Pacific Northwest Research Articles

Benthic macroinvertebrate response to estuarine emergent marsh restoration across a delta-wide environmental gradient

Benthic invertebrates play vital roles in estuarine ecosystems, but like other taxa they have been excluded from former marshlands by diking and land use conversion. Dike removal is one way of restoring marsh, but the response of benthic invertebrates has been little studied. Also understudied is variation in benthic invertebrate communities across entire deltas, particularly in the Pacific Northwest of North America where deltas receive high flows and sediment loads for their size. Our goals were to evaluate invertebrate response to large-scale dike removal on the Nisqually River Delta in Puget Sound, Washington, U.S.A., characterize delta-wide invertebrate community variation, and relate invertebrate response and spatial variation to environmental conditions. We sampled invertebrates annually from one year before to three years after dike removal in restoring marsh, previously restored marsh, undisturbed reference marsh, and adjacent tidal flats. Marine taxa immediately colonized the area recently restored to tidal inundation and population size grew exponentially thereafter for several of them. Community composition and diversity recovered completely, and density and biomass were approaching recovery three years later. Invertebrate communities converged between restoring and pre-existing marsh (previously restored and reference), suggesting an influence of reestablished connectivity. Just offshore from the dike line, invertebrates declined one year after dike removal but then rebounded indicating resilience to short-term disturbance. Dike removal effects were not detected farther offshore. Near the offshore edge of the delta, invertebrate biomass and body size were greater than elsewhere and a diverse assemblage of crustaceans, polychaetes, and bivalves was present. Farther inshore, tidal flats were dominated by a few species of small-bodied polychaetes and had higher density but lower biomass and diversity. Facultative detritivores, which can also filter feed, were the dominant feeding guild everywhere on the tidal flats. Density, biomass, diversity, and community composition on the marsh were more similar to the inner than outer tidal flats. Environmental variables most associated with invertebrate community variation were elevation, salinity, and sediment grain size and organic content. Our results are relevant to assessing performance and setting expectations for future restorations and have broad implications for the role of benthic invertebrates in estuarine ecosystems.

Feral frogs, native newts, and chemical cues: identifying threats from and management opportunities for invasive African Clawed Frogs in Washington state.

Invasive species threaten biodiversity globally. Amphibians are one of the most threatened vertebrate taxa and are particularly sensitive to invasive species, including other amphibians. African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) are native to Southern Africa but have subsequently become invasive on multiple continents-including multiple parts of North America-due to releases from the pet and biomedical trades. Despite their prevalence as a global invader, the impact of X. laevis remains understudied. This includes the Pacific Northwest of the USA, which now hosts multiple expanding X. laevis populations. For many amphibians, chemical cues communicate important information, including the presence of predators. Here, we tested the role chemical cues may play in mediating interactions between feral X. laevis and native amphibians in the Pacific Northwest. We tested whether native red-legged frog (Rana aurora) tadpoles display an antipredator response to non-native frog (X. laevis) or native newt (rough-skinned newts, Taricha granulosa) predator chemical stimuli. We found that R. aurora tadpoles exhibited pronounced anti-predator responses when exposed to chemical cues from T. granulosa but did not display anti-predator response to invasive X. laevis chemical cues. We also began experimentally testing whether T. granulosa-which produce a powerful neurotoxin tetrodotoxin (TTX)-may elicit an anti-predator response in X. laevis, that could serve to deter co-occupation. However, our short-duration experiments found that X. laevis were attracted to newt chemical stimuli rather than deterred. Our findings show that X. laevis likely poses a threat to native amphibians, and that these native species may also be particularly vulnerable to this invasive predator, compared to native predators, because toxic native newts may not limit X. laevis invasions. Our research provides some of the first indications that native Pacific Northwest species may be threatened by feral X. laevis and provides a foundation for future experiments testing potential management techniques for X. laevis.

New old parasite – liver fluke

Fasciola hepatica, the common liver fluke, has been known to cause ill health in livestock for over 100 years in the United States, yet it remains a parasite of importance in the Gulf Coast and Pacific Northwest. One of its major effects is to cause ane­mia, however, its presence may not immediately be considered, especially in the southeastern United States, because of the highly pathogenic and ubiquitous barber pole worm, Haemon­chus contortus. Little research has been conducted on F. hepatica in the United States in recent years, and goats appear to have been much less studied than sheep and cattle. Alternative, complementary diagnostics to conventional fecal examination (normally using sedimentation techniques) would be useful, as would new anthelmintics. However, in the absence of both, control of liver flukes must be given careful consideration in terms of maintaining animal health and welfare and preserv­ing the efficacy of existing flukicides. Testing for efficacy of anthelmintics currently used in practice would contribute to­wards making recommendations regarding their rational use.

Residual canopy cover provides buffering of near-surface temperatures, but benefits are limited under extreme conditions

Increasing summer temperatures and higher probabilities of extreme heat events have led to concerns about tree damage and mortality. However, insufficient attention has been given to conditions leading to heat-related regeneration failures in temperate forests. To address this managers need to understand how microclimate varies under a range of overstory conditions. We measured air temperatures at 2cm above-ground underneath a gradient of canopy cover on south-facing slopes in recently thinned Douglas-fir stands in western Oregon, USA. To expand the ecological relevance of these data to impacts on regeneration, we created the stress-degree hours (SDH) metric, representing the amount of time - and by how much – temperatures exceeded biologically relevant stress thresholds. Overall, for every 10% increase in canopy cover, maximum temperatures at 2cm were 1.3oC lower, the odds of temperatures exceeding stress thresholds for conifer regeneration declined by a multiplicative factor of 0.26, and the total of SDH decreased by 40%. These reductions are large enough to be worthy of attention when managing for tree regeneration. However, data collected during the Pacific Northwest Heat Dome in June 2021 indicate that with various climate change scenarios and heatwave occurrences, temperatures will be unfavorable for regeneration regardless of overstory cover.

Preharvest Sprouting in Quinoa: A New Screening Method Adapted to Panicles and GWAS Components

The introduction of quinoa into new growing regions and environments is of interest to farmers, consumers, and stakeholders around the world. Many plant breeding programs have already started to adapt quinoa to the environmental and agronomic conditions of their local fields. Formal quinoa breeding efforts in Washington State started in 2010, led by Professor Kevin Murphy out of Washington State University. Preharvest sprouting appeared as the primary obstacle to increased production in the coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest. Preharvest sprouting (PHS) is the undesirable sprouting of seeds that occurs before harvest, is triggered by rain or humid conditions, and is responsible for yield losses and lower nutrition in cereal grains. PHS has been extensively studied in wheat, barley, and rice, but there are limited reports for quinoa, partly because it has only recently emerged as a problem. This study aimed to better understand PHS in quinoa by adapting a PHS screening method commonly used in cereals. This involved carrying out panicle-wetting tests and developing a scoring scale specific for panicles to quantify sprouting. Assessment of the trait was performed in a diversity panel (N = 336), and the resulting phenotypes were used to create PHS tolerance rankings and undertake a GWAS analysis (n = 279). Our findings indicate that PHS occurred at varying degrees across a subset of the quinoa germplasm tested and that it is possible to access PHS tolerance from natural sources. Ultimately, these genotypes can be used as parental lines in future breeding programs aiming to incorporate tolerance to PHS.

The influence of multidecadal climate variability and abrupt landscape change on terrestrial ecosystem composition and fire regime in the upper Columbia River basin - A high-resolution Holocene perspective

High-resolution paleoclimatic and paleoecologic datasets from a small lake in eastern Washington (USA) help elucidate Holocene environmental dynamics in the interior Pacific Northwest. Round Lake lies near the ecotone between sagebrush steppe and dry pine forest, making it highly sensitive to changes in precipitation-evaporation (P-E) balance. We present isotopic, sedimentological, and paleoecological data from a single sedimentary sequence analyzed at sufficient resolution to detect sub-decadal climatic variability. During the early Holocene (11,000–8500 cal yr BP), when summer insolation was higher than present, Round Lake experienced persistent aridity that led to reduced forest cover and small, probably frequent surface fires. Sub-centennial hydroclimate fluctuations during this period were muted, as indicated by low multi-decadal variability in δ18Ocarbonate records from the region. Oxygen isotopes indicate increased cool-season moisture during the middle Holocene (8500-5300 BP), but stratigraphic evidence suggests intermediate and variable lake levels. The deposition of the Mazama tephra (ca. 7600 cal yr BP) immediately preceded to a protracted expansion of steppe at the expense of forest. Increased hydroclimate variability and fire activity following ash deposition likely restricted conifer taxa even when elevated cool-season moisture would have facilitated their growth. The late Holocene was marked by persistently high lake levels, as indicated by the lithostratigraphic and pollen records. Comparatively large multidecadal variations in precipitation, which peaked during the last millennium, were also prominent features of late-Holocene hydroclimate, and may have been related to the strengthening of the El Niño Southern Oscillation and Pacific Decadal Oscillation. Pinus and Pseudotsuga show a 60–100 year lag in their response to hydroclimatic variations inferred from the oxygen isotope records. These results highlight how millennial-to-decadal scale hydroclimate conditions, along with abrupt landscape change, influence ecology in a water-stressed region of western North America.

