Forest Management Hydrological Modeling Tool

The “Forest Management Hydrological Modeling Tool” ARD project will create a scientifically-sound, web-hosted hydrological modelling application for inter-provincial use in Alberta and BC by GIS foresters, forestry consultants & planners to investigate the cumulative effects of proposed forest development and climate change on hydrological indicators of concern in a watershed.
Selkirk College will partner with the universities of British Columbia and Northern British Columbia; MacDonald Hydrological Consultants; the Foothills Research Institute of Alberta; forestry major Interfor; family-operated Kootenay region forestry companies Atco Wood Products and Kalesnikoff Lumber; and BC Timber Sales, a Crown Corporation, to produce:
Process-based hydrological models for watersheds of the Monashee, Selkirk and Purcell ranges: to drive analysis of disturbance and climate change scenarios using hydro-climatic data and represent dominant hydrological processes across the study regions.
A web-based watershed assessment tool: easily accessible by forestry professionals, professional hydrologists, and land managers to support watershed assessment and decision making at relevant spatial and temporal scales, enabling users to interactively evaluate cumulative effects of landscape disturbance (forest harvest plans) and climate change on key indicators.

Faculty Supervisor:

Terri MacDonald;Nicholas Coops;Kim Green;Tara Clapp;Jonathan Doyle

Student:

Partner:

Atco Wood Products;Interfor;MacHydro

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Agriculture; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Selkirk College

Program: