Surface water quality in northern Alberta: The characteristics, hydrologic controls and potential impacts from forest fire and logging

I present the results from a six-year investigation of hydrologic processes and surface water chemistry. The study occurred in peatland-dominated boreal forest basins spanning poorly- to well-drained soils on glacial till with discontinuous permafrost. The first in the series of studies investigated the impacts of fire on lake water chemistry, phytoplankton communities and hydrology, the second details hydrologic processes in six study catchments, and the third investigates hydrologic and chemistry impacts from experimental emulation silviculture. The primary results: (1) Elevated nutrient concentrations were apparent in lake waters from burnt drainages. These changes were unprecedented in the fire literature for phosphorus and dissolved organic carbon. (2) Recovery to pre disturbance conditions spanned decades. (3) Lakes with drainage basin to lake volume ratios less then ten were particularly sensitive to fire impacts. (4) Enhanced phosphorus and carbon loading from burnt organic soils caused nitrogen and light limitation of phytoplankton growth. (5) Phytoplankton species richness was reduced in lakes impacted by forest fire. (6) Emulation silviculture impacted water yield and chemical flux from well drained and poorly drained catchments.; The studies occurred on traditional lands of the Little Red River Cree and proffered a unique opportunity to include Indigenous knowledge (IK). IK identified important management issues, ecosystem relationships and several impacts that could be quantified with further investigation. The overriding hypothesis of IK was that forestry and fire negatively impact hydrology and water quality because debris caused poor drainage. Subsequent shrub growth amplified impacts on animals, such as moose and buffalo, and on LRRTC relationships with the landscape. Variable and conflicting responses arose from differences in experience that could be linked to site-specific ecology. As in empirical science, IK generalizes from facts but fails to explain them with precision. The context of IK data should be used to investigate the basis for different responses to similar themes in the same manner we search for ecological factors to explain model residuals. Shared information and the diversity of responses by the LRRTC enabled a comprehensive tableau of ecosystem concepts to emerge forming the basis for a deeper but complementary understanding of ecosystem linkages.