Abstract
Variance in stream temperature from historical norms, which reflects the impacts from both hydrological and meteorological factors, is a significant indicator of the stream ecosystem health. Therefore, it is imperative to study the hydrological processes controlling stream temperature in the watershed. The impacts of hydrological processes on stream temperature in the cold region of Western Canada were investigated based on the previously developed Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) equilibrium temperature model. The model was calibrated and validated for streamflow and stream temperature based on the observations and a global parameter sensitivity analysis conducted to identify the most important hydrological process governing the stream temperature dynamics. The precipitation and air temperature lapse rates were found to be the most sensitive parameters controlling the stream temperature, followed by the parameters regulating the processes of soil water dynamics, surface runoff, and channel routing. Our analysis showed an inverse relationship between streamflow volume and stream temperature, and different runoff components have different impacts on temporal regimes of stream temperatures. This study elaborates on the response of the stream temperature to changes in hydrological processes at the watershed scale and indicates that hydrological processes should be taken into account for prediction of stream temperatures.
Highlights
Stream temperature is a very important indicator when determining water quality condition and ecosystem health because it directly and indirectly impacts numerous physical properties and biochemical processes of the stream [1]
A total of 25 Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrological parameters were considered for stream temperature sensitivity analysis in the Elbow River watershed (ERW) using the observed stream temperature of Sarcee Bridge station because it is close to the watershed outlet and represents the response of the whole watershed
The SWAT equilibrium temperature model was used to investigate the impact of hydrological processes on the stream temperature in the Elbow River watershed (ERW) in the cold region of Western
Summary
Stream temperature is a very important indicator when determining water quality condition and ecosystem health because it directly and indirectly impacts numerous physical properties (e.g., pH) and biochemical processes of the stream [1]. It affects the water quality by determining the saturated dissolved oxygen [2], biochemical reaction rates [3], and the distribution and habitat of aquatic species, for fishes [4]. Modelling stream temperature under various hydrological and meteorological conditions at a watershed scale is important to enhance understanding of the underlying processes for protecting stream ecosystems [5]. Though the impacts on stream temperature from these meteorological factors are well understood, there are limited studies using process-based models to incorporate the impacts
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