Yields of Dissolved Solids from Aspen-Grassland and Spruce-Fir Watersheds in Southwestern Alberta

Abstract

Water quality samples representing various flow conditions were collected from the main creeks of Streeter and Marmot experimental watersheds in southwestern Alberta. Total dissolved solids were determined gravimetrically after evaporating aliquots of filtered samples. An excellent correlation between stream discharge and yield of dissolved solids was found in the two watersheds. The regression models thus established were used to estimate the yields of total dissolved solids from the streamflow data on a daily, monthly, and annual basis. The highest yield occurred in the month of June and the lowest during the low-flow months of winter. The yield of total dissolved solids transported annually amounted to 27 metric tons per square kilometer for aspen-grassland vegetation, compared to 69 metric tons per square kilometer for spruce-fir forest.