Regional patterns of postwildfire streamflow response in the Western United States: The importance of scale‐specific connectivity
Abstract
Wildfires can impact streamflow by modifying net precipitation, infiltration, evapotranspiration, snowmelt, and hillslope run‐off pathways. Regional differences in fire trends and postwildfire streamflow responses across the conterminous United States have spurred concerns about the impact on streamflow in forests that serve as water resource areas. This is notably the case for the Western United States, where fire activity and burn severity have increased in conjunction with climate change and increased forest density due to human fire suppression. In this review, we discuss the effects of wildfire on hydrological processes with a special focus on regional differences in postwildfire streamflow responses in forests. Postwildfire peak flows and annual water yields are generally higher in regions with a Mediterranean or semi‐arid climate (Southern California and the Southwest) compared to the highlands (Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest), where fire‐induced changes in hydraulic connectivity along the hillslope results in the delivery of more water, more rapidly to streams. No clear streamflow response patterns have been identified in the humid subtropical Southeastern United States, where most fires are prescribed fires with a low burn severity, and more research is needed in that region. Improved assessment of postwildfire streamflow relies on quantitative spatial knowledge of landscape variables such as prestorm soil moisture, burn severity and correlations with soil…
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Wildfires alter stream flow response to precipitation.
“Wildfires alter stream flow response to precipitation (Gao et al., 2017; Hallema, Sun, Bladon, et al., 2017; Hallema, Sun, Caldwell, et al., 2017; Shakesby & Doerr, 2006), and mobilize a variety of pollutants through downwind deposition or subsequent runoff.”
From Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management (2022) · cites this paper as Hallema, Sun, Bladon, et al., 2017
The effect of fire on groundwater and baseflow measurements remains relatively understudied.
“Compared to streamflow or peak flows, the effect of fire on groundwater and baseflow measurements remain relatively understudied (Hallema, Sun, Bladon, et al., 2017; Moody et al., 2013).”
From Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management (2022) · cites this paper as Hallema, Sun, Bladon, et al., 2017
Wildfires mobilize a variety of pollutants through downwind deposition or subsequent runoff.
“Wildfires alter stream flow response to precipitation (Gao et al., 2017; Hallema, Sun, Bladon, et al., 2017; Hallema, Sun, Caldwell, et al., 2017; Shakesby & Doerr, 2006), and mobilize a variety of pollutants through downwind deposition or subsequent runoff.”
From Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management (2022) · cites this paper as Hallema, Sun, Bladon, et al., 2017
Cites
A Project for Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity
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Wildfire and the Future of Water Supply
Bladon, K. D., Emelko, M. B., Silins, U., & Stone, M. (2014) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es500130g · Cited by 354 · see citing works
Self-citationMoody, J. A., & Martin, D. A. (2009) · International Journal of Wildland Fire · doi:10.1071/wf07162 · Cited by 283 · see citing works
Moody, J. A., & Martin, D. A. (2001) · Hydrological Processes · doi:10.1002/hyp.386 · Cited by 272 · cited 7× · see citing works
“Postwildfire floods with severe erosion have been observed in semi‐arid Arizona (Wagenbrenner, 2013) and New Mexico (Moody & Martin, 2001), and to a lesser degree in Mediterranean California and other parts of the West (Hallema, Sun, et al., 2016; Jung et al., 2009), but such occurrences are not…”
BackgroundResultInfluentialSilins, U., Bladon, K. D., Kelly, E. N., Esch, E., Spence, J. R., Stone, M., Emelko, M. B., Boon, S., Wagner, M. J., Williams, C. H. S., et al. (2014) · Ecohydrology · doi:10.1002/eco.1474 · Cited by 130 · see citing works
Self-citationA regional estimate of postfire streamflow change in California
Bart, R. R. (2016) · Water Resources Research · doi:10.1002/2014wr016553 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Hallema, D. W., Sun, G., Caldwell, P. V., Norman, S. P., Cohen, E. C., Liu, Y., Ward, E. J., & McNulty, S. G. (2017) · Ecohydrology · doi:10.1002/eco.1794 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Self-citationJung, H. Y., Hogue, T. S., Rademacher, L. K., & Meixner, T. (2009) · Hydrological Processes · doi:10.1002/hyp.7132 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
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Paul, M. J., LeDuc, S. D., Lassiter, M. G., Moorhead, L. C., Noyes, P. D., & Leibowitz, S. G. (2022) · Water Resources Research · doi:10.1029/2021wr030699 · Cited by 219 · see citing works
“Wildfires alter stream flow response to precipitation (Gao et al., 2017; Hallema, Sun, Bladon, et al., 2017; Hallema, Sun, Caldwell, et al., 2017; Shakesby & Doerr, 2006), and mobilize a variety of pollutants through downwind deposition or subsequent runoff.”
Burned forests impact water supplies
Hallema, D. W., Sun, G., Caldwell, P. V., Norman, S. P., Cohen, E. C., Liu, Y., Bladon, K. D., & McNulty, S. G. (2018) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03735-6 · Cited by 193 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Hallema, D. W., Sun, G., Bladon, K. D., Norman, S. P., Caldwell, P. V., Liu, Y., & McNulty, S. G.
- Affiliations
- US Forest Service (US)
- Oregon State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hallema, Dennis W.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Hydrological Processes
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2017-06
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 14
- Pages
- 2582-2598
- ISSN
- 0885-6087 (ISSN-L)
- 1099-1085
- OpenAlex
- W2607302959
- Cited by
- 92
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 3
- FWCI
- 3.98
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Hydrological Processes (publishedVersion)
- OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Keywords
- burn severity, hydraulic connectivity, hillslope runoff, peak flow, water yield, Mediterranean climate, semi-arid climate, prescribed burning, soil surface sealing, water repellency, ash deposition, soil moisture, regional variation, American West
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