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，来自育空地区河源头的径流是一种重要的领土资源。需要健全的水管理和规划，以确保未来的水电安全，但目前在河流流量对气候变化的反应方面存在很大的不确定性。这是由于缺乏气象数据和高海拔地区的直接观测，大部分径流产生，对融雪和冰川储存在YR排放中的作用缺乏了解，以及缺乏评估径流变化的预测工具，以应对气候变化。为了弥补这一知识缺口，育空地区学院、育空地区地质调查局和育空地区能源公司（YEC）提议开展一个为期3年的研究项目，该项目将涉及（1）在YR上游流域的三个地点安装自动天气/积雪监测站（补充项目小组已经建立的两个现有台站）;（2）对不列颠哥伦比亚省卢埃林冰川目前的形态、流动动力学和物质平衡特征及其对未来气候变化的潜在反应进行实地和模拟研究;（3）开发一个可在不同时间尺度运行的预测性区域水文模型。这一项目的成果将建立适当的监测网络，并为YEC开发预测工具，这将成为与气候有关的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，那里不断增长的资源型经济需要安全的电力资源。此外，这一项目将吸收育空地区学院的学生参加，从而有助于培养在加拿大北部具有宝贵经验的高素质人才。最后，这里概述的研究项目将提高我们对加拿大北方气候变化影响的认识和准备，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.