Spatial delineation of groundwater–surface water interactions through intensive in‐stream profiling

The dominance of ‘old’ pre‐event water in headwater storm runoff has been recorded in numerous upland catchment studies; however, the mechanisms by which this pre‐event water enters the stream channel are poorly understood. Understanding these processes is fundamental to determining the controls on surface water quality and associated impacts on stream ecology. Previous studies in the upland forested catchment of the Afon Hafren (River Severn) at Plynlimon, mid‐Wales, identified an active bedrock groundwater system that was discharging into the stream channel during storm response. Detailed analysis showed that these discharges were small and could not account for the majority of pre‐event storm water response identified at this site; pre‐event storm runoff had to be sourced predominantly from further upstream. An intensive stream survey was used to determine the spatial nature of groundwater–surface water (GW–SW) interactions in the Hafren Catchment. Detailed physico‐chemical in‐stream profiling identified a marked change in water quality indicating a significant discrete point of bedrock groundwater discharge upstream of the Hafren Transect study site. The in‐stream profiling showed the importance of high spatial resolution sampling as a key to understanding processes of GW–SW interaction and how quick and cost‐effective measurements of specific electrical conductance of stream waters could be used to highlight in‐stream heterogeneity. This approach is recommended for use in headwater catchments for initial characterisation of the stream channel in order to better locate instrumentation and to determine more effective targeted sampling protocols in upland catchment research. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of road‐generated storm runoff on a small catchment response

The impact of road‐generated runoff on the hydrological response of a zero‐order basin was monitored for a sequence of 24 storm events. The study was conducted in a zero‐order basin (C1; 0·5ha) with an unpaved mountain road; an adjacent unroaded zero‐order basin (C2; 0·2 ha) with similar topography and lithology was used to evaluate the hydrological behaviour of the affected zero‐order basin prior to construction of the road. The impact of the road at the zero‐order basin scale was highly dependent on the antecedent soil‐moisture conditions, total storm precipitation, and to some extent rainfall intensity. At the beginning of the monitoring period, during dry antecedent conditions, road runoff contributed 50% of the total runoff and 70% of the peak flow from the affected catchment (C1). The response from the unroaded catchment was almost insignificant during dry antecedent conditions. As soil moisture increased, the road exerted less influence on the total runoff from the roaded catchment. For very wet conditions, the influence of road‐generated runoff on total outflow from the roaded catchment diminished to only 5·4%. Both catchments, roaded and unroaded, produced equivalent amount of outflow during very wet antecedent conditions on a unit area basis. The lag time between the rainfall and runoff peaks observed in the unroaded catchment during the monitoring period ranged from 0 to 4 h depending on the amount of precipitation and antecedent conditions, owing mainly to much slower subsurface flow pathways in the unroaded zero‐order basin. In contrast, the lag time in the roaded zero‐order basin was virtually nil during all storms. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of wildfire on source water contributions in Devil Creek,CA: evidence from end‐member mixing analysis

A geochemical and end‐member mixing analysis (EMMA) is undertaken in Devil Canyon catchment, located in southern California, to further understanding of watershed behaviour and source water contributions after an acute and extensive wildfire. Physical and chemical transformations in post‐fire watersheds are known to increase overland flow and decrease infiltration, mainly due to formation of a hydrophobic layer at, or near, the soil surface. However, less is known about subsurface flow response in burned watersheds. The current study incorporates EMMA to evaluate and quantify source water contributions before, and after, a catchment affected by wildfires in southern California during the fall of 2003. Pre‐ and post‐fire stream water data were available at several sampling sites within the catchment, allowing the identification of contributing water sources at varying spatial scales. Proposed end‐member observations (groundwater, overland flow, shallow subsurface flow) were also collected to constrain and develop the catchment mixing model. Post‐fire source water changes are more evident in the smaller and faster responding sub‐basin (interior sampling point). Early post‐fire storm events are dominated by overland flow with no significant soil water or groundwater flow contribution. Inter‐storm streamwater in this smaller basin shows an increase in groundwater and a decrease in soil water. In the larger, baseflow‐dominated system, source water components appear less affected by fire. A slight increase in lateral flow is observed with only a slight decrease in baseflow. Changes in the post‐fire flow regimes affect nutrient loading and chemical response of the basin. Relatively rapid recovery of the chaparral ecosystem is evidenced, with active re‐growth and evapotranspiration evidenced by the fourth post‐fire rainy season. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Shallow groundwater response to rainfall on a forested headwater catchment in northern coastal California: implications of topography,rainfall, and throughfall intensities on peak pressure head generation

