamflow, stream temperature and aquatic habitat.**