Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID AK_2025_004

On the Move: Quantifying Long-Term Nutrient Mobilization from High-Latitude Wildfires

Institute: Alaska
Year Established: 2025 Start Date: 2026-01-01 End Date: 2026-12-31
Total Federal Funds: $17,239 Total Non-Federal Funds: $17,239

Principal Investigators: Logan Wieland

Project Summary: The Kenai Peninsula Lowlands is getting warmer and drier, which is drying out wetlands and killing more trees from insects. This is making wildfires more likely, as seen with the 2019 Swan Lake Fire, which burned over 164,000 acres. However, no one has studied how such fires affect the quality of water in the area. This study will look at how the 2019 fire affected water by tracking the movement of nutrients, especially nitrogen, from the burned land. By comparing water samples taken before and after the fire, the research will show how the fire changed water quality. The study has two main parts: short-term and long-term goals. In the short term, the team will collect data, plan fieldwork, sample water, and analyze the results, all by May 2026. The long-term goals are to publish the findings and share the data by October 2026. The research will help local communities and land managers understand how wildfires affect water and the environment. This will help them protect water resources and plan for future wildfires.