The pore water pressure head that builds in the soil during storms is a critical factor for the prediction of potential slope instability. We report findings from a 3‐year study of pressure head in 83 piezometers distributed within a 13‐ha forested catchment on the northern coast of California. The study's primary objective was to observe the seasonal and storm‐based dynamics of pressure head at a catchment scale in relation to observed rainfall characteristics and in situ topography to better understand landscape patterns of pressure head. An additional goal was to determine the influence of the interaction between rainfall and forest canopy in altering delivery of water and pressure head during the large storms necessary to induce landsliding. We found that pressure head was highly variable in space and time at the catchment scale. Pore pressures peaked close to maximum rainfall intensity during the largest storms measured. The difference between rainfall and throughfall delivered through the canopy was negligible during the critical landslide‐producing peak rainfall periods. Pore pressure was spatially variable within the catchment and did not strongly correlate with surficial topographic features. Only 23% of the piezometers located in a variety of slope positions were found to be highly responsive to rainfall. Topographic index statistically explained peak pressure head at responsive locations during common storms, but not during the larger storms with potential to produce landslides. Drainage efficiency throughout the catchment increased significantly in storms exceeding 2 to 7 months peak pressure head return period indicated by slowing or cessation of the rate of increase of pressure head with increasing storm magnitude. This asymptotic piezometric pattern persisted through the largest storm measured during the study. Faster soil drainage suppressed pressure head response in larger storms with important process implications for pore pressure development and landslide hazard modelling. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The roles of channels and hillslopes in rainfall/run‐off lag times during intense storms in a steep catchment

The response time (lag time) between rainfall input and run‐off output in headwater catchments is a key parameter for flood prediction. Lag times are expected to be controlled by run‐off processes, both on hillslopes and in channels. To demonstrate these effects on peak lag times within a 4.5‐km² catchment, we measured stream water levels at up to 16 channel locations at 1‐min intervals and compared the lag times with topographic indices describing the length and gradient of the hillslope and channel flow path. We captured storm events with a total precipitation of 38–198 mm and maximum hourly precipitation intensity of 9–90 mm/hr. There were positive relationships between lag time and flow path length as well as the ratio of the flow path length and the square root of the gradient of channels for the most intense storms, demonstrating that channel flow paths generally defined the variation in lag times. Topographic analysis showed that hillslope flow path lengths were similar among locations, whereas channel flow path length increased almost one order of magnitude with a 100‐fold increase in catchment area. Thus, the relative importance of hillslope flow path decreased with increasing catchment area. Our results indicate that the variation in lag times is small when hillslopes are sufficiently wet; thus, catchment‐scale variation in lag times can be explained almost entirely by channel processes. Detailed topographic channel information can improve prediction of flood peak timing, whereas hillslopes can be treated as homogeneous during large flood events.     

The effects of the 1976 drought and autumn rainfall on stream solute levels

Operation of a previously existing sampling network during the 1976 drought has provided an opportunity to assess the effects of the drought and subsequent autumn rainfall on the water quality characteristics of a small catchment (9·3 km³) in East Devon. The availability of records for past years has enabled these data to be compared with longer-term response characteristics. Analysis indicates that the 1976 drought produced a unique solute response, with levels rising markedly during the autumn flush which resulted from the heavy rainfall following the drought period. Concentrations of several ions increased 3–4 times and NO₃-N levels exhibited even greater increases of up to 50-fold. Some of the factors responsible for these increases and some implications are considered.     

The use of agent based modelling techniques in hydrology: determining the spatial and temporal origin of channel flow in semi‐arid catchments

Information on the spatial and temporal origin of runoff entering the channel during a storm event would be valuable in understanding the physical dynamics of catchment hydrology; this knowledge could be used to help design flood defences and diffuse pollution mitigation strategies. The majority of distributed hydrological models give information on the amount of flow leaving a catchment and the pattern of fluxes within the catchment. However, these models do not give any precise information on the origin of runoff within the catchment. The spatial and temporal distribution of runoff sources is particularly intricate in semi‐arid catchments, where there are complex interactions between runoff generation, transmission and re‐infiltration over short temporal scales. Agents are software components that are capable of moving through and responding to their local environment. In this application, the agents trace the path taken by water through the catchment. They have information on their local environment and on the basis of this information make decisions on where to move. Within a given model iteration, the agents are able to stay in the current cell, infiltrate into the soil or flow into a neighbouring cell. The information on the current state of the hydrological environment is provided by the environment generator. In this application, the Connectivity of Runoff Model (CRUM) has been used to generate the environment. CRUM is a physically based, distributed, dynamic hydrology model, which considers the hydrological processes relevant for a semi‐arid environment at the temporal scale of a single storm event. During the storm event, agents are introduced into the model across the catchment; they trace the flows of water and store information on the flow pathways. Therefore, this modelling approach is capable of giving a novel picture of the temporal and spatial dynamics of flow generation and transmission during a storm event. This is possible by extracting the pathways taken by the agents at different time slices during the storm. The agent based modelling approach has been applied to two small catchments in South East Spain. The modelling approach showed that the two catchments responded differently to the same rainfall event due to the differences in the runoff generation and overland flow connectivity between the two catchments. The model also showed that the time of travel to the nearest flow concentration is extremely important for determining the connectivity of a point in the landscape with the catchment outflow. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Contributions of bedrock groundwater to the upscaling of storm‐runoff generation processes in weathered granitic headwater catchments

We examined the contributions of bedrock groundwater to the upscaling of storm‐runoff generation processes in weathered granitic headwater catchments by conducting detailed hydrochemical observations in five catchments that ranged from zero to second order. End‐member mixing analysis (EMMA) was performed to identify the geographical sources of stream water. Throughfall, hillslope groundwater, shallow bedrock groundwater, and deep bedrock groundwater were identified as end members. The contribution of each end member to storm runoff differed among the catchments because of the differing quantities of riparian groundwater, which was recharged by the bedrock groundwater prior to rainfall events. Among the five catchments, the contribution of throughfall was highest during both baseflow and storm flow in a zero‐order catchment with little contribution from the bedrock groundwater to the riparian reservoir. In zero‐order catchments with some contribution from bedrock groundwater, stream water was dominated by shallow bedrock groundwater during baseflow, but it was significantly influenced by hillslope groundwater during storms. In the first‐order catchment, stream water was dominated by shallow bedrock groundwater during storms as well as baseflow periods. In the second‐order catchment, deeper bedrock groundwater than that found in the zero‐order and first‐order catchments contributed to stream water in all periods, except during large storm events. These results suggest that bedrock groundwater influences the upscaling of storm‐runoff generation processes by affecting the linkages of geomorphic units such as hillslopes, riparian zones, and stream channels. Our results highlight the need for a three‐dimensional approach that considers bedrock groundwater flow when studying the upscaling of storm‐runoff generation processes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Metals discharged during different flow conditions from a mixed agricultural‐forest catchment (NW Spain)

Metal loads were determined from water samples collected under different streamflow conditions (baseflow and storm events) in a rural catchment (NW Spain) during 4 years. A study at annual, seasonal and storm‐event scales was carried out. In all analysed scales, the export order was Fe > Al > Mn > Zn > Cu. A high inter‐annual, seasonal and storm‐event scale variability of metal load was observed. The total metal loads in stream were higher during baseflow conditions than during storm events, which only represented 4% of the duration of the study period and 25% of streamflow. During storm events, both Al and Fe loads accounted 45% of the total load of the study period, whereas Mn, Cu and Zn loads represented 42%, 33% and 24%, respectively. This highlights the role of high flows on metal export. Only four big events exported around 30% of load of each metal transported in events. At all time scales, a prevalence of export of particulate metals over dissolved metals was observed, more pronounced for Al, Fe and Mn than for Cu and Zn. The export of metals in the Corbeira catchment is influenced by runoff and, to a lesser extent, by the rainfall amount. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil hydrophobic effects on infiltration and catchment runoff

After dry summers or drought, eucalypt forest soils at two sites in southeastern Australia developed hydrophobic or non-wetting surface characteristics that reduced infiltration, measured using a sprinkling infiltrometer. At one site the development of hydrophobic conditions caused the rainfall to runoff conversion efficiency of a forested catchment to increase from 5 per cent to 15 per cent. Under non-hydrophobic conditions at this site, grassland always generated more runoff than forest. However, one major rainfall-runoff was recorded at a time of highly hydrophobic forest soil conditions and this storm generated greater runoff on the forested catchment than the grassland catchment. At the second site forest soils have naturally highly conductive surface layers because of a dense network of macropores and pathways for preferential flow. Hydrophobic conditions produced by drought caused soil water movement to be confined to only a few of the larger macropores exposed to surface ponded water. Even so, infiltration rates remained relatively high so that the impacts of hydrophobic soils were not translated into increased catchment runoff as at the first site.     

