HR: 0800h
AN: C41A-0194    [Abstracts]
TI: Historical human demands for freshwater in the Arctic
AU: * Strang, E T
EM: ftets@uaf.edu
AF: University of Alaska Fairbanks - Water and Environmental Research Center (UAF-WERC), Box 755860, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5860 United States
AU: White, D
EM: ffdmw@uaf.edu
AF: University of Alaska Fairbanks - Water and Environmental Research Center (UAF-WERC), Box 755860, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5860 United States
AU: Hinzman, L
EM: ffldh@uaf.edu
AF: University of Alaska Fairbanks - Water and Environmental Research Center (UAF-WERC), Box 755860, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5860 United States
AB: The overall objective of this research is to understand how humans rely on freshwater at local and regional scales in selected parts of the Arctic, how these dependencies have changed in the recent past, and how they are likely to change in the future. This study is taking place on the Seward Peninsula where climate induced changes in the hydrologic cycle are currently being observed. This presentation will document results to date on historical industrial and domestic water demand on the Seward Peninsula. Preliminary results suggest that water use in the Nome Mining District decreased proportionally with the decline of placer mining operations. Water was used in placer gold mining operations on the Seward Peninsula to run hydraulic giants and sluice boxes. Because water was one of the limiting factors in mining operations, a series of ditches diverted nearly all available surface water in the Nome mining district between 1905 and 1914 for industrial use. The domestic water demand, that is, water used for drinking, cooking and cleaning, increased over the past 40 years as piped water and sewer systems were installed in many villages. Domestic demand can increase by 900% when a community installs piped water. The increase in demand corresponding to this change of delivery system can be seen in the difference between water consumption in a village with a central watering point, such as Wales, and a village such as Brevig Mission, where every house is connected to a piped water and sewer system. Historical pressures on the freshwater resource are being used to better understand the vulnerability of the resource now and in the future. This study is being funded under the NSF Arctic System Science Program, Human Dimensions of the Arctic (OPP-0328686).
DE: 9315 Arctic region
DE: 1655 Water cycles (1836)
DE: 1699 General or miscellaneous
DE: 1836 Hydrologic budget (1655)
DE: 1884 Water supply
SC: Cryosphere [C]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting