Coupling snowpack and groundwater dynamics to interpret historical streamflow trends in the western United States

• DOI: 10.1002/hyp.9628
• Publication Date: 2012-11-06T01:51:06Z
• Authors: Mohammad Safeeq; Gordon E. Grant; Sarah L. Lewis; Christina. L. Tague
• Keywords: Snowpack; Snowmelt

Abstract A key challenge for resource and land managers is predicting the consequences of climate warming on streamflow water resources. During last century in western United States, significant reductions snowpack earlier snowmelt have led to an increase fraction annual during winter a decline summer. Previous work has identified elevation as it relates dynamics primary control sensitivity warming. But along with changes timing accumulation melt, summer streamflows are also sensitive intrinsic, geologically mediated differences efficiency landscapes transforming recharge (either rain or snow) into discharge; we term this latter factor drainage efficiency. Here explore conjunction interpreting retrospective trends 1950–2010 using daily from 81 watersheds across States. The recession constant ( k ) precipitation falling snow S f were used metrics deep groundwater overall regime (rain and/or snow), respectively. This conjunctive analysis indicates that drain slowly receive most spring, however, rapidly Our results indicate not all States associated dynamics; observe declining late fall rain‐dominated well. These empirical findings support both theory hydrologic modelling implications how interpreted broad regions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.