Hydrologic Effects of forest disturbance

Water yield and regime Forest/Water related legislation

Forest Reserves Act 1964

Background


 Conservation of forest resources
 Long term studies  Maintenance of optimal water supply
 Water yield
 Snow redistribution  East Slopes Policy 1977
Maintain or increase water yield/quality
Regime


 Intensive management - S. Sask.
 Manage for maintenance - N. Sask, Athab.
 Management for recreation

Long term studies (paired basin approach)

Long term studies (paired basin approach)
 Two watersheds near one another
Apply treatment to one basin
Monitor streamflow from both for a period of years


Continue monitoring streamflow for a period of years
Relate flow “A” to flow “B”



B
A B A After

Q (B)
Q (B) Before

Q (A)
Q (A)
 Relate flow “A” to flow “B” … change as a result of treatment will
 Accounts for variation in climatic conditions year to year be reflected in change to relationship after treatment
Treatment Watershed - Annual Yield (Ac. Ft.)

1200
Y = a x bX
1000
Prediced yield Treatment = a x b (yield control basin)

800
Before Treatment (cal ibration period)
1200 1200 After Treatment
Average Annual Water Yield (Ac. Ft.)

Average Annual Water Yield (Ac. Ft.)

600
1000 1000

800 800 400 2

r = 0.87
600 600
200
400 400
0
200 200 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200

0 0 Control Watershed - Annual Yield (Ac. Ft)

Control Treated Control Treated
Treatment Watershed - Annual Yield (Ac. Ft.)

1200

1000 Post-treatment period

Long term studies (paired basin approach) 2
r = 0.92

800

 Give us the “best” picture of how forest practices

affect water yield and regime 600

Calibration period
400 2
r = 0.87
 Fully controlled studies …
 can separate harvest effects from climate effects 200

 Very expensive !!! 0

 10-20 yrs to conduct (good part of an entire career) 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Control Watershed - Annual Yield (Ac. Ft)
 Yield increases
Yield increases
700

Magnitude of increases is a direct function of area of harvest

Increase in streamflow (mm)

(% of watershed)
600

500
 Maximum increases usually 0-2 years after cutting
Conifer  Results are highly variable
Deciduous
400
Range (brush)  Due to differences in climatic conditions

Actual increase (change) in runoff depends on ...

300


200
 Availability of water and energy ?
 How well they are synchronized in time ?
100

20 100
Reduction in cover (%)

Coweeta experimental forest

North Carolina Fool Creek experimental watershed
Precip 1775-2025 mm (Colorado) 550 mm
Precip
Mean Q 775-1250 mm
Mean Q 160 mm
Potential ET 780-1200 mm
Potential ET 450 mm

 Warm climate - little variation throughout the year  Cool / dry climate - Mostly snowfall, relatively little rain
 Precipitation (rain) evenly distributed throughout the year  Generally cold, but can get quite hot in summer

Precipitation
Precipitation

Temperature
Temperature

J F M A M J J A S O N D
J F M A M J J A S O N D

Magnitude of yield increases

Increases in annual water yield
Year 1 2 3 4 5
COW EETA mm 360 273 273 245 198
% 66 46 29 26 31

FOOL CRK mm 83 130 93 115 135

% 19 27 16 12 12

Yield increases
Yield and snow redistribution
 Yield increases greatest where ...
 Water and energy are abundant and synchronized in time
Water yield increases in climates like Colorado and Alberta are
… ET is high


thought to be caused by
 Reduction in ET
 Wet years compared to dry years
2/3 to 3/4 of total increase in water yield
Humid areas then sub-humid or semi-arid



 On the landscape … wet areas compared to upland areas  Redistribution of snow

 Reduced evaporative losses from snowpacks
 1/4 to 1/3 of increase in water yield
 Clearing Forest

James river study Alberta

max accumulation last measure of season

Snow accumulation (cm SWE)
12

4
11

3
10

2
9
8

1
0

0 1/4 1/2 3/4 1 2 3 4 5 6 0 1/4 1/2 3/4 1 2 3 4 5 6

Opening diameter (tree heights)

Yield and snow redistribution

 Increase in total water yield …
most of which shows up during
spring freshet
Wagon Wheel Gap Fool Creek
 Advance the timing of
snowmelt … snowmelt runoff
earlier (if left uncut)

 De-synchronize snowmelt from

different regions in the
watershed

Fool Creek Experimental

Watershed (Colorado)
Duration of yield increases ?
 A function of how rapidly
transpiration and interception is H.J. Andrews
re-established Coastal watershed
Pacific Northwest
 Transpiration / interception
regulated by leaf area index (LAI)

 ET recovery - how fast

evapotranspiration (thus
streamflow) recovers to pre-
disturbance levels

 Warm climates like Coweeta, yield increases can disappear fast …. 7-

10 years
 Cool climates where growth rates are slow … Increases can last for a Fool Creek
very long time Rocky Mtn. Region
Colorado

Year after logging

Yield Increases … how much ? Regime

 Area harvested or disturbed

Q proportion of watershed harvested

 Climatic region
Q Annual Ppt

 Is snow re-distribution important ?

Q snow : annual ppt

 How long since harvested ?

Q Time since disturbance

35-85 % harvested: Storm Peaks up to 150-200% increase

Regime

55-70 % burned: Storm Peaks 60% average increase

Wright et al , 1990