Scales of plant stewardship in the precontact Pacific Northwest, USA

Numerous oral histories and substantial ethnographic evidence illustrate how plant species, communities, and even landscapes were extensively managed and cared for by ancestral communities in the Pacific Northwest. Camas ( Camassia spp.) is one such cultural keystone plant, common from the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountains, with numerous records describing its role as a staple food for many Northwest peoples. Supporting deep time archeological evidence for such management or stewardship practices, however, has remained elusive. In this paper we analyze archived collections of archeological camas bulbs from 11 sites across the Willamette Valley, Oregon to demonstrate people began preparing camas within earth ovens by approximately 8000 calendar years before present and deliberately harvesting sexually mature camas plants circa 3500 calendar years before present. We compare these findings with climatological, palynological, and fire history reconstructions to discuss stewardship strategies for camas and associated plant communities through time at the population, community, and landscape levels. These findings confirm and expand upon Indigenous knowledges as well as offer time-tested methods for cultural keystone conservationists seeking to revitalize traditional plant stewardship practices throughout this region and beyond. This “camas case study” also offers another example of a human-plant symbiotic relationship, expanding our knowledge of plant food pathways, processes, and mutualisms.

Assessment of the Distribution of Dagger Nematodes and Associated Nematode Transmitted Viruses in Pacific Northwest Small Fruit Crops

Small fruit production is an important component of the agricultural sector in the Pacific Northwest of the United States (Oregon and Washington). A diversity of small fruits is produced in the region including wine grape, blueberry, strawberry, and caneberry (red raspberry, black raspberry, and blackberry). Plant-parasitic nematodes and viruses both impact the production of small fruits in the region; there is not an up-to-date understanding of the distribution of potential virus-vectoring dagger nematodes (Xiphinema spp.) and associated nematode-transmitted viruses. Soil and leaf samples were collected from 43 wine grape vineyards and 24 blueberry, 23 caneberry, 5 strawberry and one currant field (s) in 2021 and 2023. The samples were analyzed to determine the presence of dagger nematodes and the nepoviruses tomato ringspot virus (ToRSV) and tobacco ringspot virus (TRSV). Dagger nematodes were found in 52% of the fields. ToRSV was detected in two blueberry fields in Washington, while in Oregon ToRSV was detected in one field each of blueberry, red raspberry, currant, and wine grape. TRSV was not conclusively found in any of the surveyed samples. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time ToRSV is reported in wine grapes in Oregon and in the red currant species, Ribes spicatum. This study provides an up-to-date assessment of the distribution of dagger nematodes and nepoviruses associated with small fruits in the Pacific Northwest.

Functional traits differ across an invasive tree species’ native, introduced, and invasive populations

AbstractIt is often speculated that non-native invasive species undergo rapid changes in their phenotypic properties (i.e., traits) that provide adaptive advantage in their new environment. However, few studies have directly compared traits of invasive non-native species with their native counterparts to reveal whether such phenotypic changes occur, and which stages of initial introduction and subsequent invasion contribute to these shifts. We studied trait variation of an invasive tree, Pinus contorta, which is native to northwestern North America and invasive in the Patagonia region of South America (i.e., Argentina and Chile). Commercial plantations of P. contorta were introduced extensively in Patagonia from the 1970s onward, from an unknown seed origin within the Pacific Northwest, USA, where three sub-species are found, including subsp. contorta, latifolia, and murrayana. We employed a home-versus-away study approach, where we compared mean growth, defense, and reproduction trait values, and mean within-stand trait variation (Coefficient of Variation, CV) of Patagonia plantations, with the three native sub-species. We further compared mean traits, and trait CVs between invasive P. contorta and the Patagonia plantations from which they escaped. Patagonia plantations shared the most similar mean trait values with subsp. latifolia and murrayana, suggesting possible source populations. However, both mean trait values and trait CVs of Patagonia plantations differed from all three native sub-species, indicating potential founder effects, population bottlenecks, and/or plastic responses to their new environment that occurred during or after introduction. We also found evidence for selective change during invasion; however, these differences did not suggest growth traits were prioritized over defense traits, which was inconsistent with hypotheses that invaders exhibit an evolutionary trade-off between defense traits and growth traits. Our study highlights that processes occurring both at first introduction and establishment, as well as the subsequent invasion phase can influence the phenotype of successful invaders.

Acute toxicity testing of 6PPD-quinone on the estuarine-dependent sport fish, Sciaenops ocellatus.

Recently, large-scale fish kills in the Pacific Northwest were linked to tire wear particles (TWPs) left on roadways, with the lethality attributed to 6PPD-quinone. which has a median lethal concentration of <1 µg/L for selected salmonids. However, there remains a paucity of 6PPD-quinone toxicity values developed for estuarine fish species, which is particularly significant because estuaries receiving inflows from highly urbanized watersheds are especially vulnerable to TWP contamination. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the toxicity of 6PPD-quinone to an economically and ecologically important estuarine-dependent fish-red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). Here, we examined the relative sensitivities of three early life stages within red drum: embryonic, larval, and post-settlement for 24-72 hours, depending on the life stage. Exposure concentrations ranged from 10 μg/L to 500 μg/L. We also assessed the sub-lethal impacts of 6PPD-quinone exposure on development during embryonic and larval stages, including body and organ sizes. Our results indicate that red drum are not acutely sensitive to 6PPD-quinone at each early life stage tested. We also found that yolk-sac larvae did not exhibit sub-lethal morphological impacts in a dose-dependent manner, regardless of exposure during embryonic and larval stages. These data are the first to assess the impacts of 6PPD-quinone on estuarine-dependent non-model fishes.

Abstract PO3-10-06: Parenting While Living with Cancer - Providing Better Outcomes for Families During the Cancer Journey

Abstract For over 20 years, Kesem has been dedicated to supporting children impacted by a parent’s cancer. To better understand the stresses on a family navigating cancer, Kesem completed a several month research program rooted in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and consisting of ethnographic research, quantitative surveys, focus groups, benchmarking, and data analytics. We are using this research to develop a deeper understanding of the personal stories of families impacted by a cancer diagnosis and of the current data from experts in the field. Kesem is sharing our research findings in order for the general oncology space to better serve parents living with cancer. The research included three weeks of ethnographic research completed in rural Mississippi, the Pacific Northwest, and southern Nevada. The research team completed 124 interviews in 18 cities, gathering deep insights about being a parent while living with cancer. The team also reviewed over 30 databases and conducted a survey of approximately 150 parents with cancer. Little has been published about parental cancer in the past decade. Using literature reviews and data such as the 2020 decennial census, we have been able to generate a more accurate assessment of need than ever, confirming earlier estimates that there are approximately five million children in the United States who have a parent with cancer. This means that the average percentage of children under 18 who have experience with parental cancer is between 3.6%–5.5%. The following key takeaways from this research are helpful for all who support patients, including oncologists, nurse navigators, and patient advocates: Based on this research and our ongoing internal survey results, we know that patients generally have less anxiety when they know their children will receive a lifetime of support. Children who are supported are more likely to create a community of support for themselves, do better academically, and have increased mental health. This leads to better outcomes for the entire family. Citation Format: Alicia Kabir. Parenting While Living with Cancer - Providing Better Outcomes for Families During the Cancer Journey [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO3-10-06.

