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Snowmelt runoff – a Key Contributor to Lake Levels in the Peace-Athabasca Delta [Draft]
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Additional Info
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Creator | NWT Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program |
| Summary | Snowmelt runoff is well known for sustaining shallow waterbodies across cold regions. Yet, it is often overlooked in floodplains where river floodwaters are considered to drive freshwater availability. At the Slave River’s headwaters, drawdown of shallow lakes in the PeaceAthabasca Delta is a long-standing concern and is widely attributed to change of the ice-jam flood patterns. While snowmelt is also recognized as an important input source to shallow perched basins, its direct contribution to lake level rise remains poorly quantified in hydrological studies. We used measurements of water depth and isotope composition to evaluate contributions from snowmelt versus river floodwaters to lake-level rise after widespread ice-jam flooding in spring 2020. |
| Local Relevance | This report helps to understand the importance of floodwaters enhanced by flow releases compared to snowmelt runoff on lake levels to inform decision-making in the Delta. |
| Notes | This bulletin is part of the Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program's NWT Environmental Research Bulletin series - Volume 11, Issue 58. |
| Tags | Snowmelt,Freshwater,Hydrology,Vegetation |
| Geographic Region | NWT |
| Release Date | 2026 |
| Last Modified Date | 2026 |
| Funding Program | NWT Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program |