Characterizing hydrological processes in the headwater region of the Yukon River: Impacts on discharge and implications for hydroelectric security

育空地区的电力需求主要通过怀特霍斯的水力发电来满足，因此来自育空河源头的径流（YR）是一种重要的领土资源。完善的水资源管理和规划是确保未来水力发电安全的必要条件，但目前河流流量对气候变化的反应存在很大的不确定性。这是由于在产生大部分径流的高海拔地区缺乏气象数据和直接观测，对融雪和冰川储存在年径流中的作用了解不足，以及缺乏评估径流响应气候变率变化的预测工具。为了解决这一知识缺口，育空学院、育空地质调查局和育空能源公司（YEC）提议开展一项为期3年的研究项目，其中包括：(1)在YR上游流域的三个地点安装自动天气/积雪监测站（补充项目团队已经建立的两个现有监测站）；(2) Llewellyn冰川当前形态、流动动力学和物质平衡特征及其对未来气候变率的潜在响应的野外和模拟研究；(3)建立可在不同时间尺度上运行的预测区域水文模型。该项目的成果将为YEC建立适当的监测网络和开发预测工具，这将构成气候相关风险评估和管理战略的基础。这些工具将使YEC能够在各种需求情景下更有效地运营水电设施，这对YEC和育空地区具有关键的经济重要性，因为日益增长的资源型经济需要安全的电力资源。此外，该项目将涉及育空学院的学生，从而有助于在加拿大北部培养具有宝贵经验的高素质人才。最终，这里概述的研究项目将提高我们对加拿大北部气候变化影响的理解和准备，这对育空地区和加拿大北部的持续经济繁荣至关重要。

Power demands in Yukon are largely met through hydroelectric generation in Whitehorse, and thus runoff from the headwaters of the Yukon River (YR) represents an important territorial resource. Sound water management and planning is required to ensure future hydroelectric security, but there is currently significant uncertainty regarding the response of the river's flow to climate change. This is due to a lack of meteorological data and direct observations at high elevations where most of the runoff is produced, poor understanding of the role of snowmelt and glacier storage in YR discharge, and a lack of predictive tools for assessing changes in runoff in response to climate variability. To address this knowledge gap, Yukon College, Yukon Geological Survey, and Yukon Energy Corporation (YEC) propose to conduct a 3-year research project that will involve (1) installation of automated weather/snowpack monitoring stations at three locations in the upper YR watershed (complementing two existing stations already established by the the project team); (2) field and modeling studies of the current form, flow dynamics, and mass balance characteristics of Llewellyn Glacier, BC, and its potential responses to future climate variability; and (3) the development of a predictive regional hydrological model that will operate at various timescales. Outcomes from this project will establish appropriate monitoring networks and develop predictive tools for YEC, that will form the basis of climate-related risk assessment and management strategies. These tools will allow YEC to operate hydropower facilities more efficiently under various demand scenarios, which is of key economic importance for YEC and Yukon, where a growing resource-based economy demands secure power resources. Additionally, this project will involve students from Yukon College, thus contributing to the development of highly qualified personnel with valuable experience in Canada's North. Ultimately, the research project outlined here will improve our understanding of, and preparedness for, the impacts of climate change in northern Canada, which is of vital importance for continued economic prosperity in Yukon, and in Canada's North.