Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID VT_2023_Adair

Consequences of warming winters on nutrient export to Lake Champlain

Institute: Vermont
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2023-09-01 End Date: 2024-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $37,961 Total Non-Federal Funds: $37,961

Principal Investigators: E. C. Adair

Project Summary: Winters have changed across the US. The cold and snow that historically limited winter runoff and nutrient loss are increasingly interrupted by runoff-producing snowmelt, rain, and rain-on-snow events, with potentially large consequences for watershed nutrient loss. Initial data suggest that winter runoff contributes disproportionately to nutrient loading in part because plants are dormant and soils are cold or frozen, reducing plant and microbial nutrient uptake and water infiltration into soils. Thus, increased winter runoff could increase annual nutrient export with distinct sources and flowpaths. This project will use novel, high-frequency, year-round data to quantify winter nutrient loading to Lake Champlain and determine how warming winters impact watershed nutrient export, sources, and flowpaths. Researchers hypothesize winter runoff events will transport more nutrients, with different sources, sinks, and flowpaths, than events in other seasons. To test this, researchers will analyze and interpret data from unique, winter-hardy soil-to-river sensor networks in two Vermont watersheds.