Article
Snowshed Contributions to the Nooksack River Watershed, North Cascades, Washington
Geographical Review
(2002)
Abstract
Meltwater contributes to watershed hydrology by increasing summer discharge, delaying the peak spring runoff, and decreasing variability in runoff. High-elevation snowshed meltwater, including glacier-derived input, provides an estimated 26.9 percent of summer streamflow (ranging annually from 16 to 40 percent) in the Nooksack River Basin above the town of Deming, Washington, in the North Cascades Range. The Nooksack is a major spawning river for salmon and once was important for commercial, recreational, and tribal fishing, and in the past its flow met the demands of both human and aquatic ecosystems. But the river is already legally overallocated, and demand is rising in response to the rapidly growing human population. Variability in snowshed contributions to the watershed is considerable but has increased from an average of 25.2 percent in the 1940s to an average of 30.8 percent in the 1990s. Overall stream discharge shows no significant increase, suggesting that the glaciers are melting, and/or precipitation levels (or other hydrologic factors) are decreasing at about the same rate. If glaciers continue to recede, they may disappear permanently from the Cascades. If that occurs, their summer contribution to surface-water supplies will cease, and water-management policies will need drastic revision.
Keywords
- Environmental chane,
- Glaciers,
- Hydrology,
- North Cascades Range,
- Washington State,
- Water resources
Disciplines
Publication Date
2002
DOI
10.1111/j.1931-0846.2002.tb00004.x
Publisher Statement
2002 American Geographical Society
Citation Information
Andrew J. Bach. "Snowshed Contributions to the Nooksack River Watershed, North Cascades, Washington" Geographical Review Vol. 92 Iss. 2 (2002) p. 192 - 212 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/andrew-bach/3/