BSU Team Develop New Approaches to Estimating Contributions to Streamflow

Boise State University faculty Anna Bergstrom and her team investigated rain and snowmelt contributions to streamflow in the Mores Creek Watershed spanning the rain-snow transition zone in southwestern Idaho. Researchers commonly use naturally occurring water isotopes to track water sources allowing for the quantification of if streams are sourced from rain or snow. By developing new approaches to define rain and snow isotopic signatures, Bergstrom and team found that streamflow contribution estimates can vary by up to 20%, depending on the method used. These findings have significant implications for water forecasting and resource planning as warming shifts the rain-snow transition to higher elevations in mountain watersheds.