Signature Areas of Research

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Areas of research and scholarship that bring the University of Saskatchewan distinct recognition and help to position USask among the most distinguished universities in Canada and among the very best in the world.

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Hydrological and economic assessment of the Upper Qu’Appelle Water Supply Project : report for Western Economic Diversification
(University of Saskatchewan Global Institute for Water Security, 1/31/2020) Lindenschmidt, Karl-Erich; Lloyd-Smith, Patrick; Razavi, Saman; Carlson, Hayley; Terry, Julie; Mustakim Ali Shah, Syed
This report describes some water resource management modeling, water quality modeling, and economic implications of the Upper Qu’Appelle Water Supply Project.
High-Resolution Large-Eddy Simulations of Flow in the Complex Terrain of the Canadian Rockies
(Earth and Space Science, 10/25/2023) Rohanizadegan, Mina; Petrone, Richard; Pomeroy, John W.; Kosovic, Branko; Muñoz-Esparza, Domingo; Helgason, Warren
Improving the calculation of land-atmosphere fluxes of heat and water vapor in mountain terrain requires better resolution of thermally driven diurnal winds (i.e., valley, slope winds) due to differential heating by terrain and radiative fluxes. In this study, the Weather Research and Forecasting model is used to simulate flow in large-eddy simulation (LES) mode over the complex terrain of the Fortress Mountain and Marmot Creek research basins, Kananaskis Valley, Canadian Rockies, Alberta in mid-summer. The model was used to examine the temporal and spatial evolution of local winds and near-surface boundary layer processes with variability in topography and elevation. Numerically resolving complex terrain wind flow effects require smaller grid cell size. However, the use of terrain-following coordinates in most numerical weather prediction models results in large numerical errors when flow over steep terrain is simulated. These errors propagate through the domain and can result in numerical instability. To avoid this issue when simulating flow over steep terrain a local smoothing approach was used, where smoothing is applied only where slope exceeds some predetermined threshold. LES results from local smoothing were compared with a mesoscale model and LES with global smoothing. Simulations are evaluated using sounding data and meteorological stations. The differences in flow patterns and reversals in two mountain basins suggest that valley geometry and volume is relevant to the break up of inversion layers, removal of cold-air pools, and strength of thermally driven winds.
Humanity’s evolving story : sharing scientific research outcomes in a changing world
(United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health and Global Water Futures, 10/6/2022) Sandford, Robert William
Never before has how science tells its stories been more important. The story humanity has been telling itself about itself over the past two hundred years has proven to be dangerous to our future. Science has the power to change the path of that narrative and alter the next chapter of humanity’s story so that it is not our final chapter.
Modelling the regional sensitivity of snowmelt, soil moisture, and streamflow generation to climate over the Canadian Prairies using a basin classification approach
(Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 10/9/2023) He, Zhihua; Shook, Kevin; Spence, Christopher; Pomeroy, John W.; Whitfield, Colin
This study evaluated the effects of climate perturbations on snowmelt, soil moisture, and streamflow generation in small Canadian Prairies basins using a modelling approach based on classification of basin biophysical characteristics. Seven basin classes that encompass the entirety of the Prairies Ecozone in Canada were determined by cluster analysis of these characteristics. Individual semi-distributed virtual basin (VB) models representing these classes were parameterized in the Cold Regions Hydrological Model (CRHM) platform, which includes modules for snowmelt and sublimation, soil freezing and thawing, actual evapotranspiration (ET), soil moisture dynamics, groundwater recharge, and depressional storage dynamics including fill and spill runoff generation and variable connected areas. Precipitation (P) and temperature (T) perturbation scenarios covering the range of climate model predictions for the 21st century