We applied CoupModel to quantify the impacts of natural and human disturbances to adjacent water bodies in regulating net CO₂ uptake of northern peatlands. We found that 1 m drops of the water level at the beaver pond lower the peatland water table depth 250 m away by 0.15 m and reduce the peatland net CO₂ uptake by 120 g C m^-2 yr^-1. Therefore, although bogs are ombrotrophic rainfed systems, the boundary hydrological conditions play an important role in regulating water storage and CO₂ uptake.