The Importance of Interflow to Groundwater Recharge in a Snowmelt–Dominated Headwater Basin

Carroll, Rosemary W. H.; Deems, Jeffrey S.; Niswonger, Richard; Schumer, Rina; Williams, Kenneth H.

doi:10.1029/2019gl082447

Title: The Importance of Interflow to Groundwater Recharge in a Snowmelt–Dominated Headwater Basin

Journal Article · 23 May 2019 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2019gl082447 · OSTI ID:1575850

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Desert Research Inst., Reno, NV (United States); Rocky Mountain Biological Lab., Gothic, CO (United States)
National Snow and Ice Data Center, Boulder, CO (United States)
U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Desert Research Inst., Reno, NV (United States)
Rocky Mountain Biological Lab., Gothic, CO (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Understanding the sensitivity of groundwater generation to climate in a mountain system is complicated by the tight coupling of snow dynamics to vegetation and topography. To address these feedbacks, we combine light detection and ranging (LiDAR)-derived snow observations with an integrated hydrologic model to quantify spatially and temporally distributed water fluxes across varying climate conditions in a Colorado River headwater basin. Results indicate that annual groundwater flow is an important and stable source of stream water. However, interflow decreases during drought as a function increased plant water use and the relative fraction of groundwater to streams increases. Seasonal snowmelt and vegetation water use regulate small recharge rates in the lower portions of the basin, but snowmelt transported via interflow from high mountain ridges toward convergent topographic zones defines preferential recharge in the upper subalpine. Recharge in this zone appears decoupled from annual climate variability and resilient to drought.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231; G16AP00196; AC02‐05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1575850

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1575851; OSTI ID: 1580883

Journal Information:: Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 46, Issue 11; ISSN 0094-8276

Publisher:: American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 58 works

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Title: The Importance of Interflow to Groundwater Recharge in a Snowmelt–Dominated Headwater Basin

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