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Mine reclamation in the Athabasca oil sands region Canada, is required by law where companies must reconstruct disturbed landscapes into functioning ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, and lakes that existed in the Boreal landscape prior to mining. Winter is a major hydrological factor in this region as snow covers the landscape for 5–6 months and is ~25% of the annual precipitation, yet few studies have explored the influence of winter processes on the hydrology of constructed watersheds. One year (2017–2018) of intensive snow hydrology measurements are supplemented with 6 years (2013–2018) of meteorological measurements from the constructed Sandhill Fen watershed to: (a) understand snow accumulation and redistribution, snowmelt timing, rate, and partitioning, (b) apply a physically based model for simulating winter processes on hillslopes, and (c) evaluate the impact of soil prescriptions and climate change projections on winter processes in reclaimed systems. The 2017–2018 snow season was between November and April and snow water equivalent (SWE) ranged between 40 and 140 mm. Snow distribution was primarily influenced by topography with little influence of snow trapping from developing vegetation. Snow accumulation was most variable on hillslopes and redistribution was driven by slope position, with SWE greatest at the base of slopes and decreased toward crests. Snowmelt on hillslopes was controlled by slope aspect, as snow declined rapidly on west and south‐facing slopes, compared with east and north‐facing slopes. Unlike results previously reported on constructed uplands, snowmelt runoff from uplands was much less (~30%), highlighting the influence of different construction materials. Model simulations indicate that antecedent soil moisture and soil temperature have a large influence on partitioning snowmelt over a range of observed conditions. Under a warmer and wetter climate, average annual peak SWE, and snow season duration could decline up to 52% and up to 61 days, respectively, while snowmelt runoff ceases completely under the warmest scenarios. Results suggest considerable future variability in snowmelt runoff from hillslopes, yet soil properties can be used to enhance vertical or lateral flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty-three hydrology ECRs (within 5 years of their last degree, including graduate students) from across Canada discussed current and future challenges as well as emerging opportunities in Canadian hydrology. Open science and metadata education to address data needs To address the data-related challenges outlined above, we support the ongoing shift towards open science within the Canadian hydrology community. CONNECTING SCIENTIFIC OUTCOMES WITH SOCIETY Conducting and communicating useful science From water contamination to floods, hydrology is a scientific discipline with particular importance to society. We identified three major challenges for ECRs in Canadian hydrology: (a) Data management; (b) multidisciplinary methods and (c) producing useful science. [Extracted from the article]

Mine reclamation in the Athabasca oil sands region is legally required as companies must reconstruct disturbed landscapes into functioning ecosystems which previously existed in the Boreal landscape. Upland-wetland systems are relatively new in the constructed landscape and only two exist to date. The objective of this work is to understand the key hydrological changes post-management of a constructed peatland watershed and provide insight on the overall system function. Six years of hydrometric data are presented from the Sandhill Fen Watershed (SFW), a 52-ha upland-wetland catchment built on soft tailings with a pump system to provide fresh water, support drainage, and limit salinization. Wet years (seasonal precipitation > evapotranspiration) occurred in 2013, 2016 and 2018 and dry years (seasonal precipitation < evapotranspiration) occurred in 2014, 2015 and 2017 where wet years had large 5-, 10- and 100-year storms which were absent in dry years. Surface conductance and solar radiation explained most of the variation in ET fluxes. Changes in management practices drove many of the observed hydrological changes. Heavy management in 2013 muted water table (WT) responses to climate as inflow and outflow (via pumps) controlled WT response. After 2014, management efforts declined and hydrological exchanges were predominantly vertical, and saturated storage across the wetland increased. As a result, WT variability was tightly coupled to ET regardless of WT position relative to the ground surface, with greater changes related to deeper water tables, suggesting the absence of water conserving feedback mechanisms. Intra-watershed water movement was primarily towards the wetland from recharge areas in the upland swale, whereas surface runoff was rare and only occurred during extreme rain events and spring snowmelt. Peat properties were degraded compared to those observed in undisturbed peatlands, and natural stratification of the peat profile was absent. Results suggest that current conditions are not favorable for fen-peatland development as marsh-like conditions have developed, limiting water conserving functions and the ability to persist long-term in a changing climate. Development of the wetland (top) and upland (bottom) in the Sandhill Fen Watershed from 2013 to 2018. [Display omitted] • Reduced hydrologic management shifted the dominant water fluxes and WT responses to P and ET. • Upland ET > wetland ET, and upland ET increased year-over-year while wetland ET decreased. • WTs primarily coupled to atmospheric forcing indicating absence of water-conserving functions. • Quality of peat material degraded as natural stratification was absent. • Variable WTs, degraded peat, salinity and marsh-like areas are barriers for fen-peatland success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]