The importance of base flow in sustaining surface water flow in the Upper Colorado River Basin
TLDR
In this paper, a spatially referenced regression on watershed attributes (SPARROW) water quality model was applied to assess the spatial distribution of base flow, the fraction of streamflow supported by base flow and estimates of and potential processes contributing to the amount of baseflow that is lost during in-stream transport in the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB).Abstract:
The Colorado River has been identified as the most overallocated river in the world. Considering predicted future imbalances between water supply and demand and the growing recognition that base flow (a proxy for groundwater discharge to streams) is critical for sustaining flow in streams and rivers, there is a need to develop methods to better quantify present-day base flow across large regions. We adapted and applied the spatially referenced regression on watershed attributes (SPARROW) water quality model to assess the spatial distribution of base flow, the fraction of streamflow supported by base flow, and estimates of and potential processes contributing to the amount of base flow that is lost during in-stream transport in the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB). On average, 56% of the streamflow in the UCRB originated as base flow, and precipitation was identified as the dominant driver of spatial variability in base flow at the scale of the UCRB, with the majority of base flow discharge to streams occurring in upper elevation watersheds. The model estimates an average of 1.8 × 1010 m3/yr of base flow in the UCRB; greater than 80% of which is lost during in-stream transport to the Lower Colorado River Basin via processes including evapotranspiration and water diversion for irrigation. Our results indicate that surface waters in the Colorado River Basin are dependent on base flow, and that management approaches that consider groundwater and surface water as a joint resource will be needed to effectively manage current and future water resources in the Basin.read more
Citations
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Slower snowmelt in a warmer world
TL;DR: The authors showed that shallower snowpack melts earlier, and at lower rates, than deeper, later-lying snow cover, and that the fraction of meltwater volume produced at high snowmelt rates is greatly reduced in a warmer climate.
Slower snowmelt in a warmer world
TL;DR: This paper showed that shallower snowpack melts earlier, and at lower rates, than deeper, later-lying snow cover, and that the fraction of meltwater volume produced at high snowmelt rates is greatly reduced in a warmer climate.
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Riverine Export of Aged Carbon Driven by Flow Path Depth and Residence Time.
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TL;DR: Carroll et al. as mentioned in this paper combined light detection and ranging (LiDAR)-derived snow observations with an integrated hydrologic model to quantify spatially and temporally distributed water fluxes across varying climate conditions in a Colorado River headwater basin.
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