Abstract
AbstractThe influence of wetlands on basin hydrology and channel hydraulics has been investigated for a small Canadian basin using the MIKE 11/NAM model of the Danish Hydraulic Institute (DHI). The Black Creek basin has an area of 93.58 km2, 15.6% of which consists of wetlands. The methodology involved long-term continuous simulation of the basin with and without the wetlands. The present analysis shows that on an annual basis, wetlands reduce the total runoff by less than 1% and increase the evapotranspiration by about the same amount. Overland flow decreases 21% and base flow increases by 15% due to wetland presence. Groundwater recharge also increases by 15%. During individual runoff events, wetlands reduce runoff by about 5% and 1% in terms of peak and volume, respectively. The 1:100-year flood under current conditions would become a 1:35-year flood if wetlands were removed. Wetlands can suppress the snow-melt-generated flood peaks by about 15–20% during spring freshet and summer floods by 1–5%. Wetl...
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