Quantifying Glacier Runoff Contribution to Nooksack River, WA in 2013-15

Abstract:

The 2015 hydrologic year has been posited in terms of temperature as an analog for the future for the Pacific Northwest (PNW), with record warm air temperatures, warm stream temperatures and low summer streamflow. The high stream temperatures and low flows are both threats to salmon in the watershed and are offset in part by glacier runoff. Freezing levels were the highest relative to the median in the key winter months of January through May, 2015. The snowline on glaciers across the region in early July is typically at levels observed 1-2 months later in the melt season. This increases ablation since glacier ice melts faster than glacier snowcover. Very high 2015 ablation rates are occurring because glacier runoff in the PNW is primarily controlled by ablation season temperatures. In July, 2015 streamflow in the North Fork Nooksack River has been at a record low for the 77 years of record, which would increase the role of glacier runoff in stream discharge. We have measured both glacier runoff and ablation on glaciers in the North Fork Nooksack River basin during the summers of 2013-15 that allows determination of the percent of total stream discharge contributed by glaciers. In 2014 the glacier contribution exceeded 40% of total streamflow on 21 days all occurring in Aug. and Sept. Here we will present the results of 2013-2015 glacier runoff observations and the 1984-2015 mass balance observations to put in context 2015 results from our ongoing field work this summer.