Spatial and temporal variability of the hydrological response in a small Mediterranean research catchment (Vallcebre,Eastern Pyrenees)

This paper analyses the spatial and temporal variability of the hydrological response in a small Mediterranean catchment (Cal Rodó). The first part of the analysis focuses on the rainfall–runoff relationship at seasonal and monthly scale, using an 8‐year data set. Then, using storm‐flow volume and coefficient, the temporal variability of the rainfall–runoff relationship and its relationship with several hydrological variables are analysed at the event scale from hydrographs observed over a 3‐year period. Finally, the spatial non‐linearity of the hydrological response is examined by comparing the Cal Rodó hydrological response with the Can Vila sub‐catchment response at the event scale. Results show that, on a seasonal and monthly scale, there is no simple relationship between rainfall and runoff depths, and that evapotranspiration is a factor that introduced some non‐linearity in the rainfall–runoff relationship. The analysis of monthly values also reveals the existence of a threshold in the relationship between rainfall and runoff depths, denoting a more contrasted hydrological response than the one usually observed in humid catchments. At the event scale, the storm‐flow coefficient has a clear seasonal pattern with an alternance between a wet period, when the catchment is hydrologically responsive, and a dry summer period, when the catchment is much less reactive to any rainfall. The relationship between the storm‐flow coefficient and rainfall depth, rainfall maximum intensity and base‐flow shows that observed correlations are the same as those observed for humid conditions, even if correlation coefficients are notably lower. Comparison with the Can Vila sub‐catchment highlights the spatial heterogeneity of the rainfall‐runoff relationship at the small catchment scale. Although interpretation in terms of runoff processes remains delicate, heterogeneities between the two catchments seem to be related to changes in the ratio between infiltration excess and saturation processes in runoff formation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

POTASSIUM CHEMISTRY OF A SMALL UPLAND STREAM FOLLOWING A MAJOR DROUGHT

Previously unpublished water quality data are used to explore the potassium chemistry of a small upland stream following the 1976 drought in England. The behaviour of potassium is a complex response to several factors: hydrological pathways operating during periods of storm runoff; sediment inputs; and the chemical properties of the transporting water. Analyses of ‘hysteresis loops’ for a series of storms show that the relationship between suspended sediment and potassium concentrations is not simple; spatial and temporal variations in surface and subsurface stormflow add complexity. In addition to the specific discussion of potassium, data are presented to show the recovery of stream discharge, and of sediment and solute concentrations during the immediate post-drought period. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Space–time modelling of catchment scale drought characteristics

Drought may affect all components of the water cycle and covers commonly a large part of the catchment area. This paper examines drought propagation at the catchment scale using spatially aggregated drought characteristics and illustrates the importance of catchment processes in modifying the drought signal in both time and space. Analysis is conducted using monthly time series covering the period 1961–1997 for the Pang catchment, UK. The time series include observed rainfall and groundwater recharge, head and discharge simulated by physically-based soil water and groundwater models. Drought events derived separately for each unit area and variable are combined to yield catchment scale drought characteristics. The study reveals relatively large differences in the spatial and temporal characteristics of drought for the different variables. Meteorological droughts cover frequently the whole catchment; and they are more numerous and last for a short time (1–2 months). In comparison, droughts in recharge and hydraulic head cover typically a smaller area and last longer (4–5 months). Hydraulic head and groundwater discharge exhibit similar drought characteristics, which can be expected in a groundwater fed catchment. Deficit volume is considered a robust measure of the severity of a drought event over the catchment area for all variables; whereas, duration is less sensitive, particular for rainfall. Spatial variability in drought characteristics for groundwater recharge, head and discharge are primarily controlled by catchment properties. It is recommended not to use drought area separately as a measure of drought severity at the catchment scale, rather it should be used in combination with other drought characteristics like duration and deficit volume.     

