Assessing impacts of forest disturbance on hydrological processes in Peachland Creek Community Watershed using geochemical approaches
Congratulations to Mackenzie Myers for successfully defending his thesis, “Assessing impacts of forest disturbance on hydrological processes in Peachland Creek Community Watershed using geochemical approaches” in September 2025.
Understanding how forest disturbance affects watershed hydrology is essential for protecting water supply and reducing environmental risk in forested community watersheds.
Mackenzie’s research examined how forest disturbance impacts water movement in the Peachland Creek Community Watershed:
- What are the impacts of forest disturbance on hydrological processes in Peachland Creek Watershed?
- How do hydrological characteristics vary between sub-watersheds, and what factors contribute to these differences?
By analyzing stream water for chemical tracers including ions, stable water isotopes, and organic colour (a proxy for organic material), the influence of forest disturbance on water pathways, mean transit time, and young water fraction was investigated.
Results show that increased forest disturbance leads to a greater contribution of snowmelt, meaning water flows through shallower pathways. These findings highlight that forest disturbance can significantly affect water movement and consequently watershed hydrology.
Please see Mackenzie’s full thesis here.