were used to evaluate climate sensitivity of hydrological processes in individual land cover and basin types across the Prairies Ecozone. Results indicated that snow accumulation in wetlands had a greater sensitivity to P and T than that in croplands and grasslands in all basin types. Wetland soil moisture was also more sensitive to T than the cropland and grassland soil moisture. Jointly influenced by land cover distribution and local climate, basin-average snow accumulation was more sensitive to T in the drier and grassland-characterized basins than in the wetter basins dominated by cropland, whilst basin-average soil moisture was most sensitive to T and P perturbations in basins typified by pothole depressions and broad river valleys. Annual streamflow had the greatest sensitivities to T and P in the dry and poorly connected Interior Grasslands (See Fig. 1) basins but the smallest in the wet and well-connected Southern Manitoba basins. The ability of P to compensate for warming-induced reductions in snow accumulation and streamflow was much higher in the wetter and cropland-dominated basins than in the drier and grassland-characterized basins, whilst decreases in cropland soil moisture induced by the maximum expected warming of 6 ∘C could be fully offset by a P increase of 11 % in all basins. These results can be used to (1) identify locations which had the largest hydrological sensitivities to changing climate and (2) diagnose underlying processes responsible for hydrological responses to expected climate change. Variations of hydrological sensitivity in land cover and basin types suggest that different water management and adaptation methods are needed to address enhanced water stress due to expected climate change in different regions of the Prairies Ecozone
Influencing water futures: summary of a roadmap for maximizing knowledge uptake in the final years of the Global Water Futures program
(Global Water Futures, 11/16/2022) Morrison, Monica; Goucher, Nancy
As we continue to encourage and document research relationships, moving into the GWF’s final stages, KM seeks to supply answers to the following questions: What have we done –what relationships have we built, and what new knowledge has resulted? What did we learn? And, how does this strengthen Canada’s water future? KM work will focus on inventory activities to answer the first, and synthesis activities to respond to the second and third of these questions. Knowledge mobilization should be the driving force for GWF’s Operations and Annual Science meetings over the next year, shifting the focus from research findings to meeting user needs through knowledge exchange and research application.
Snowcover : accumulation, relocation, and management
(National Hydrology Research Institute, 1995) Pomeroy, John; Gray, Donald M.
Much of Canada's water supply is derived from snow. In most parts of the country, the annual spring freshet plays a key role in sustaining our aquatic ecosystems, while for semi-arid, boreal, alpine and arctic regions, snow is an important source of fresh water. In the context of sustainable development, i.e., the balanced management of natural resources to achieve a long-term, reasonable level of economic well-being while maintaining environmental values, snow plays a vital part. On the Canadian Prairies, for instance, snow management practices now often go hand-in-hand with no-tillage practices in the ongoing effort to sustain agricultural production over the long term. As another example, research conducted under the Canadian Model Forest Programme has highlighted the important role of snow in sustainable forestry management practices. Snow can be considered as a physical resource, a raw material possessing properties that contribute to the production of food, fibre and other beneficial products for human use and enjoyment. As with the sun, the soil, the air and the rain, the natural behaviour of snow can be studied, understood and ultimately managed. In a country such as Canada, a better understanding of snow processes will make a significant contribution to hydrological science. This scientific report on snowcover accumulation, relocation and management is a necessary step on the road to sustainable development. The dedication of the authors in preparing this comprehensive report that will be widely used by engineers, agriculture and forestry practitioners, scientists and university students is gratefully acknowledged.
Toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) for PCBs, PCDDs, PCDFs for humans and wildlife
(National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), 1998) Berg, Martin Van den; Birnbaum, Linda; Bosveld, Albertus T.C.; Brunstrom, Björn; Cook, Philip; Feely, Mark; Giesy, John; Hanberg, Annika; Hasegawa, Ryuichi; Kennedy, Sean W.; Kubiak, Timothy; Larsen, John Christian; Leeuwen, F.X. Rolaf van; Liem, A.K. Djien; Nolt, Cynthia; Peterson, Richard E.; Poellinger, Lorenz; Safe, Stephen; Schrenk, Dieter; Tillitt, Donald; Tysklind, Mats; Younes, Maged; Waern, Fredrik; Zacharewski, Tim
An expert meeting was organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and held in Stockholm on 15-18 June 1997. The objective of this meeting was to derive consensus toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxinlike polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) for both human, fish, and wildlife risk assessment. Based on existing literature data, TEFs were (re)evaluated and either revised (mammals) or established (fish and birds). A few mammalian WHO-TEFs were revised, including 1,2,3,7,8-pentachlorinated DD, octachlorinated DD, octachlorinated DF, and PCB 77. These mammalian TEFs are also considered applicable for humans and wild mammalian species. Furthermore, it was concluded that there was insufficient in vivo evidence to continue the use of TEFs for some di-ortho PCBs, as suggested earlier by Ahlborg et al. [Chemosphere 28:1049-1067 (1994)]. In addition, TEFs for fish and birds were determined. The WHO working group attempted to harmonize TEFs across different taxa to the extent possible. However, total synchronization of TEFs was not feasible, as there were orders of a magnitude difference in TEFs between taxa for some compounds. In this respect, the absent or very low response of fish to mono-ortho PCBs is most noticeable compared to mammals and birds. Uncertainties that could compromise the TEF concept were also reviewed, including nonadditive interactions, differences in shape of the dose-response curve, and species responsiveness. In spite of these uncertainties, it was concluded that the TEF concept is still the most plausible and feasible approach for risk assessment of halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons with dioxinlike properties.
Building on a Legacy : Working with users to revitalize the CRHM hydrological model
(Global Water Futures Core Computer Science, 2/1/2023) Roy, Banani
A computer scientist's personal account of the challenges involved in collaboratively migrating the CRHM hydrological modelling tool.
Giftwrapped Data : Working together on a model-agnostic platform for speeding up predictions for water management
(Global Water Futures Core Modelling Team, 2/1/2023) Keshavarz, Kasra
A young engineer's personal account of collaborating with hydrological modelers to develop a new model-agnostic workflow to expedite data preparation.
Both Eyes on the Ice : Investigating a hazard on the Slave River
(Global Water Futures Integrated Modeling Program for Canada, 2/1/2023) Lindenschmidt, Karl-Erich
Personal account from a scientist about learning from his local guide while conducting river ice research in the Canadian Northwest Territories.
More than Cold Dirt : Discovering the human face of climate change research in northern Canada
(Global Water Futures Geogenic Contamination of Groundwater Resources in Subarctic Regions, 2/1/2023) Skierszkan, Elliott K.
Personal account of a researcher's experience learning from local people while investigating groundwater contamination related to thawing permafrost in Canada's Yukon Territory.
Come Hail or High Water : Exchanging insurance and drought knowledge to advance research and its application
(Global Water Futures, 2/1/2023) Wheaton, Elaine
Personal account of a climate scientist's interactions with knowledge users looking at extreme weather in the Canadian West.
The Search for the Perfect Flood : Working together to build a deeper relationship with the river
(Global Water Futures We Need More than Just Water, 2/1/2023) Jardine, Timothy D
Personal account of a scientist's working relationship with a local guide in northern Saskatchewan.
Long period return level estimates of extreme precipitation
(University of Victoria Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium, 2/27/2020) Zwiers, Francis; Ben Alaya, Mohamed Ali; Zhang, Xuebin
To better use climate information available in the historical record, a recommended approach is composing precipitation as the product of precipitable water and precipitation efficiency.
Hydrology and Water Resources of Saskatchewan
(Centre for Hydrology, University Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 2005) Pomeroy, John; de Boer, Dirk; Martz, Lawrence W.