Combined use of spot samples and continuous integrated sampling in a study of storm runoff from a lowland catchment in the south of England

We have used two different sampling techniques to study the geochemical response of a small lowland rural catchment to episodic storm runoff. The first method involves traditional daily spot sampling and has been used to develop a standard end‐member mixing analysis (EMMA) of the relative contributions of ground water flow and surface runoff to the total stream flow. The second method utilizes a continuous sampling device, powered by an osmotic pump, to produce an integrated 24‐h sample of the stream flow. When combined with the EMMA results from the spot samples, analyses of the integrated samples reveal the presence of a third component that makes a significant contribution to the dissolved NO₃, Ca and K export from the catchment during the rising limb of the hydrographic profile of a storm event following a prolonged dry period. The storm occurred in the middle of the night, so that the response of the stream chemistry was not captured by the daily samples. We hypothesize that this third component is derived from the flushing of stored soil water that contains the geochemical signature of decaying vegetation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Response time and water origin in a steep nested catchment in the Italian Dolomites

In this study, we investigate the surface flow time of rise in response to rainfall and snowmelt events at different spatial scales and the main sources originating channel runoff and spring water in a steep nested headwater catchment (Rio Vauz, Italian Dolomites), characterized by a marked elevation gradient. We monitored precipitation at different elevations and measured water stage/streamflow at the outlet of two rocky subcatchments of the same size, representative of the upper part of the catchment dominated by outcropping bedrock, at the outlet of a soil‐mantled and vegetated subcatchment of similar size but different morphology, and at the outlet of the main catchment. Hydrometric data are coupled with stable isotopes and electrical conductivity sampled from different water sources during five years, and used as tracers in end‐member mixing analysis, application of two component mixing models and analysis of the slope of the dual‐isotope regression line. Results reveal that times of rise are slightly shorter for the two rocky subcatchments, particularly for snowmelt and mixed rainfall/snowmelt events, compared to the soil‐mantled catchment and the entire Rio Vauz Catchment. The highly‐variable tracer signature of the different water sources reflects the geomorphological and geological complexity of the study area. The principal end‐members for channel runoff and spring water are identified in rainfall and snowmelt, which are the dominant water sources in the rocky upper part of the study catchment, and soil water and shallow groundwater, which play a relevant role in originating baseflow and spring water in the soil‐mantled and vegetated lower part of the catchment. Particularly, snowmelt contributes up to 64 ± 8% to spring water in the concave upper parts of the catchment and up to 62 ± 11% to channel runoff in the lower part of the catchment. These results offer new experimental evidences on how Dolomitic catchments capture and store rain water and meltwater, releasing it through a complex network of surface and subsurface flow pathways, and allow for the construction of a preliminary conceptual model on water transmission in snowmelt‐dominated catchments featuring marked elevation gradients.     

Spatial and temporal variability of groundwater dynamics in a sub‐Mediterranean mountain catchment

The temporal and spatial dynamics of groundwater was investigated in a small catchment in the Spanish Pyrenees, which was extensively used for agriculture in the past. Analysis of the water table fluctuations at five locations over a 6‐year period demonstrated that the groundwater dynamics had a marked seasonal cycle involving a wetting‐up period that commenced with the first autumn rainfall events, a saturation period during winter and spring and a drying‐down period from the end of spring until the end of the summer. The length of the saturation period showed great interannual variability, which was mainly influenced by the rainfall and evapotranspiration characteristics. There was marked spatial variability in the water table, especially during the wetting‐up period, which could be related to differences in slope and drainage area, geomorphology, soil properties and local topography. Areas contributing to runoff generation were identified within the catchment by field mapping of moisture conditions. Areas contributing to infiltration excess runoff were correlated with former cultivated fields affected by severe sheetwash erosion. Areas contributing to saturation excess runoff were characterized by a marked spatial dynamics associated with catchment wetness conditions. The saturation spatial pattern, which was partially related to the topographic index, was very patchy throughout the catchment, suggesting the influence of other factors associated with past agricultural activities, including changes in local topography and soil properties. The relationship between water table levels and stream flow was weak, especially during the wetting‐up period, suggesting little connection between ground water and the hydrological response, at least at some locations. The results suggest that in drier and human‐disturbed environments, such as sub‐Mediterranean mountains, saturation patterns cannot be represented only by the general topography of the catchment. They also suggest that groundwater storage and runoff is not a succession of steady‐state flow conditions, as assumed in most hydrological models. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope studies of rainfall and streamwaters for two contrasting holm oak areas of Catalonia, northeastern Spain

