1990s
WCRB was established in 1992 through an agreement between the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs (Water Resources Branch) and Environment Canada's National Hydrology Research Institute (NHRI). In 1993, the basin was instrumented using Arctic Environmental Strategy and ECCC funding and led by Ric Janowicz and Dr. John Pomeroy.
In 1994, WCRB became a Mackenzie GEWEX (MAGS) watershed, a collaborative study with the goals of understanding and modeling the high-latitude energy and water cycles, and improving our ability to assess changes to the water resources of northern Canada that arise from climate variability and anthropogenic climate change. The decade-long MAGS project brought in a number of researchers (i.e. Dr. Jean Stein, Dr. Ming-ko (Hok) Woo, Dr. Sean Carey). Projects used ground observations and remote sensing information which contributed to development and employment of models at various scales. Vegetation measurements were collected through the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX). WCRB was part of Environment Canada's network of monitoring sites in the late 1990s to early 2000s. |
Research Themes:
-Baseline hydrological data collection -Water balance variability based on slope and aspect -Runoff processes and the influence of frozen ground and organic soils -Role of forests in snowmelt processes -ITEX International tundra experiment -Snow processes and chemistry |
2000s
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, projects within Wolf Creek continued, including but not limited to, evapotranspiration studies (Granger), modelling and remote sensing studies, and snow studies (see publications section) from NHRI. Dr. Al Pietroniro became involved in this work.
Hydrological model development progressed through testing of the Canadian Land Surface Scheme (CLASS) and MESH, which was instrumental in developing the Canadian Regions Hydrologic Model (CRHM), led by Dr. John Pomeroy. Dr. Pomeroy also led a snow-vegetation interactions study from 2000-2004, funded from the UK NERC/University of Wales with the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology - Wallingford), then from the US NOAA as part of the GEWEX Americas Prediction Project with Danny Marks (2002-2006). This was in collaboration with University of Wales, USDA-ARS, University of Saskatchewan and others. Dr. Bill Quinton, Dr. Sean Carey, and Dr. John Pomeroy maintained research through 2002-2006 through Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences and other funding. |
Research Themes:
- Stream temperature and the role of groundwater - Water chemistry and dissolved organic carbon quality - Eddy covariance for evapotranspiration and carbon flux work - Ecohydrology research related to vegetation water use - Climate change scenarios using CRHM - Stable isotope collection for blue/green water research - Enhanced remote sensing, drone and new LiDAR acquisition (2018) - Shrub expansion studies and soil heating experiments - Considerable inter-comparison work with other northern sites - New groundwater research |
2010s
Research in WCRB continued through support from IP3 (2006-2011) and Changing Cold Regions Network (CCRN). Eddy covariance instrumentation was installed within the basin in 2015 at shrub taiga to measure carbon and water fluxes. Climate change scenarios using CRHM were simulated.
A long-term hydrological dataset was published and is publicly available with data from Wolf Creek from 1993-2014. Global Water Futures (GWF), the world's largest university-led freshwater research program in the world, is established and supports numerous graduate students (Mountain Water Futures, Boreal Water Futures) full time technicians based out of Whitehorse. |
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Research Themes:
Stream temperature and the role of groundwater
- Water chemistry and dissolved organic carbon quality
- Eddy covariance for evapotranspiration and carbon flux work
- Ecohydrological research related to vegetation water use
- Climate change scenarios using CRHM
- Stable isotope collection for blue/green water research
- Enhanced remote sensing, drone and new LiDAR acquisition (2018)
- Shrub expansion studies and soil heating experiments
- Considerable inter-comparison work with other northern sites
- New groundwater research
Stream temperature and the role of groundwater
- Water chemistry and dissolved organic carbon quality
- Eddy covariance for evapotranspiration and carbon flux work
- Ecohydrological research related to vegetation water use
- Climate change scenarios using CRHM
- Stable isotope collection for blue/green water research
- Enhanced remote sensing, drone and new LiDAR acquisition (2018)
- Shrub expansion studies and soil heating experiments
- Considerable inter-comparison work with other northern sites
- New groundwater research
2020s and beyond
More details coming soon!
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Research Themes:
- Wetlands and the role of Coal Lake have not been explicitly tested - Increased focus on deep groundwater processes - Enhanced focus on cold-season processes (aufeis and snow) - Instrument testing facility to fuse remote and ground-based data sets - Site for model testing with an emphasis on cold region processes and climate change - Enhanced engagement with local stakeholders and First Nations. |