There is little in the natural environment, economy and society of Saskatchewan that is not intimately tied to and sustained by the flow and storage of water. Nowhere else in Canada does the lack or excess of water cause such widespread concern, nor are there many Canadian environments subject to greater seasonal change in precipitation and surface-water storage. Most major landforms of Saskatchewan were created by the deposition and erosion of sediments and rock by water and ice during the glacial and immediate postglacial periods. Saskatchewan’s contemporary hydrology determines the type and location of natural vegetation, soils, agriculture, communities and commerce. However, the scarcity, seasonality and unpredictability of the province’s water resources have proved critical impediments to the productivity of natural ecosystems and to sustainable settlement and economic activity. The hydrology of Saskatchewan is marked by several distinctive characteristics that govern the behaviour of water as a resource in the province (Gray, 1970): i) The extreme variability of precipitation and runoff results in frequent water shortages and excesses with respect to natural and human storage capacities and demand. ii) The seasonality of water supply is manifest in fall and winter by the storage of water as snow, and lake and ground ice, in early spring by rapid snowmelt resulting in most runoff, and in late spring and early summer by much of the annual rainfall. iii) The aridity and gentle topography result in poorly developed, disconnected and sparse drainage systems, and surface runoff that is both infrequent and spatially restricted. iv) The land cover and soils exert an inordinate control on hydrological processes because of small precipitation inputs and limited energy for evaporation and snowmelt. v) The flows in the major rivers of the southern half of the province are largely derived from the foothills and mountains in Alberta. In dry years, arable agriculture can fail over large parts of the province, whilst in wet years, flooding has caused widespread damage to rural and urban infrastructure. Climate change may increase the incidence of both drought and flooding, with earlier spring thaws and increased interannual and interseasonal variability of temperature and precipitation (Covich et al., 1997; Cutforth et al., 1999, Herrington et al., 1997). Changes to the seasonal timing of precipitation can have very severe effects on agriculture and ecosystems; runoff to water bodies and replenishment of groundwater are primarily supplied by spring snowmelt, growth of cereal grains is related to the quantity of rainfall falling between May and early July, maturing and timely harvesting of crops are dependent upon warm dry weather in mid to late summer, and spring runoff is governed by soil moisture reserves in the preceding fall and snowfall the preceding winter (de Jong and Kachanoski, 1987). Saskatchewan’s water resources are vulnerable, as there is little local runoff to the single greatest water resource of the southern prairies, the South Saskatchewan River, which derives overwhelmingly from the Rocky Mountains. Water supplies in the Alberta portion of the South Saskatchewan River system are approaching full apportionment in dry years and the uncertainty imposed by climate change impacts on runoff generation in the mountains makes managing the river increasing difficult. Local water bodies (streams, sloughs, dugouts) are fed by groundwater or small surface drainages, and little runoff is provided by most land surfaces within the ‘topographic catchment’. The effect of soils and vegetation on Saskatchewan hydrology is profound because of the interaction of snow, evaporation and vegetation. In the southern Prairies, water applied from rain or snowmelt to summer-fallowed fields contributes inordinately to runoff, whereas continuously cropped fields, grasses and trees undergo greater infiltration to soils and hence greater evaporation. In the North, evergreen forest canopy and root structures promote infiltration of rainfall or snowmelt to soils and subsequent evaporation. There is much greater runoff and streamflow in boreal forest drainage basins with large cleared areas. This chapter will discuss the key physical aspects of Saskatchewan’s hydrology and water resources, focussing on its drainage basins and the contribution of runoff to streams and lakes within them, its major rivers and their flows, water supply pipelines and river diversions, prairie hydrology, boreal forest hydrology, groundwater and an assessment of the future. Because of its sub-humid, cold region hydrology and low population, water quality concerns in Saskatchewan are primarily related to algal growth in dugouts, and a few cases of contaminated groundwater or immediate downstream effects from sewage outflows, rather than widespread diffuse-source pollution; this chapter will therefore focus on water quantity rather than quality.
