Climate change and wetland loss impacts on a western river's water quality
An understanding of potential stream water quality conditions under future climate is critical for the sustainability of ecosystems and the protection of human health. Changes in wetland water balance under projected climate could alter wetland extent or cause wetland loss (e.g., via increased evapo...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2014-11-01
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| Series: | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| Online Access: | http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/18/4509/2014/hess-18-4509-2014.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818109733777702912 |
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| author | R. M. Records M. Arabi S. R. Fassnacht W. G. Duffy M. Ahmadi K. C. Hegewisch |
| author_facet | R. M. Records M. Arabi S. R. Fassnacht W. G. Duffy M. Ahmadi K. C. Hegewisch |
| author_sort | R. M. Records |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | An understanding of potential stream water quality conditions under future
climate is critical for the sustainability of ecosystems and the protection of
human health. Changes in wetland water balance under projected climate could
alter wetland extent or cause wetland loss (e.g., via increased
evapotranspiration and lower growing season flows leading to reduced riparian
wetland inundation) or altered land use patterns. This study assessed the
potential climate-induced changes to in-stream sediment and nutrient loads
in the snowmelt-dominated Sprague River, Oregon, western US.
Additionally, potential water quality impacts of combined changes in wetland
water balance and wetland area under future climatic conditions were
evaluated. The study utilized the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT)
forced with statistical downscaling of general circulation model (GCM) data
from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) using the
Multivariate Adaptive Constructed Analogs (MACA) method. Our findings suggest
that, in the Sprague River, (1) mid-21st century nutrient and sediment loads
could increase significantly during the high-flow season under warmer, wetter
climate projections or could change only nominally in a warmer and somewhat
drier future; (2) although water quality conditions under some future climate
scenarios and no wetland loss may be similar to the past, the combined impact
of climate change and wetland losses on nutrient loads could be large; (3)
increases in stream total phosphorus (TP) concentration with wetland loss
under future climate scenarios would be greatest at high-magnitude,
low-probability flows; and (4) loss of riparian wetlands in both headwaters
and lowlands could increase outlet TP loads to a similar degree, but this
could be due to distinctly different mechanisms in different parts of the watershed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T02:35:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9eedcd7c947c4ecda404e2b607f596dc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1027-5606 1607-7938 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T02:35:57Z |
| publishDate | 2014-11-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-9eedcd7c947c4ecda404e2b607f596dc2022-12-22T01:23:43ZengCopernicus PublicationsHydrology and Earth System Sciences1027-56061607-79382014-11-0118114509452710.5194/hess-18-4509-2014Climate change and wetland loss impacts on a western river's water qualityR. M. Records0M. Arabi1S. R. Fassnacht2W. G. Duffy3M. Ahmadi4K. C. Hegewisch5Integrated Water, Atmosphere, Ecosystems Education and Research Program, Department of Geosciences, Colorado State University, 1482 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1482, USADepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, 1372 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1372, USADepartment of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability/Watershed Science, Colorado State University, 1476 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1476, USAUS Geological Survey, California Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Humboldt State University, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521, USASpatial Sciences Lab, 1500 Research Parkway, Suite 221B, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USADepartment of Geography, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-3120, USAAn understanding of potential stream water quality conditions under future climate is critical for the sustainability of ecosystems and the protection of human health. Changes in wetland water balance under projected climate could alter wetland extent or cause wetland loss (e.g., via increased evapotranspiration and lower growing season flows leading to reduced riparian wetland inundation) or altered land use patterns. This study assessed the potential climate-induced changes to in-stream sediment and nutrient loads in the snowmelt-dominated Sprague River, Oregon, western US. Additionally, potential water quality impacts of combined changes in wetland water balance and wetland area under future climatic conditions were evaluated. The study utilized the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) forced with statistical downscaling of general circulation model (GCM) data from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) using the Multivariate Adaptive Constructed Analogs (MACA) method. Our findings suggest that, in the Sprague River, (1) mid-21st century nutrient and sediment loads could increase significantly during the high-flow season under warmer, wetter climate projections or could change only nominally in a warmer and somewhat drier future; (2) although water quality conditions under some future climate scenarios and no wetland loss may be similar to the past, the combined impact of climate change and wetland losses on nutrient loads could be large; (3) increases in stream total phosphorus (TP) concentration with wetland loss under future climate scenarios would be greatest at high-magnitude, low-probability flows; and (4) loss of riparian wetlands in both headwaters and lowlands could increase outlet TP loads to a similar degree, but this could be due to distinctly different mechanisms in different parts of the watershed.http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/18/4509/2014/hess-18-4509-2014.pdf |
| spellingShingle | R. M. Records M. Arabi S. R. Fassnacht W. G. Duffy M. Ahmadi K. C. Hegewisch Climate change and wetland loss impacts on a western river's water quality Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| title | Climate change and wetland loss impacts on a western river's water quality |
| title_full | Climate change and wetland loss impacts on a western river's water quality |
| title_fullStr | Climate change and wetland loss impacts on a western river's water quality |
| title_full_unstemmed | Climate change and wetland loss impacts on a western river's water quality |
| title_short | Climate change and wetland loss impacts on a western river's water quality |
| title_sort | climate change and wetland loss impacts on a western river s water quality |
| url | http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/18/4509/2014/hess-18-4509-2014.pdf |
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