Near-term fire weather forecasting in the Pacific Northwest using 500-hPa map types

Background Near-term forecasts of fire danger based on predicted surface weather and fuel dryness are widely used to support the decisions of wildfire managers. The incorporation of synoptic-scale upper-air patterns into predictive models may provide additional value in operational forecasting. Aims In this study, we assess the impact of synoptic-scale upper-air patterns on the occurrence of large wildfires and widespread fire outbreaks in the US Pacific Northwest. Additionally, we examine how discrete upper-air map types can augment subregional models of wildfire risk. Methods We assess the statistical relationship between synoptic map types, surface weather and wildfire occurrence. Additionally, we compare subregional fire danger models to identify the predictive value contributed by upper-air map types. Key results We find that these map types explain variation in wildfire occurrence not captured by fire danger indices based on surface weather alone, with specific map types associated with significantly higher expected daily ignition counts in half of the subregions. Conclusions We observe that incorporating upper-air map types enhances the explanatory power of subregional fire danger models. Implications Our approach provides value to operational wildfire management and provides a template for how these methods may be implemented in other regions.

Palmer Amaranth in the Pacific Northwest

AbstractPalmer amaranth is one of the most troublesome pigweeds in crop production systems in the United States. It only recently started to appear in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). A coordinated extension and outreach effort among land grant universities (University of Idaho, Oregon State University, and Washington State University), Amalgamated Sugar, other commodity commissions, and industry was launched to track Palmer amaranth in the PNW. In 2023, tissue samples were collected from pigweeds suspected to be Palmer amaranth with tests providing confirmation. Palmer amaranth was detected in several crops as well as right‐of‐way and private property. Most of the Palmer amaranth populations were confirmed to be resistant to glyphosate. Additional surveys and resistance screening efforts are underway to map the distribution of Palmer amaranth and assess the level of herbicide resistance across the region. Earn 0.5 CEUs in Integrated Pest Management by reading this article and taking the quiz at https://web.sciencesocieties.org/Learning‐Center/Courses.

An ecosystem approach to mentoring research faculty in schools of nursing: The pacific northwest interdependence mentoring model

BackgroundMentoring can facilitate faculty career development and retention. Given ongoing challenges in academic nursing (e.g., shrinking number of experienced mentors), it is necessary to revisit and improve upon existing mentoring models and practices to support current and future nurse researchers. PurposeTo describe the development of a new faculty-to-faculty research mentoring model. MethodsConstruction of a model describing mentoring needed by research-focused nurse faculty based on analysis of the literature alongside the authors’ personal experiences. FindingsThe Pacific Northwest Interdependence Mentoring Model (PIMM) describes academic nursing as an ecosystem that fosters caring, trust, solidarity, equity, openness, and interdependent relationships among research faculty, administration, institutions, and funding sources. DiscussionAlthough mentoring environments differ in unique strengths, weaknesses, mission, culture, and values, the PIMM’s approach could be applicable for many schools of nursing and beyond to support the growth of the nursing discipline.

Accurate Infrared Line Lists for 20 Isotopologues of CS2 at Room Temperature

To facilitate atmospheric and spectroscopic studies of carbon disulfide, or CS2, in both planetary and exoplanetary atmospheres, we adopt the “Best Theory + Reliable High-resolution Experiment” algorithm to generate semiempirical IR line lists for the 20 most abundant CS2 isotopologues, denoted as Ames-296K. The IR lists are computed using the Ames-1 potential energy surface, refined using the experimental transition set and an ab initio dipole moment surface fitted from CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pV(T/Q/5+d)Z dipoles extrapolated to a one-particle basis set limit. The IR lists cover the range of 0–10,000 cm−1, with an S 296K cutoff at 10−31 cm−1/molecule·cm−2 (abundance included). A “natural” IR line list at 296 K includes about 10 million lines of the 20 isotopologues, with their intensities scaled by the corresponding abundances. The zero-point energy, partition functions, and abundances are reported for each isotopologue. The energy levels in the global effective Hamiltonian model for 12C32S2 are adopted to improve the line position accuracy. This new IR list for the main isotopologue is denoted as A+I.296K. Reliable HITRAN2020 line positions are also utilized to improve the accuracy of the 32S12C34S, 32S12C33S, and 32S13C32S isotopologue line lists. The final composite line list is validated against Pacific Northwest National Laboratory experimental cross sections, showing excellent agreement. The agreement supports the quality of the composite line list and the power of synergy between experiment and theory. The new data are proposed for use in updating and expanding the CS2 data in HITRAN and other high-resolution IR databases. Supplementary files are available in Zenodo and AHED.

