Hydrologic assessment of an inland freshwater delta using multi-temporal satellite remote sensing

The Peace-Athabasca Delta (PAD) is located in the northern extreme of Alberta, Canada and is one of the world's largest freshwater inland deltas. This complex and dynamic ecosystem has undergone substantial change over the last 25 years, primarily as a result of alterations to the hydrologic regime. The remoteness of the region, along with a shortage of hydrologic and ecological information, has necessitated the development of innovative methods, based on the use of satellite imagery, to assess these changes. Specialized image classification schemes were employed to derive a sixteen-year historical database of changes in water area on large lakes and isolated small basins within the delta. The time series for the large lakes has been used to quantify their hypsometric characteristics, information crucial to defining storage terms for hydraulic flow models of the delta, particularly at high stage conditions that involve over-bank flooding. Analysis of the perched basins has proven that, even with the relatively coarse resolution of LANDSAT images, satellite remote sensing of water conditions in the myriad of PAD riparian basins is a viable technique for hydrologic and ecological monitoring. The satellite derived time-series record of water levels on Jemis Lake has also permitted the first independent validation of the perched-basin water-balance model recently developed for use in assessing water-management options for the PAD. Recommendations for future research using RADARSAT are also noted. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.