Follow the Drop – Snow
Snow
Welcome to winter in the Rocky Mountains! You have fallen into the headwaters region of the Bow River, and here you will remain until the weather starts to warm up and you and the other snow flakes begin to melt.
As you can imagine, the amount of water in the Bow River changes a lot through the course of the year, with the highest levels reached during the spring and summer melt.
Snow in the mountains is a very important source of water for the Bow River and for the plants, animals and human activities that follow downstream. In fact, 80% of the water that flows in the Bow River starts out as snow1.
You’ll be happy to know that in the headwaters region where you landed, water quality is excellent with no significant contamination or minerals present. This is because when snow forms, it is generally quite clean. It can, however, pick up contaminants from the air as it falls1.
Snow that falls in areas that stay cold year-round can remain frozen and then build up and compact into ice to form glaciers. As it melts, snow can also seep into the ground to become groundwater, or it can flow into streams and rivers.
Fun Fact
Snow in the mountains: The Rocky Mountain headwaters are like water towers, storing water over winter and then releasing it as the temperatures rise later in the year1.
Definition
Contaminants: A substance that, in a sufficient concentration, will cause adverse effects to water, land, fish, or other things potentially rendering it unusable.
Where next?
With these options in mind, you have big decision to make! Do you want to remain where you are in the beautiful Rocky Mountains as a glacier or as groundwater, or do you want to join the swift moving currents and become part of the upper reaches of the Bow River?
References and Further Reading
- McGill University. (2017, April 4). Melting snow contains a toxic cocktail of pollutants: Air pollution from cars affected by freezing temperatures and snow. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 19, 2020 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170404160052.htm