NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Dehcho Region

Tags: aquatic ecosystems, climate change, hydrology, resource management, wetlands, northern community, human disturbance, runoff model, municipal resources

Objective(s): The long term goal of this research is to develop an understanding of the major processes affecting the flow and storage of water in the wetland-dominated discontinuous permafrost terrain of the Lower Liard Valley. This will lead to an improved representation of the processes controlling drainage in hydrological models, and will therefore improve the prediction of runoff and water storage levels. This information will be beneficial to northern communities for several reasons. For example, clean, potable water is anticipated to be an increasingly valuable resource in years to come. Improved understanding of flow and storage processes will help reduce uncertainties regarding the influence of climate warming on the future availability of northern water resources. Also, the delivery of water (including sediments, nutrients and biota) from headwater streams such as those in the Lower Liard is critical to maintaining the vitality of downstream ecosystems that often include species of economic importance. Proper water resource management requires that the sensitivity of runoff producing areas to perturbances be understood, since natural (e.g. climate) and human activities can influence the quantity and quality of water delivered to the rivers and lakes used as municipal water sources.