A Review of Canadian Prairie Hydrology: Principles, Modelling and Response to Land Use and Drainage Change
(Centre for Hydrology, University Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 2007) Fang, Xing; Minke, Adam; Pomeroy, John; Brown, Tom; Westbrook, Cherie; Guo, Xulin; Guangul, Seifu
This report reviews research on the hydrological cycle, runoff generation, hydrological modelling and the influence of changes to land cover and wetlands on the same for the Canadian Prairies. The purpose of this report is to identify and examine the major processes that are responsible for prairie hydrology as well as the impacts of land cover change such as wetland drainage on water storage and on the streamflow hydrograph. The objective of this report is to propose hydrological modelling techniques; these techniques can contribute to the development of a predictive tool in the form of a prairie hydrological model. It is intent to utilize such a hydrological model to evaluate the impacts of wetland drainage and restoration as well as changes in the surrounding upland land use on downstream hydrology. Hydrology in the Canadian Prairie region is complex and highly varied. Only one third of annual precipitation occurs over the winter and the surface snow water equivalent distribution is highly heterogeneous due to wind redistribution of snow during blowing snow storms. Blowing snow can transport and sublimate as much as 75% of annual snowfall from open prairie fields. The formation of drifts from windblown snow lengthens the spring runoff season and modulates the peak spring flows. The frozen state of mineral soils results in rapid snowmelt runoff in the springtime, which produces 80% or more of annual local runoff. The prairie region is characterized by glacially-formed depressions; these depressions fill with water to form pothole sloughs and wetlands and are very important to prairie hydrology due to their surface storage capacity. A fill-and-spill runoff mechanism is identifiable in prairie basins that are dominated by these surface depressions where flow does not commence until all storage in the depressions is filled. This results in an episodic and rapid increase in contributing area during peak runoff events. However outside of these events much of the prairie landscape is non-contributing to streamflow and even in the most extreme runoff events, some prairie basins are internally drained and never contribute to streamflow. This fill and spill phenomenon is in contrast to forms of hydrological storage found in temperate regions in which the flow rate is proportional to storage. Because of depressional storage and poorly and internally drained basins, most surface runoff in the prairie region does not contribute to the major river systems. Hydrological processes in the prairie region are sensitive to the land cover and climate change. Wetlands can be completely dried out when surrounded by native grassland rather than agricultural fields. Droughts are frequent on the Canadian Prairies. Lower precipitation and higher air temperature are the common characteristics of droughts; surface snowmelt runoff is largely suppressed and can even completely cease when warmer (e.g. 5 ºC increase of temperature) or drier (e.g. 50% decrease of precipitation) conditions develop. The Cold Regions Hydrological Model platform (CRHM) is a “state-of-the-art” physically-based hydrological model designed for the prairie region. CRHM is based on a modular, object-oriented structure in which component modules represent basin descriptions, observations, or physically-based algorithms for calculating hydrological processes. Preliminary tests show reasonable performance of CRHM in simulating the water balance and streamflow hydrograph for prairie regions. The model also shows capabilities to simulate impact of land use change and climate change on hydrological processes and streamflow. Further work in CHRM will be development of surface storage and surface routing models that are suitable for modelling hydrology in the prairie wetland region.
Prairie Hydrological Model Study Progress Report, April 2008
(Centre for Hydrology, University Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 2008) Pomeroy, John; Westbrook, Cherie; Fang, Xing; Minke, Adam; Guo, Xulin
This report is an update on the progress made over the first 12 months of the Prairie Hydrological Model Study and corresponds to Milestone #3. In summary, we have characterized the 2007-2008 Hydrological Year for modeling by installing weather, soil moisture, rainfall and pond level recording stations, observing summer evaporation, fall freeze-up and winter snowpack development to the start of melt. We have also made progress on wetland and basin characterization using remote sensing and other spatial information, and begun analysis of hydrometeorological data.
Safe Water as the Key to Global Health
(United Nations University International Network on Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), 2008) Schuster Wallace, Corinne; Grover, Velma I.; Adeel, Zafar; Confalonieri, Ulisses E. C.; Elliott, Susan J.
