Antecedent soil water for managed landscapes in central Alberta

Land management practices are known to influence runoff through alteration of the antecedent soil water For accurate estimation of runoff, direct meas urement of antecedent soil water would be necessary. This study investigate d antecedent soil water and the potential for summer storm runoff under dif ferent land management practices. The two-year study was conducted on five sires: three sites under forage (one on reclaimed mine lands), and two site s under pasture. Treatments included haying, mowing, fallow, and moderate a nd heavy livestock grazing. Soil water was measured with a neutron probe an d was generally less than 50% of water holding capacity (dry conditions). D uring recharge periods, water increased to nearfield capacity, but soil wat er was close to wilting point for some measurement dates. Pasture sites wer e generally wetter than forage sites, with the difference being most pronou nced on fallow treatments. The reclaimed site had generally lower total soi l water than the unmined ones.