Results are presented of a study of stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in rainfall and streamwaters for the Montseny and Prades areas in northeastern Spain: results cover the full year of 1991. The isotopic pattern for rainfall is similar for both areas: there is a wide range in isotopic contents and the results show a strong, near-linear trend, δ²H = 7.9 × δ¹⁸O + 9.8 (N = 59; r² = 0.952), the ‘local meteoric line’. There is slight curvature to the data which may be related to the sources of water vapour forming the rainfall. Within the streams, the isotopic variability is much less than that of the rainfall although the data lie on, or very near to, the meteoric line. Data for detailed collections during storm events show more scatter than those collected regularly on a fortnightly basis. The event data show a linear feature that conforms to the local meteoric line. These results indicate that: (1) the main supply of water to the stream stormflow comes from water stored in the catchment prior to the event; (2) waters of more than one isotopic composition reside within the catchment and are transferable to the stream during storm events; (3) the main process of water transfer from the catchment back to the atmosphere comes from transpiration by the trees and (possibly) complete evaporation from the near-surface soil horizons and the tree canopy; (4) the isotopic technique cannot be used for quantitative hydrograph separation in this instance — at least two water types can be present within the catchment at any given time.     

Hydrologic connectivity and threshold behavior of hillslopes with fragipans and soil pipe networks

Many concepts have been proposed to explain hydrologic connectivity of hillslopes with streams. Hydrologic connectivity is most often defined by qualitative assessment of spatial patterns in perched water tables or soil moisture on hillslopes without a direct linkage to water flow from hillslopes to streams. This form of hydrologic connectivity may not explain the hydrologic response of catchments that have network(s) of preferential flow paths, for example, soil pipes, which can provide intrinsic connectivity between hillslopes and streams. Duplex soils are known for developing perched water tables on hillslopes and fostering lateral flows, but the connectivity of localized perched water tables on hillslopes with soil pipes has not been fully established. The objectives of this study were to characterize pipeflow dynamics during storm events, the relationships between perched water tables on hillslopes and pipeflows, and their threshold behaviour. Two well‐characterized catchments in loess soil with a fragipan were selected for study because they contain multiple, laterally extensive (over 100 m) soil pipe networks. Hillslopes were instrumented with shallow wells adjacent to the soil pipes, and the wells and pipe collapse features were equipped with pressure transducers. Perched water tables developed on hillslopes during a wetting up period (October–December) and became well connected spatially across hillslope positions throughout the high flow period (January–March). The water table was not spatially connected on hillslopes during the drying out (April–June) and low flow (July–September) periods. Even when perched water tables were not well‐connected, water flowing through soil pipes provided hydrologic connectivity between upper hillslopes and catchment outlets. Correlations between soil pipeflow and perched water tables depended on the size and location of soil pipes. The threshold relationship between available soil‐moisture index plus storm precipitation and pipeflow was dependent on the season and strongest during dry periods and not high‐flow seasons. This study demonstrated that soil pipes serve as a catchment backbone of preferential flow paths that provide intrinsic connectivity between upper hillslopes and streams.     

Comparing catchment hydrologic response to a regional storm using specific conductivity sensors

A better understanding of stormwater generation and solute sources is needed to improve the protection of aquatic ecosystems, infrastructure, and human health from large runoff events. Much of our understanding of water and solutes produced during stormflow comes from studies of individual, small headwater catchments. This study compared many different types of catchments during a single large event to help isolate landscape controls on streamwater and solute generation, including human‐impacted land cover. We used a distributed network of specific electrical conductivity sensors to trace storm response during the post‐tropical cyclone Sandy event of October 2012 at 29 catchments across the state of New Hampshire. A citizen science sensor network, Lotic Volunteer for Temperature, Electrical Conductivity, and Stage, provided a unique opportunity to investigate high‐temporal resolution stream behavior at a broad spatial scale. Three storm response metrics were analyzed in this study: (a) fraction of new water contributing to the hydrograph; (b) presence of first flush (mobilization of solutes during the beginning of the rain event); and (c) magnitude of first flush. We compared new water and first flush to 64 predictor attributes related to land cover, soil, topography, and precipitation. The new water fraction was positively correlated with low and medium intensity development in the catchment and riparian buffers and with the precipitation from a rain event 9 days prior to Sandy. The presence of first flush was most closely related (positively) to soil organic matter. Magnitude of first flush was not strongly related to any of the catchment variables. Our results highlight the potentially important role of human landscape modification in runoff generation at multiple spatial scales and the lack of a clear role in solute flushing. Further development of regional‐scale in situ sensor networks will provide better understanding of stormflow and solute generation across a wide range of landscape conditions.