Classification of Stream Types in Beaufort Sea Drainages between Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, and the Mackenzie Delta, N. W. T., Canada

Abstract

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.. INSTAAR, University of Colorado andThe Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate, contracting on behalf of the University of Colorado at Boulder for the benefit of INSTAAR are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Arctic and Alpine Research.ABSTRACT Arctic streams in Beaufort Sea drainages from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to the Mackenzie River delta are described and classified. Mountain Streams originate in the Arctic Mountain Province and are the largest streams in the study area. These are cold waters (usually less than 100C) which flow about five months of the year. Arctic char is the common fish species in these streams, and the density of benthic invertebrates is typically low (100 organisms/m2). Spring Streams are small spring-fed tributaries of Mountain Streams. Most are fresh water with temperatures of 3 to 7?C although thermal and mineral springs do occur. The springs are inhabited by Arctic char and high densities of benthic invertebrates (10,000 organisms/m2). Tundra Streams originate in the Foothills and Coastal Plain Provinces and flow for 3.5 to 4.5 months of the year. Their waters are stained brown and have a lower pH, conductance and lower concentrations of calcium than found in Mountain or Spring Streams. Summer water temperatures may exceed 16?C. These streams are used as spawning and rearing areas by grayling. Densities of benthic invertebrates are between the other stream types.

Drainage Network Structure and Hydrologic Behavior of Three Lake-Rich Watersheds on the Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska

“…We found that nearly an equal proportion of the fluvial network is composed of beaded streams (primarily as 1st-to 3rd-order channels) as allu- (Oswood et al, 1989) and on other permafrost-affected landscapes with ice-wedge networks (Pewe, 1966). Other known systems of organizing Arctic streams (Craig and McCart, 1975) use the stream classes of ''mountain,'' ''spring,'' and ''tundra'' based primarily on source-water and water-quality characteristics. No doubt all streams and rivers in our study area would fit into the tundra class, of which beaded streams are specifically noted in Craig and McCart (1975).…”

“…Other known systems of organizing Arctic streams (Craig and McCart, 1975) use the stream classes of ''mountain,'' ''spring,'' and ''tundra'' based primarily on source-water and water-quality characteristics. No doubt all streams and rivers in our study area would fit into the tundra class, of which beaded streams are specifically noted in Craig and McCart (1975). Our classification system is more generally based on channel form and corresponding formative processes, and besides the beaded stream class that is likely Arctic specific, the alluvial and colluvial classes broadly represent formative processes that are generally recognized in most drainage networks (Montgomery and Buffington, 1997).…”

Seasonal and hydrologic drivers of dissolved organic matter and nutrients in the upper Kuparuk River, Alaskan Arctic

“…1), where it drains the foothills free of glacial or deep spring sources (Craig and McCart 1975). The upper Kuparuk is a relatively small stream (average summer discharge *2.5 m 3 /s) as compared to the Kuparuk River mouth, where discharge can reach 1000 m 3 /s during the spring flood (Fig.…”

Ecological Characteristicsof Streams in the Barrenlands near Lac de Gras, N.W.T., Canada

“…Pioneering studies (e.g., Watson et al, 1966;Kalff, 1968) surveyed large areas, tending to collect physicochemical data, but made few comparisons in a broader context. More synthetic was Craig and McCart's (1975) classification of stream types in Beaufort Sea drainages, based mainly on physiographic characteristics. In 1983, the R4D program (Response, Resistance and Resilience to, and Recovery from, Disturbances in Arctic Ecosystems) was established, focusing efforts on the Imnavait Creek watershed in the northern foothills of the Brooks Range, Alaska (e.g., Everett et al, 1989;Kane et al, 1989;Miller and Stout, 1989;Oswood, 1989;Oswood et al, 1989;Irons and Oswood, 1992).…”