Quantifying floodwater impacts on a lake water budget via volume-dependent transient stable isotope mass balance

Abstract

Isotope mass balance models have undergone significant developments in the last decade, demonstrating their utility for assessing the spatial and temporal variability in hydrological processes and revealing significant value for baseline assessment in remote and/or flood-affected settings where direct measurement of surface water fluxes to lakes (i.e. stream gauging) are difficult to perform. In this study, we demonstrate that isotopic mass balance modelling can be used to provide evidence of the relative importance of direct floodwater inputs and temporary subsurface storage of floodwater at ungauged lake systems. A volume-dependent transient isotopic mass balance model was developed for an artificial lake (named lake A) in southern Quebec (Canada). This lake typically receives substantial floodwater inputs during the spring freshet period as an ephemeral hydraulic connection with a 150 000 km2 large watershed is established. First-order water flux estimates to lake A allow for impacts of floodwater inputs to be highlighted within the annual water budget. The isotopic mass balance model has revealed that groundwater and surface water inputs account for 60 %–71 % and 39 %–28 % of the total annual water inputs to lake A, respectively, which demonstrates an inherent dependence of the lake on groundwater. However, when considering the potential temporary subsurface storage of floodwater, the partitioning between groundwater and surface water inputs tends to equalize, and the lake A water budget is found to be more resilient to groundwater quantity and quality changes. Our findings suggest not only that floodwater fluxes to lake A have an impact on its dynamics during springtime but also significantly influence its long-term water balance and help to inform, understand, and predict future water quality variations. From a global perspective, this knowledge is useful for establishing regional-scale management strategies for maintaining water quality at flood-affected lakes, for predicting the response of artificial recharge systems in such settings, and for mitigating impacts due to land use and climate changes.