Climate change is reshaping global hydrological patterns in higher-latitude regions, intensifying floods and droughts. In Canada, it has made runoff timing and quantity more unpredictable and altered the balance between snowmelt and rainfall-driven flow, while shifting the seasonality of peak discharges. Our collective field-based research seeks to improve understanding and prediction of mountain headwater runoff generation. This is accomplished through systematic monitoring of snow accumulation, ablation, melt, soil moisture, and other observed variables while integrating high-frequency monitoring of stable isotopes in water (2H, 18O) tied to advanced hydrological models. Central to this work is deployment of state-of-the-art equipment to collect water isotope samples from precipitation, snowpacks, snowmelt, and runoff in headwaters of the South Saskatchewan River Basin. This monitoring builds upon the well-established hydrometeorological observations of the Canadian Rockies Hydrological Observatory. These tools will generate high-frequency data on snowmelt flux, isotopic composition, and soil moisture critical for enhancing model accuracy. Furthermore, since cold remote environments pose several challenges for standard monitoring techniques, we test and refine methods for improved data collection. By integrating water isotope data with concurrent hydrometeorological measurements, this research aims to refine traditional snowmelt models, reduce uncertainty in peak flow prediction, and provide early indicators of climate change. This study is linked with Global Water Futures Observatories and broader networks of snow and water isotope research across Alberta, the Canadian Prairies, and the pan-Arctic, enabling cross-scale analyses with the aim of making local monitoring and modelling takeaways more broadly applicable.
