Beaver dam influences on streamflow hydraulic properties and thermal regimes

Majerova, M.; Neilson, Bethany T.; Roper, Brett B.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134853

Cited by 18 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…This is supported by Harthun (1998) and Harthun (2000) who found beaver ponds were on average 2.3 °C warmer than adjacent stream sections in central Germany. It is also likely that beaver ponds are usually too shallow to develop significant temperature stratification (Naiman and Melillo, 1984), except in ponds that experience lengthy ice formation (Devito and Dillon, 1993), or in littoral zones with abundant macrophytes (Majerova et al, 2020). An increase in groundwater storage can increase the supply of water at the local groundwater average temperature, provided this is also contributing to downstream .…”

Section: Water Temperaturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…This warming can be extremely heterogeneous and site specific, for example McRae and Edwards (1994) found no relationship between the size or number of beaver ponds and the extent of warming, however Majerova et al (2015) did find that temperature increased cumulatively with the number of dams. Moreover, within a single beaver pond and wetland system, there is considerable spatial heterogeneity in the thermal regimes that itself mirrors the increased habitat variability, with the more marginal and shallower wetland and pond regions exhibiting the most warming and variation (Majerova et al, 2020). The increased surface water storage following beaver damming has also been found to act as a buffer of summertime low flow temperatures, increasing minimum and decreasing maximum diel ranges without a change in the mean temperature (Weber et al, 2017).…”

Section: Water Temperaturementioning

confidence: 99%

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Dam busy: beavers and their influence on the structure and function of river corridor hydrology, geomorphology, biogeochemistry and ecosystems

Larsen¹,

Lane²,

Larsen³

2020

Preprint

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Section: Water Temperaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Water Temperaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Dam busy: beavers and their influence on the structure and function of river corridor hydrology, geomorphology, biogeochemistry and ecosystems

Larsen¹,

Lane²,

Larsen³

2020

Preprint

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“…Differences in how downstream changes are reported among studies also add to uncertainty in determining the effect of beaver dams on stream temperature. For example, temperature analyses have reported results during critical periods of time for coldwater species, spanning from a single day (Means, 2018) to weeks (Majerova et al, 2020), to a month (Dittbrenner, 2019) and across seasons (Weber et al, 2017) and years (Clark, 2020). It is also possible that changes in other water quality parameters, especially dissolved oxygen (DO), may be influenced by BRR (Ecke et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dammed water quality—Longitudinal stream responses below beaver ponds in the Umpqua River Basin, Oregon

et al. 2022

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Beaver‐related restoration (BRR) has gained popularity as a means of improving stream ecosystems, but the effects are not fully understood. Studies of dissolved oxygen (DO) and water temperature, key water quality metrics for salmonids, have demonstrated improved conditions in some cases, but warming and decreased DO have been more commonly reported in meta‐analyses. These results point to the contingencies that can influence outcomes from BRR. We examined water quality related to beaver ponds in a diverse coastal watershed (Umpqua River Basin, OR, USA). We monitored water temperature 0–400 m above and below beaver ponds and at pond surfaces and bottoms across seven study sites from June through September of 2019. DO was also recorded at two sites at pond surfaces and pond bottoms. Downstream monthly mean daily maximum temperatures were warmer than upstream reference locations by up to 1.9°C at beaver dam outlets but this heating signal attenuated with downstream distance. Downstream warming was greatest in June and July and best predicted by pond bottom temperatures. DO at pond surfaces and bottoms were hypoxic (≤5 mg/L) for more than half of the 32‐day monitoring period. Water temperatures increased for short distances below monitored beaver ponds and observed oxygen conditions within ponds were largely unsuitable for salmonid fishes. These findings contrast with some commonly stated expectations of BRR, and we recommend that managers consider these expectations prior to implementation. In some cases, project goals may override water quality concerns but in streams where temperature or DO restoration are objectives, managers may consider using BRR techniques with caution.

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“…Stream temperature regimes and their ecological significance vary at spatial scales ranging from individual channel units to an entire stream network. For example, localized cool areas, such as stratified pools receiving groundwater discharge, can provide critical thermal refugia for cold‐ and cool‐water species during periods of elevated water temperature (Ebersole et al., 2001; Frechette et al., 2018; Majerova et al., 2020). Stream‐network‐scale variability and response to environmental change are important in relation to potential shifts in thermal habitat suitability, particularly for cold‐ and cool‐water species, and for situations in which a lack of hydraulic barriers allows multiple species to access the same habitats (Mandeville et al., 2019; Parkinson et al., 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lake Outflow and Hillslope Lateral Inflows Dictate Thermal Regimes of Forested Streams Draining Small Lakes

Leach

Neilson

Buahin

et al. 2021

Water Resources Research

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Empirical studies have highlighted the important influence of lakes on stream temperature at landscape scales, even when lakes comprise just a small fraction of the catchment area. However, only a few studies have focused on the hydrologic and thermal processes underpinning these landscape patterns. We collected detailed field measurements at a boreal stream that drains a headwater lake and used these data within a process-based stream temperature model to, (a) document the downstream extent of lake influences at both seasonal and event-based timescales, (b) assess the hydrologic and thermal processes that control the observed downstream variability, and (c) compare downstream temperature for streams with and without a headwater lake. Summer and autumn lake outlet temperatures were elevated compared to hillslope lateral inflow temperatures. During periods of low lake outflow, stream temperatures decreased rapidly downstream as local energy fluxes, primarily lateral inflows from the hillslopes and hyporheic exchange, overwhelmed the lake effects. The lake influence on downstream temperature was the greatest during periods of high lake outflow and persisted at least 1.4 km downstream. Since lakes can moderate and delay upstream rainfall runoff response, periods of high lake outflow and high hillslope inflow rates were generally out-of-phase. This difference in timing of warm lake outlet and cool hillslope water creates a dynamic thermal environment downstream of the small lake. Such lakes are ubiquitous in northern landscapes, and accounting for the competing influence of lake and hillslope contributions on downstream water temperature is critical for predicting how network-scale thermal regimes will respond to environmental change.Plain Language Summary Climate change and forest disturbance are altering stream thermal regimes and this impacts ecologically, culturally, and economically important fish species, such as salmon and trout. Decades of research have provided important insights on how stream temperatures respond to environmental change; however, more insight is needed, particularly for complex stream network structures, such as lake-stream systems. We collected detailed field measurements at a forested stream that drains a lake in northern Sweden to quantify the energy exchanges controlling stream temperature below a lake. We found that warm water coming from the lake, cool water from the hillslopes, and stream water exchanged with the streambed sediments had the most influence on stream temperature. The lake delays and moderates runoff from the catchment upstream of the lake; therefore, the lake and hillslopes deliver water to the stream at different times, creating a dynamic thermal environment below lakes. Such information is highly relevant for building better models to predict how stream temperatures will respond to environmental change and management interventions, particularly for the extensive lake-dominated landscapes in northern regions.LEACH ET AL.

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Beaver dam influences on streamflow hydraulic properties and thermal regimes

Cited by 18 publications

References 59 publications

Dam busy: beavers and their influence on the structure and function of river corridor hydrology, geomorphology, biogeochemistry and ecosystems

Dam busy: beavers and their influence on the structure and function of river corridor hydrology, geomorphology, biogeochemistry and ecosystems

Dammed water quality—Longitudinal stream responses below beaver ponds in the Umpqua River Basin, Oregon

Lake Outflow and Hillslope Lateral Inflows Dictate Thermal Regimes of Forested Streams Draining Small Lakes

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