Hydrologic pathways during snowmelt in first-order stream basins at the Turkey Lakes Watershed

The chemical composition of stream and soil water collected from two first- order stream basins in the Turkey Lakes Watershed (TLW) during the spring m elt periods of 1992-1996 was examined to determine the flowpaths of snowmel t to the stream channel. Soil water was intensively sampled from within the soil organic layers as well as above (shallow soil water) and within (deep soil water) a compact basal till. Stream SiO2 concentrations of the high-e levation basin 47 were the same as the levels found in shallow soil water, and forest-floor percolate SiO2 concentrations were elevated to these level s during intense melting periods. The SiO2 concentrations from the stream a nd the shallow an deep soil water were similar at the low-elevation basin 3 1. With the exception of deep soil water, water collected from the soil and stream at basin 47 had higher H+ and Al and lower base cation concentratio ns than basin 31. Stream Al concentrations were significantly correlated wi th forest-floor percolate Al concentrations at the high-elevation basin, wh ereas stream Al concentrations were correlated with mineral soil water Al c oncentrations at the low-elevation site. There were significant positive co rrelations between stream and shallow soil water H+ at both basins. Shallow soil water pathways, therefore, were an important contributor to streamflo w, and influenced stream chemical response during the spring snowmelt at TL W.