Streamwater Quality Data from the 2002 Hayman, Hinman, and Missionary Ridge Wildfires, Colorado, 2003

Ranalli, Anthony J.; Stevens, Michael R.

doi:10.3133/ds109

Cited by 10 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…redox sensitive P forms typically associated with Fe hydroxides and Mn compounds) and metal oxide bound sediment P (Tables 3 and 4). These results are consistent with published reports that indicate that metal levels can be generally elevated in both soils and stream sediments for some period after wildfire (Chambers & Attiwill, 1994;Parra et al, 1996;Gallaher et al, 2002;Ranalli & Stevens, 2004;White et al, 2006;Biswas et al, 2007;Silins et al, 2009b;Witt et al, 2009;Woodruff & Cannon, 2010;Emelko et al, 2011;Writer & Murphy, 2012;Bladon et al, 2014). In contrast, observed decreases in AP were likely linked to geological controls because the AP fraction most likely consists of Mg carbonates that are predominant in the calcareous till veneers in these basins.…”

Section: Nonapatite Inorganic Phosphorussupporting

confidence: 91%

Sediment‐phosphorus dynamics can shift aquatic ecology and cause downstream legacy effects after wildfire in large river systems

Emelko

Stone

Silins

et al. 2015

Global Change Biology

106

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Global increases in the occurrence of large, severe wildfires in forested watersheds threaten drinking water supplies and aquatic ecology. Wildfire effects on water quality, particularly nutrient levels and forms, can be significant. The longevity and downstream propagation of these effects as well as the geochemical mechanisms regulating them remain largely undocumented at larger river basin scales. Here, phosphorus (P) speciation and sorption behavior of suspended sediment were examined in two river basins impacted by a severe wildfire in southern Alberta, Canada. Fine-grained suspended sediments (<125 μm) were sampled continuously during ice-free conditions over a two-year period (2009-2010), 6 and 7 years after the wildfire. Suspended sediment samples were collected from upstream reference (unburned) river reaches, multiple tributaries within the burned areas, and from reaches downstream of the burned areas, in the Crowsnest and Castle River basins. Total particulate phosphorus (TPP) and particulate phosphorus forms (nonapatite inorganic P, apatite P, organic P), and the equilibrium phosphorus concentration (EPC0 ) of suspended sediment were assessed. Concentrations of TPP and the EPC0 were significantly higher downstream of wildfire-impacted areas compared to reference (unburned) upstream river reaches. Sediments from the burned tributary inputs contained higher levels of bioavailable particulate P (NAIP) - these effects were also observed downstream at larger river basin scales. The release of bioavailable P from postfire, P-enriched fine sediment is a key mechanism causing these effects in gravel-bed rivers at larger basin scales. Wildfire-associated increases in NAIP and the EPC0 persisted 6 and 7 years after wildfire. Accordingly, this work demonstrated that fine sediment in gravel-bed rivers is a significant, long-term source of in-stream bioavailable P that contributes to a legacy of wildfire impacts on downstream water quality, aquatic ecology, and drinking water treatability.

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Section: Nonapatite Inorganic Phosphorussupporting

confidence: 91%

Sediment‐phosphorus dynamics can shift aquatic ecology and cause downstream legacy effects after wildfire in large river systems

Emelko

Stone

Silins

et al. 2015

Global Change Biology

106

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“…Reconnaissance-level sampling was done to collect samples (filtered) for analysis of potential THM formation in postfire runoff (appendix 7). From the limited reconnaissancesampling, THM-formation potential in Fourmile (mean of the three samples: 0.164 mg/L total THMs) was about the same as in Pine (mean of the two samples: 0.191 mg/L) but was larger than additional samples from unburned watersheds in the Missionary Ridge fire area (a 2002 fire in southwestern Colorado) (mean of the four samples: 0.071 mg/L) (Ranalli and Stevens, 2004) (appendix 7). Despite this greater THM concentration in Pine, large variation (about 40 to 80 percent difference) among the small number of samples exceeded the difference between the Fourmile and Pine concentrations (25 percent difference).…”

Section: Nutrients and Organic Carbonmentioning

confidence: 89%

Analysis of postfire hydrology, water quality, and sediment transport for selected streams in areas of the 2002 Hayman and Hinman fires, Colorado

Stevens¹

2013

Scientific Investigations Report

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“…Beyond potential drinking-water issues, it is noteworthy that those communities also depend on water resources for food (e.g., fish) and other uses (e.g., transportation, spiritual value). This creates additional concerns, as several studies have shown increases in heavy metals following wildfires, occasionally rising to dangerous levels for human health [101][102][103][104]. The SEI provides an easy-to-deploy tool to rapidly identify key regions where the range of effects (e.g., water supply, water quantity, and aquatic ecology) from wildfires may threaten the ensemble of freshwater ecosystem services that First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities depend upon.…”

Section: Accounting For Wildfires In the Future Of Canada's Water Secmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Regional-Scale Index for Assessing the Exposure of Drinking-Water Sources to Wildfires

Robinne

Bladon

Silins

et al. 2019

Forests

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Recent human-interface wildfires around the world have raised concerns regarding the reliability of freshwater supply flowing from severely burned watersheds. Degraded source water quality can often be expected after severe wildfire and can pose challenges to drinking water facilities by straining treatment response capacities, increasing operating costs, and jeopardizing their ability to supply consumers. Identifying source watersheds that are dangerously exposed to post-wildfire hydrologic changes is important for protecting community drinking-water supplies from contamination risks that may lead to service disruptions. This study presents a spatial index of watershed exposure to wildfires in the province of Alberta, Canada, where growing water demands coupled with increasing fire activity threaten municipal drinking-water supplies. Using a multi-criteria analysis design, we integrated information regarding provincial forest cover, fire danger, source water volume, source-water origin (i.e., forested/un-forested), and population served. We found that (1) >2/3 of the population of the province relies on drinking-water supplies originating in forested watersheds, (2) forest cover is the most important variable controlling final exposure scores, and (3) watersheds supplying small drinking water treatment plants are particularly exposed, especially in central Alberta. The index can help regional authorities prioritize the allocation of risk management resources to mitigate adverse impacts from wildfire. The flexible design of this tool readily allows its deployment at larger national and continental scales to inform broader water security frameworks.

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Streamwater Quality Data from the 2002 Hayman, Hinman, and Missionary Ridge Wildfires, Colorado, 2003

Cited by 10 publications

References 2 publications

Sediment‐phosphorus dynamics can shift aquatic ecology and cause downstream legacy effects after wildfire in large river systems

Sediment‐phosphorus dynamics can shift aquatic ecology and cause downstream legacy effects after wildfire in large river systems

Analysis of postfire hydrology, water quality, and sediment transport for selected streams in areas of the 2002 Hayman and Hinman fires, Colorado

A Regional-Scale Index for Assessing the Exposure of Drinking-Water Sources to Wildfires

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