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Channel water balance and exchange with subsurface flow along a mountain headwater stream in Montana, United States

Publication ,  Journal Article
Payn, RA; Gooseff, MN; McGlynn, BL; Bencala, KE; Wondzell, SM
Published in: Water Resources Research
November 1, 2009

Channel water balances of contiguous reaches along streams represent a poorly understood scale of stream-subsurface interaction. We measured reach water balances along a headwater stream in Montana, United States, during summer base flow recessions. Reach water balances were estimated from series of tracer tests in 13 consecutive reaches delineated evenly along a 2.6 km valley segment. For each reach, we estimated net change in discharge, gross hydrologic loss, and gross hydrologic gain from tracer dilution and mass recovery. Four series of tracer tests were performed during relatively high, intermediate, and low base flow conditions. The relative distribution of channel water along the stream was strongly related to a transition in valley structure, with a general increase in gross losses through the recession. During tracer tests at intermediate and low flows, there were frequent substantial losses of tracer mass (>10%) that could not be explained by net loss in flow over the reach, indicating that many of the study reaches were concurrently losing and gaining water. For example, one reach with little net change in discharge exchanged nearly 20% of upstream flow with gains and losses along the reach. These substantial bidirectional exchanges suggest that some channel interactions with subsurface flow paths were not measurable by net change in flow or transient storage of recovered tracer. Understanding bidirectional channel water balances in stream reaches along valleys is critical to an accurate assessment of stream solute fate and transport and to a full assessment of exchanges between the stream channel and surrounding subsurface. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Water Resources Research

DOI

ISSN

0043-1397

Publication Date

November 1, 2009

Volume

45

Issue

11

Related Subject Headings

  • Environmental Engineering
  • 4011 Environmental engineering
  • 4005 Civil engineering
  • 3707 Hydrology
  • 0907 Environmental Engineering
  • 0905 Civil Engineering
  • 0406 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience
 

Citation

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Payn, R. A., Gooseff, M. N., McGlynn, B. L., Bencala, K. E., & Wondzell, S. M. (2009). Channel water balance and exchange with subsurface flow along a mountain headwater stream in Montana, United States. Water Resources Research, 45(11). https://doi.org/10.1029/2008WR007644
Payn, R. A., M. N. Gooseff, B. L. McGlynn, K. E. Bencala, and S. M. Wondzell. “Channel water balance and exchange with subsurface flow along a mountain headwater stream in Montana, United States.” Water Resources Research 45, no. 11 (November 1, 2009). https://doi.org/10.1029/2008WR007644.
Payn RA, Gooseff MN, McGlynn BL, Bencala KE, Wondzell SM. Channel water balance and exchange with subsurface flow along a mountain headwater stream in Montana, United States. Water Resources Research. 2009 Nov 1;45(11).
Payn, R. A., et al. “Channel water balance and exchange with subsurface flow along a mountain headwater stream in Montana, United States.” Water Resources Research, vol. 45, no. 11, Nov. 2009. Scopus, doi:10.1029/2008WR007644.
Payn RA, Gooseff MN, McGlynn BL, Bencala KE, Wondzell SM. Channel water balance and exchange with subsurface flow along a mountain headwater stream in Montana, United States. Water Resources Research. 2009 Nov 1;45(11).
Journal cover image

Published In

Water Resources Research

DOI

ISSN

0043-1397

Publication Date

November 1, 2009

Volume

45

Issue

11

Related Subject Headings

  • Environmental Engineering
  • 4011 Environmental engineering
  • 4005 Civil engineering
  • 3707 Hydrology
  • 0907 Environmental Engineering
  • 0905 Civil Engineering
  • 0406 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience