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A Comparison of Contemporary and Historical Hydrology and Water Quality in the Foothills and Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Arctic Slope, Northern Alaska

Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5008
By: , , , , , and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20245008

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Abstract

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a unique landscape in northern Alaska with limited water resources, substantial biodiversity of rare and threatened species, as well as oil and gas resources. The region has unique hydrology related to perennial springs, and the formation of large aufeis fields—sheets of ice that grow in the river channels where water reaches the surface in the winter and freezes. This work aims to update our understanding of water resources and water quality in the springs, streams, rivers, and lakes of this region, returning to sites sampled by the U.S. Geological Survey in the 1970s. We resampled eight streams, four springs, and six lakes for hydrological metrics, water quality, and macroinvertebrates, and recalculated flood-frequency metrics for rivers using updated data and modern techniques. Aufeis field melt rates were also assessed for the past several decades. Although the available data preclude trend determinations in most cases, our analysis and comparison to the historical sampling indicates an increase in dissolved ions for streams and springs, faster and earlier aufeis melt, and similar macroinvertebrate populations.

Suggested Citation

Koch, J.C., Best, H., Baughman, C., Couvillion, C., Carey, M.P., and Conaway, J., 2024, A comparison of contemporary and historical hydrology and water quality in the foothills and coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Arctic Slope, northern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2024–5008, 24 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20245008.

ISSN: 2328-0328 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Acknowledgments
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Methods
  • Comparing Hydrology and Water Quality Between the Historical and Contemporary Periods
  • Summary
  • References Cited
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title A comparison of contemporary and historical hydrology and water quality in the foothills and coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Arctic Slope, northern Alaska
Series title Scientific Investigations Report
Series number 2024-5008
DOI 10.3133/sir20245008
Year Published 2024
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Alaska Science Center Water
Description viii, 24 p.
Country United States
State Alaska
Other Geospatial Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details