Water Stewardship Information Sources

Citation Dillman, T. 2015. Investigating the dynamic hydrology of Garibaldi Lake. Quest University.
Organization Quest University
URL https://tantalus.questu.ca/~rwildman/summer/pastreports/2015_Dillman_report.pdf
Abstract/Description or Keywords Garibaldi Lake is located north of Squamish, BC at an elevation of 1470 meters, roughly 1100
meters above the Cheakamus valley and highway 99. This alpine lake is held in by an
archetypically unstable ice-contact volcanic deposit, The Barrier. Springing from the base of The
Barrier is Rubble Creek, which is assumed to be the primary outflow from the lake (besides a
seasonal overflow stream). Very little is known about the dynamics of this hydrological system,
hence I designed a monitoring system to quantify its behaviour. The monitoring system
comprises: the volumetric discharge of outflows, volumetric discharge of inflows, and the
subsequently changing volume of Garibaldi Lake. Questions explored throughout this paper
include: How do seasonal glacial and snowpack melt input affect the water level of the lake and
the outflow at both Rubble Creek and the overflow creek? Does Rubble Creek respond to
changes in lake behaviour (thus acting as a participant in the hydrodynamic system)? And, is
there a correlation between lake level and outflow levels? Using this method, I can begin to
monitor intermediate (seasonal) to long term (yearly) behavior of the Garibaldi Lake-BarrierRubble
Creek hydrodynamic system. Preliminary results show correlation between lake water
level behaviour and overflow creek discharge. It is probable that the lake water level is directly
responding to glacial and snowpack melt. However, it is yet unclear the degree to which the
flow in Rubble Creek dependent on the rest of the hydrodynamic system.
Information Type report
Regional Watershed Howe Sound & Sunshine Coast
Sub-watershed if known Rubble Creek
Aquifer #
Comments
Project status complete
Contact Name
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