Marmot Creek Research Basin, AB

Location and Physical Characteristics

• Located in Rocky Mountain Front Ranges, in Kananaskis Country, AB;
  • Tributary to the Kananaskis and Bow Rivers;
  • Roughly 10 km² area ranging from 1600 m to 2800 m; three tributary sub-basins of roughly equal area (Twin, Middle, Cabin Creeks);
• Montane and subalpine forest cover, alpine tundra and talus/rock at higher elevation.

History

• Established as research basin as part of the International Hydrological Decade in 1962 to study the hydrological effects of forest management;
  • Instrumented with several permanent meteorological stations, groundwater wells, snow pillows, and weirs/gauges on each tributary;
  • Experimental forest harvesting operations carried in in mid-1970s;
• Research programme ended in 1986 for development of Nakiska Ski Resort (1988 Olympic Winter Games downhill venue); subsequent monitoring programme re-established in 2005 by Centre for Hydrology, University of Saskatchewan.

Current Science Focus and Instrumentation

• Research efforts here are led by Professor John Pomeroy of the University of Saskatchewan;
• Focused studies on mountain snow processes, hydrochemistry, and hydrological modelling (including climate change sensitivity analysis, and hydro-climatic trends);
• Instrumented with ten permanent meteorological stations at elevations from 1450 to 2500 m, covering variety of surface cover types and slope orientations;
  • Precipitation, snow depth, soil moisture, soil temperature, component radiation, air temperature/humidity, wind speed, turbulent fluxes of heat and water vapour;
  • Two 30 m instrumented towers (forest and clearing) with profile measurements and weighed hanging tree;
• Streamflow gauge and weir operated by WSC at the basin outlet and temporary pressure transducers on each of three tributaries;
• Half dozen groundwater wells in and adjacent to basin operated by AB government.

Other Resources and Further Information

• Information brochure: The Changing Environment of Western Canada: Canadian Rocky Mountains
• Data catalogue for Marmot Creek;
• The IP3 website (http://www.usask.ca/ip3/) and the Centre for Hydrology website (http://www.usask.ca/hydrology/) contain further information on the research at Marmot Creek; 
• The following link (http://www.usask.ca/hydrology/MarmotBasin.php) provides specific meteorological station information and access to real time data, and a comprehensive listing and access to research papers based on work at this site;
• Presentation on Marmot Creek and Peyto Glacier at CCRN's Targted Process Studies Workshop, Hamilton, ON, September 12-13, 2013

For further information contact: