Dr. Uldis Silins, Professor of Forest Hydrology, University of Alberta, usilins@ualberta.ca 

Dr. Uldis Silins is a professor of forest hydrology in the Department of Renewable Resources at the University of Alberta. His research largely focuses on impacts of natural disturbances such as wildfire and Mountain Pine Beetle, along with those of forest management on hydrology, water quality, and aquatic health. For the past 17yrs., he has been leading a large pan-Canadian water research team studying both wildfire and forest management impacts to water with the Southern Rockies Watershed Project 

ABSTRACT

Wildfire impacts to water in the Rocky Mountains: How much can we generalize?

Severe wildfires likely represent an end-member of landscape disturbances that can impact a broad range of water resources values. However, while wildfires generally impact hydrologic process that regulate runoff, erosion, and water quality in similar ways, research on impacts of several particularly severe Alberta wildfires (2003 Lost Ck., 2006 Horse River [Ft. McMurray], and the 2017 Kenow Mtn. wildfire) on hydrology, water quality, and stream health have shown both some similarity, but also substantial departure from wildfire impacts to water reported in other regions. Notably, this long-term research has also provided important insights into the scope of individual and intersecting (compound) climate associated disturbances such as wildfire, flooding, along with forest management interventions. These have important implications for watershed protection and climate change adaptation strategies in the face of shifting climates.