EPA-USGS Technical Report: Protecting Aquatic Life from Effects of Hydrologic Alteration

Kennen, Jonathan G.; Abele, Ralph; Baschon, Carol; Carlisle, Daren M.; Dlugolecki, Laura; Flotemersch, Joe; Ford, P.; Fowler, Jamie; Galer, Rose; Gordon, Lisa Perras; Hansen, Susan B.; Herbold, Bruce; Johnston, John M.; Konrad, Christopher P.; Leamond, Beth; Novak, Rachael M.; Seelbach, Paul W.

doi:10.3133/sir20165164

Cited by 2 publications

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“…Continuous, long-term streamgages were identified from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS, U.S. Geological Survey 2019), and annual records of daily mean streamflows were evaluated to determine suitability for use in this study. Suitable streamgages contained at least one period with a minimum of 10 years of consecutive and complete water years of data (Novak et al 2016, U.S. Geological Survey 2019, Krall et al 2022. A water year represents the period from October 1st through the following September 30th and is defined by the year in which it ends.…”

Section: Hydrologic Datasetsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying relations between altered hydrology and fish community responses for streams in Minnesota

et al. 2022

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Background Altered hydrology is a stressor on aquatic life, but quantitative relations between specific aspects of streamflow alteration and biological responses have not been developed on a statewide scale in Minnesota. Best subsets regression analysis was used to develop linear regression models that quantify relations among five categories of hydrologic metrics (i.e., duration, frequency, magnitude, rate-of-change, and timing) computed from streamgage records and six categories of biological metrics (i.e., composition, habitat, life history, reproductive, tolerance, trophic) computed from fish-community samples, as well as fish-based indices of biotic integrity (FIBI) scores and FIBI scores normalized to an impairment threshold of the corresponding stream class (FIBI_BCG4). Relations between hydrology and fish community responses were examined using three hydrologic datasets that represented periods of record, long-term changes, and short-term changes to flow regimes in streams of Minnesota. Results Regression models demonstrated significant relations between hydrologic explanatory metrics and fish-based biological response metrics, and the five regression models with the strongest linear relations explained over 70% of the variability in the biological metric using three hydrologic metrics as explanatory variables. Tolerance-based biological metrics demonstrated the strongest linear relations to hydrologic metrics. The most commonly used hydrologic metrics were related to bankfull flows and aspects of flow variability. Conclusions Final regression models represent paired streamgage records and biological samples throughout the State of Minnesota and encompass differences in stream orders, hydrologic landscape units, and watershed sizes. Presented methods can support evaluations of stream fish communities and facilitate targeted efforts to improve the health of fish communities. Methods also can be applied to locations outside of Minnesota with continuous streamgage data and fish-community samples.

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Section: Hydrologic Datasetsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying relations between altered hydrology and fish community responses for streams in Minnesota

et al. 2022

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“…Assessing the effects of streamflow alteration on aquatic ecosystems has been identified as a critical area of research in the US (Carlisle et al, 2010; Novak et al, 2016), and abroad (Annear et al, 2004; Arthington et al, 2018; Kennen et al, 2018; Poff et al, 2010), and this has motivated many federal and provincial governments to establish environmental flow rules and criteria for the protection of biological resources and ecosystem integrity (e.g., Hart, 2016; Le Quesne et al, 2010; Mazor et al, 2018; Novak et al, 2016; Peek et al, 2022). Balancing human needs for water with ecological needs while minimizing damage to the goods and services provided by river ecosystems requires an understanding of the relations between the natural and human factors that affect flow characteristics and drive changes in the biological assemblages.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unravelling the influence of landscape alteration from flow alteration on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage response in the Delaware River Basin

Kennen

Cuffney

2023

Ecohydrology

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Quantifying the effects of streamflow alteration on assemblage response is central to understanding the role humans play in shaping aquatic environments. These changes represent a level of complexity that impedes developing quantitative links between flow and ecological response because stream hydrology is strongly intertwined with natural and anthropogenic factors. Better management outcomes require disentangling these linkages. Benthic macroinvertebrate data were combined with GISderived natural and anthropogenic basin characteristics to identify factors associated with changes in flow and assemblage characteristics. Models linking streamflow metrics and macroinvertebrate response at basin-and subregion-scales were developed using boosted regression tree (BRT) analysis. Basin-scale BRT analyses revealed that links between macroinvertebrate response and streamflow metrics were often obscured, whereas more homogeneous subregions were better able to discern relations with flow. Urban land cover was the primary factor accounting for changes in flow characteristics. Elevation, land cover and high flow frequency were the principal variables driving changes in assemblage structure within subregions. Assemblage metrics and traits were equally useful for building response models and were affected similarly by flow alteration. Our results indicate that response models based on upland and lowland subregions performed better than basin-scale models. However, when defining subregions, care should be taken to maintain data sufficiency. Developing practical flow-protection standards that support a balance between human water requirements and ecological integrity requires models that reduce uncertainty and identify management-relevant drivers. However, effective management often differs by location and models developed at the subregion level may be more applicable to management and stakeholder interests.

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EPA-USGS Technical Report: Protecting Aquatic Life from Effects of Hydrologic Alteration

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Quantifying relations between altered hydrology and fish community responses for streams in Minnesota

Quantifying relations between altered hydrology and fish community responses for streams in Minnesota

Unravelling the influence of landscape alteration from flow alteration on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage response in the Delaware River Basin

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