Analyzing the Impacts of Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) Trails on Watershed Processes in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Off-road vehicle (ORV) trails in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska, significantly alter watershed processes, leading to increased drainage density and potential downstream impacts on flow regimes, water quality, and aquatic habitat. The study found that these trails cause earlier and deeper thaw of permafrost soils, which, combined with upslope expansion around stream channel initiation points, results in headward erosion of silt and peat soils during rainfall-runoff events. Researchers used aerial photography from 1957 to 2004 and ground surveys in 2009 to track trail evolution, revealing a marked increase in trail length and number. Soil monitoring and process studies confirmed that trails lower soil resistance and enhance runoff accumulation, suggesting broader ecological consequences beyond local vegetation damage.

Arp, C. D., & Simmons, T. (2012). Analyzing the Impacts of Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) Trails on Watershed Processes in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Environmental Management, 49(3), 751–766. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-012-9811-z