Extreme hydrometeorological events induce abrupt and widespread freshwater temperature changes across the Pacific Northwest of North America

Extreme hydrometeorological events induce abrupt and widespread freshwater temperature changes across the Pacific Northwest of North America

Economic Burden of Acute Gastroenteritis among Members of Integrated Healthcare Delivery System, United States, 2014-2016.

We conducted a large surveillance study among members of an integrated healthcare delivery system in Pacific Northwest of the United States to estimate medical costs attributable to medically attended acute gastroenteritis (MAAGE) on the day care was sought and during 30-day follow-up. We used multivariable regression to compare costs of MAAGE and non-MAAGE cases matched on age, gender, and index time. Differences accounted for confounders, including race, ethnicity, and history of chronic underlying conditions. Analyses included 73,140 MAAGE episodes from adults and 18,617 from children who were Kaiser Permanente Northwest members during 2014-2016. Total costs were higher for MAAGE cases relative to non-MAAGE comparators as were costs on the day care was sought and costs during follow-up. Costs of MAAGE are substantial relative to the cost of usual-care medical services, and much of the burden accrues during short-term follow-up.

A hybrid beachgrass (Ammophila arenaria × A. breviligulata) is more productive and outcompetes its non-native parent species.

The ability of non-native species to successfully invade new ecosystems sometimes involves evolutionary processes such as hybridization. Hybridization can produce individuals with superior traits that give them a competitive advantage over their parent species, allowing for rapid spread. Here we assess growth, functional morphology, and species interactions between two non-native beachgrass species (Ammophila arenaria and A. breviligulata) and their recently discovered hybrid (A. arenaria × A. breviligulata) on the U.S. Pacific Northwest coast. We asked whether the hybrid beachgrass differs from its parent species in morphology and growth, whether it competes with its parent species, and, if so, what are the potential mechanisms of competition. Plant taxa were grown in low- and high-density monocultures and in two-way interactions in a common garden environment. We show that the hybrid grew taller and more densely, with greater total biomass, than either parent species. The hybrid was also the better competitor, resulting in the model prediction of competitive exclusion against A. breviligulata and, depending on its relative abundance, A. arenaria. The hybrid displays a mixed 'guerilla-phalanx' growth form that allows it to spread laterally and achieve high shoot densities, giving it a competitive advantage. Given the current dominance of A. breviligulata compared to A. arenaria in most of the region where these taxa co-occur, we suggest that the hybrid will grow, compete, and spread quickly with potentially widespread consequences for the two non-native Ammophila congeners and the dunes they build.

Patterns of virus coincidence between honey bees and bumble bees in the Pacific Northwest, USA

Patterns of virus coincidence between honey bees and bumble bees in the Pacific Northwest, USA

Evaluating Noah‐MP Simulated Runoff and Snowpack in Heavily Burned Pacific‐Northwest Snow‐Dominated Catchments

AbstractTerrestrial hydrology is altered by fires, particularly in snow‐dominated catchments. However, fire impacts on catchment hydrology are often neglected from land surface model (LSM) simulations. Western U.S. wildfire activity has been increasing in recent decades and is projected to continue increasing over at least the next three decades, and thus it is important to evaluate if neglecting fire impacts in operational land surface models (LSMs) is a significant error source that has a noticeable signal among other sources of uncertainty. We evaluate a widely used state‐of‐the‐art LSM (Noah‐MP) in runoff and snowpack simulations at two representative fire‐affected snow‐dominated catchments in the Pacific Northwest: Andrew's Creek in Washington and Johnson Creek in Idaho. These two catchments are selected across all western U.S. fire‐affected catchments because they are snow‐dominated and experienced more than 50% burning in a single fire event with minimal burning outside of this event, which allows analyses of distinct pre‐ and post‐fire periods. There are statistically significant shifts in model skills from pre‐to post‐fire years in simulating runoff and snowpack. At both study catchments, simulations miss enhancements in early‐spring runoff and annual runoff efficiency during post‐fire years, resulting in persistent underestimates of annual runoff anomalies throughout the 12‐year post‐fire analysis periods. Enhanced post‐fire snow accumulation and melt contributes to observed but unmodeled increases of spring runoff and annual runoff efficiency at these catchments. Informing simulations with satellite observed land cover classifications, leaf area index, and green fraction do not consistently improve the model ability to simulate hydrologic responses to fire disturbances.