Assessment of the impact of spatio-temporal attributes of wetlands on stream flows using a hydrological modelling framework: a theoretical case study of a watershed under temperate climatic conditions

Abstract

Wetlands play a significant role on the hydrological cycle, reducing flood peaks through water storage functions and sustaining low flows through slow water release ability. However, their impacts on water resources availability and flood control are mainly driven by wetland type (e.g. isolated wetland—IW—and riparian wetland—RW) and location within a watershed. Consequently, assessing the qualitative and quantitative impact of wetlands on hydrological regimes has become a relevant issue for scientists as well as stakeholders and decision‐makers. In this study, the distributed hydrological model, HYDROTEL, was used to investigate the role and impact of the geographic distribution of isolated and RWs on stream flows of the Becancour River watershed of the St Lawrence Lowlands, Quebec, Canada. The model was set up and calibrated using available datasets (i.e. DEM, soil, wetland distribution, climate, land cover, and hydrometeorological data for the 1969–2010 period). Different wetland theoretical location tests (WTLT) were simulated. Results were used to determine whether stream flow parameters, related to peak flows and low flows, were related to: (i) geographic location of wetlands, (ii) typology of wetlands, and (iii) seasonality. The contribution of a particular wetland was assessed using intrinsic characteristics (e.g. surface area, typology) and extrinsic factors (e.g. location in the watershed landscape and seasonality). Through these investigations, the results suggest, to some extent, that both IWs and RWs impact landscape hydrology. The more IWs are located in the upper part of the watershed, the greater their effect on both on high flow damping and low flow support seems to be. The more RWs are connected to a main stream, the greater their effect is. Our modelling results indicate that local landscape conditions may influence the wetland effect; promoting or limiting their efficiency, and thus their impacts on stream flows depend on a combined effect of wetland and landscape attributes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Depressional wetlands affect watershed hydrological, biogeochemical, and ecological functions

“…This was particularly evident during the spring snowmelt season, and is consistent with large depressional wetlands serving as "gatekeepers" for watershed-scale water storage and flood prevention in the PPR (Pomeroy et al 2014). Our findings concur with previous studies that demonstrate the role of depressional wetlands in attenuating peak streamflow in the PPR (Vining 2002, Shook and Pomeroy 2011, Pomeroy et al 2014) and more broadly (Evenson et al 2015, Fossey et al 2016. Therefore, limited protection of depressional wetlands in this system may contribute to flood events in the larger James and Missouri Rivers, which exist downstream of the study watershed.…”

“…, , Fossey et al. ). These models provide an approach to expand beyond the spatial and temporal boundaries of measured data to better predict how loss of depressional wetlands affects overall watershed integrity (Golden et al.…”

“…Recent work has begun to examine questions about watershed-scale effects of depressional wetlands via in situ measurements of surface water connections across the landscape (McDonough et al 2015) and remote sensing approaches to understand wetland inundation dynamics (Vanderhoof et al 2016, DeVries et al 2017. Increasingly, models are being developed and applied to quantify cumulative effects of depressional wetlands on groundwater (McLaughlin et al 2014) and surface water systems via hybrid or process-based watershed modeling approaches (Shook et al 2013, Pomeroy et al 2014, Evenson et al 2015, Fossey et al 2016. These models provide an approach to expand beyond the spatial and temporal boundaries of measured data to better predict how loss of depressional wetlands affects overall watershed integrity (Golden et al 2014).…”

An improved representation of geographically isolated wetlands in a watershed‐scale hydrologic model

“…Finally, Fossey et al . () used the HYDROTEL model to evaluate the aggregate hydrologic effects of isolated wetlands (Fossey et al ., ) within the Becancour River watershed, Quebec, Canada.…”

“…Further, Almendinger et al (2011), Mekonnen et al (2016), Wang et al (2008), and Evenson et al (2015) used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to simulate the effects of depressional wetlands and GIWs on streamflow and/or sediment loadings in Minnesota and North Carolina USA, and the Canadian Plains. Finally, Fossey et al (2015b) used the HYDROTEL model to evaluate the aggregate hydrologic effects of isolated wetlands (Fossey et al, 2015a) within the Becancour River watershed, Quebec, Canada.…”