Hydrology of the Northwestern Subarctic Canadian Shield

The Canadian Shield occupies about one-third of Canada’s land area, one-fifth of the Mackenzie Basin, and contains much of Canada’s freshwater resource. The northwestern portion of the Shield has a relatively dry, subarctic climate and a heterogeneous landscape comprising exposed bedrock uplands, soil mantled slopes, wetlands and lakes. The water budget of bedrock uplands is influenced by rock fractures, slope aspect, precipitation or melt …