An increase in temperatures, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and shifts in the timing of freeze-thaw conditions will directly impact the Arctic hydrological cycle. In particular, changes to the timing of snow accumulation and subsequent melt on land will influence the delivery of freshwater to river systems and, ultimately, to the ocean. This project is motivated by a need to better characterize and quantify the impacts of changing snow conditions on river discharge within the Kitikmeot Region and Northwest Territories in order to better understand freshwater contributions to the ocean under a changing climate.This project composes Aspect 4 (Hydrology) of a multi-disciplinary cryospheric monitoring network project lead by Dr. Alex Langlois, Université de Sherbrooke, entitled “Development of a multi-scale cryosphere monitoring network for the Kitikmeot region and Northwest territories using in-situ measurements, modeling and remote sensing”, funded by Polar Knowledge Canada. There are three main objectives to this study: (1) to investigate the geochemical characteristics of winter snow cover and spring snow melt; (2) use observed geochemical values to determine snow melt contributions to spring flow of the Coppermine River and Freshwater Creek, the major river systems associated with the snow sampling sites; and (3) use model outputs to predict the impact of future changes in snow cover to freshwater export to the marine system. Field sampling for the hydrology study will be carried out in collaboration with community and research partners working within the Coppermine River and Freshwater Creek. Weekly river sampling in the spring (snow and ice cover) will be carried out using snowmobiles and no permanent infrastructure will be erected. Once the snow and ice have cleared from the river, water sampling will continue with the use of small boats (operated by local community partners) or directly from the stream-side. River water samples collected are non-destructive and no restoration plans are required.In conjunction with snow sampling that will be carried out by Dr. Langlois’ team, water samples for the determination of snow melt and river geochemistry will be collected from the Coppermine River starting in March until the end of summer and from Freshwater Creek from ice break up (June) until freeze-up (October). Coppermine River sampling will be conducted in collaboration with the Kugluktuk Hunters and Trappers Organization. Results from this project will be shared with the communities of Kugluktuk and Cambridge Bay, as facilitated through local contacts such as the Kugluktuk HTO, Cambridge Bay HTO, and CHARS. Results from the cryospheric monitoring network study will be communicated through pamphlets and posters, and will contribute to the development of a community based-monitoring program of weather observations. Aspect 4 (Hydrology) of the cryospheric monitoring network project has been discussed with the Kugluktuk HTO, who supplied a letter of support for our initial project proposal.