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12:44
Watershed Planning within a Quantitative Scenario Analysis Framework
Published on: July 24, 2016
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Watersheds may not recover from drought.
Tim J Peterson1,2, M Saft2, M C Peel2
1Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia. tim.peterson@monash.edu.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|May 14, 2021
Summary
Watersheds may not recover streamflow after drought, with many persisting in a low-runoff state. Increased evapotranspiration, not watershed wetness, explains this lack of recovery, indicating finite resilience.
Area of Science:
- Hydrology
- Environmental Science
- Drought Studies
Background:
- The Millennium Drought in southeastern Australia challenged assumptions about watershed streamflow recovery.
- Understanding watershed resilience to prolonged drought is critical for water resource management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate watershed streamflow recovery following the Millennium Drought.
- To identify factors influencing hydrological recovery and persistence in low-runoff states.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of watershed streamflow data as a fraction of precipitation.
- Assessment of watershed wetness and evapotranspiration rates post-drought.
- Evaluation of recovery trends over seven years following the drought.
Main Results:
- 37% of watersheds showed no streamflow recovery seven years after the drought.
- No increasing trend in recovered watersheds was observed.
- Increased evapotranspiration per unit of precipitation, rather than watershed wetness, explained the lack of recovery in non-recovered watersheds.
- ~80% of non-recovered watersheds showed persistent low-runoff states.
Conclusions:
- Watersheds possess finite resilience to disturbances like severe droughts.
- Hydrological droughts can persist indefinitely, even after meteorological drought cessation.
- Findings suggest a potential shift to a new, low-runoff state for some watersheds.
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