The effect of prescribed fire on streamflow generation and water quality in the headwater region of the downstream klamath river CA is poorly understood

The University of North Dakota (UND) was awarded a $599,518 Cooperative Agreement from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) under the Joint Fire Science Program (CFDA 15.232) to study the effect of prescribed fire on streamflow generation and water quality in the headwater region of the downstream Klamath River in California. The study will collaborate with the Karuk Tribe, collect field data on streamflow, soil moisture, and water chemistry, and deploy a hydrological model to simulate pre- and post-fire conditions. The project aims to improve understanding of the influence of prescribed fire on water supply and quality, and the impacts on water resources in the Indian Creek Watershed. The award has a performance period from Sep 2, 2024 to Dec 31, 2027.

Nonetheless fire can be prescribed to address historic fuel buildup and is also traditionally applied by tribes including the karuk. By collaborating with the karuk tribe our study will improve our understanding of the influence of prescribed fire on water supply and quality spatial coverage of hydrological and water quality data examine effects of intermediate hydrological processes on streamflow and water quality and evaluate impacts on water resources in the indian creek watershed ICW of lower klamath region. Here we hypothesize we will observe post prescribed fire influence on watershed properties and water storage on streamflow and stream water chemistry. Further we hypothesize postfire runoff will trigger more sediment erosion and enrich stream water with more solutes and dissolved carbon. Our study will collect field data at hourly scale streamflow soil moisture soil and precipitation water chemistry at a weekly time scale and deploy a physically based and distributed model with a biogeochemical module to simulate pre and postfire streamflow and nutrient export. To understand changes to streamflow and stream water chemistry we will compare the ratio of streamflow to precipitation and measure the duration and extent of hydrophobicity after rainfall events and compare streamflow volume solute nutrients and other ions export duration and number of modes and seasonality between the pre and post fire periods. We will conduct the abovementioned objectives in pristine and burned headwater basins of ICW and ICW outlet. Comparing the hydrologic responses pre and post fires between pristine and burned headwaters will provide interesting insights on the influence of fire related land cover on water supply and water quality. Our proposed work will produce a headwater and outlet dataset informed by traditional ecological knowledge to understand the dynamics of prescribed fire on key and intermediate hydrological processes and state variables for streamflow generation and nutrient and solute export. Study results will support tribal engagement and resource management by federal agencies and the scientific community. Findings may be broadly applicable to understanding both prescribed and wildfire hydrological response.