We have great choices available to us for managing our water resources, treating water for drinking purposes, using innovative financing approaches to generate capital, protecting our ecosystems, and motivating communities to actively participate in these processes. And yet, there remains an almost insurmountable chasm between our self professed targets – such as those entwined in the various Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – and the reality of a large number of people without a safe water source or an adequate sanitation system. Numerous statistics, such as those presented in this report, highlight the consequences for communities in developing countries as a result of non-provision of these very fundamental human needs. Lack of access to safe water and adequate sanitation are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, particularly amongst children. Indirect and adverse consequences on education levels, nutrition and economy are also documented quite effectively. More recently, the benefits of water and sanitation provision have also been quantified. This measurement can be made in terms of improved well-being of people and communities, reduction in public health costs, and catalysis for local economic growth. Such benefits accrue in perpetuity and can potentially lift communities out of poverty and misery. And yet, global and national commitments to meet these challenges are far from adequate. This report explores why that is the case and how we can change the situation. Such change comes in two parts: First, we need to effectively change public and political perceptions of the nature of the problem, identify the stumbling blocks in responding effectively, and articulate the consequences of failure. Second, we need to mobilize human, technological and managerial resources that match the magnitude of the crisis. It is very important that we aim high. That is, the target should be to provide appropriate and sustainable supply of safe water and adequate sanitation to everyone. We believe that such a target is achievable by the year 2025, if we accept MDGs as a stepping stone and the year 2015 as a mid-term milestone. The first step in this direction must to be strengthen the capacity of developing countries, with the explicit aim of achieving 100% coverage. Such capacity should include human and technological development, but must also focus on nurturing institutions that can absorb and retain it. Over time, these institutions can enrich managerial skills as well. The second major step is to initiate out-of-the-box thinking on resource mobilization. Two roadblocks must be surpassed to achieve this. First, we have to accept that national governments in developing countries will likely never have sufficient resources at their disposal, even when counting the meagre overseas development aid; accepting this reality then opens up the door to considering real innovations. Second, some of the resources from the private sector must be engaged. Some bad experiences in privatization of public utilities and a general mistrust of potential profiteering by the private sector have led to effectively closing the door on this option. In the same vein, many community groups and civil society organizations need to re-think and shift their positions to better serve the public interest. A number of other processes also have to be triggered to achieve success. Greater mobilization of public opinion can lead to both better actions at the local level and improved steering of national political agenda. Previous examples of such interaction, like eradication of polio through community-centered, nationally-driven vaccination schemes, demonstrate that it is achievable. Greater cohesion in policies and a universal inclusion of water and sanitation provision in national development planning are the key elements to success. Examples in many developing countries, notably Madagascar, have demonstrated that political interests and public well-being converge very well when dealing with water and sanitation issues We also need to provide politicians and policymakers with the knowledge and tools essential for guiding policies in their own domain. We, at UNU-INWEH, are striving to develop such tools in close cooperation with our partners. Development of a global map of communities that are vulnerable to water-related diseases and a worldwide knowledge base of cheap, safe water provisioning options are two such initiatives. I hope that the ideas presented in this report help bring about the necessary changes in thinking, and the urgency to respond to this global crisis is driven home. This report is one step in an on-going dialogue on finding effective ways to move towards our ultimate goal – provision of safe water and adequate sanitation to every woman, man and child on this earth. Dr. Zafar Adeel Director UNU-INWEH 18 September 2008
Saskatchewan’s Natural Capital in a Changing Climate : An Assessment of Impacts and Adaptation
(Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative, 2009) Sauchyn, Dave; Henderson, Norm; Barrow, Elaine; Wheaton, Elaine; Fang, Xing; Johnston, Mark; Pomeroy, John W.; Thorpe, Jeff; Williams, B
Climate change impacts in Saskatchewan are already evident and will become increasing significant over time. This report draws on the expertise of top climate change researchers and a large body of previous work to create a state-of-knowledge synthesis of key biophysical impacts and adaptation options specific to Saskatchewan. The focus is Saskatchewan’s ecosystems and water resources and the sectors of our economy, agriculture, and forestry, which are most dependent on these natural resources. The purpose of this report is to 1) document the expected impacts of climate change on Saskatchewan’s natural resources and dependent industries, and 2) outline options for adaptation of resource management practices, policies and infrastructure to minimize the risks associated with the impacts of climate change and to take advantage of opportunities provided by a warming climate.
Snow Surveys and Hydrometeorology Data Collection in 2009 Winter Field Season at Smith Creek Basin
(Centre for Hydrology, University Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 2009) Pomeroy, John; Westbrook, Cherie; Fang, Xing; Minke, Adam; Guo, Xulin
This report describes the data collection being conducted in 2009 winter field season at Smith Creek Basin. The data collection consists of two components: snow surveys and hydrometeorology. The following sections explain the procedures of collecting these data and how a comparison to the data from last winter field season.

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