Fish passage modelling for environmental flows: Hawkesbury‐Nepean River, NSW, Australia

Reinfelds, Ivars; Keenan, Helen M; Walsh, Christopher T.

doi:10.1002/rra.3445

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…The complementary case study by Rose, Erskine, and Miners (2020b) shows how experimental releases from dams can be used to quantify recovery in downstream‐regulated reaches. Keeping with the focus of improving ecosystem function in regulated rivers, Reinfelds, Keenan, and Walsh (2020) present the results of a two‐dimensional hydraulic modelling study to improve passage of Australian bass ( Percalates novemaculeata ) downstream of Warragamba Dam, NSW, Australia. Combined, these three manuscripts highlight the need for robust, objective approaches for determining environmental flow strategies.…”

Section: Examples Of Riverine Landscapes Water Resource Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Riverine landscapes, water resource development and management: A view from downunder

Thoms

Rose²,

Dyer

2020

River Research & Apps

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A perfect storm refers to an event in which a rare combination of circumstances significantly exacerbates the event. River science faces a potential perfect storm through the emergence of several factors. First, pronounced and persistent human modifications to catchments and rivers have resulted in regime shifts-a state change of riverine landscapes. Anthropocene Rivers have different ecosystem structures and functions and cannot return to their "natural state." This new regime challenges accepted river science paradigms, especially those focused on traditional models of stressor-response. Second, river science is rapidly transitioning from a multidisciplinary activity focused on biophysical structures and functions, to rivers as social-ecological systems. The rise of interdisciplinary research not only recognizes the high degree of coupling between natural and human components, but also the generation of river knowledge that is more socially accountable. Third, the application of scientific knowledge to solve "wicked" river problems continues. However, increasingly river managers are faced with decisions in an environment of high uncertainty about what they are managing, and the potential impacts of their actions. The manuscripts in this Special Issue highlight a potential perfect storm facing Australian riverine landscapes. The issue is dedicated to Professor Wayne Erskine; an intellectual leader of Australian river science for over 20 years. Focussed on the science and management of Australian Rivers, the 14 manuscripts broadly cover the areas in which Wayne made his greatest contributions: river processes and management. Each has a strong foundation in theory and has application in helping to solve some of the complex problems faced by Australia's river managers across a range of spatial and temporal scales.

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Section: Examples Of Riverine Landscapes Water Resource Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Riverine landscapes, water resource development and management: A view from downunder

Thoms

Rose²,

Dyer

2020

River Research & Apps

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This regime was based on scaling flows to a nearby unregulated snowmelt river (Reinfelds et al 2013). The high flow EFR increased median daily flows to 3.7 m 3 /s and the mean number of large flow days per year (discharge >11.6 m 3 /s) that could initiate movement of fine-grained sediment (particle size: riffle <10 mm, pools <2 mm; Reinfelds & Williams 2008) increased from less than 1 between 2000 and 2010 to 31 after 2010 (Fig. 2A & 2B).…”

Section: Study Area and Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐term environmental flows restore benthic invertebrate communities in a highly regulated river

Brooks,

Coleman,

Bevitt

et al. 2024

Restoration Ecology

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The construction of dams and other in‐stream structures for human use has altered river ecosystems worldwide. Dams degrade rivers, and environmental flow releases aim to mitigate flow alterations and restore rivers downstream of dams by returning elements of the pre‐regulation flow regime, resulting in an ecosystem that resembles a more natural state. We examined the responses of benthic invertebrate communities in riffles and pool‐edge habitats to an environmental flow regime (EFR) in the highly regulated Snowy River over 17 years (2000–2016). Benthic invertebrate communities significantly changed in response to prolonged increases in the magnitude of all components of the flow regime. The composition of the benthos in the regulated river became more dissimilar to pre‐EFR communities and more closely resembled those of nearby unregulated rivers. These changes were apparent in both riffle and pool‐edge habitats and were most pronounced when flow magnitudes were highest. Scrapers increased as flows increased, and in contrast, the relative abundances of gatherers declined with prolonged high flows and could be attributed to increased daily flows and high flow events mobilizing fine sediment and scouring benthic substrates. These results indicated that the EFR altered abiotic conditions or resources that previously limited invertebrate abundances, facilitating changes to the benthic community. Community changes we observed were in response to a flow regime that remained drastically lower than natural, demonstrating that restoration targets can be achieved with small flow increases that mimic natural flow patterns.

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Fish passage modelling for environmental flows: Hawkesbury‐Nepean River, NSW, Australia

Abstract: Robust, objective, and repeatable approaches that define flow thresholds for fish passage across critical natural barriers such as riffles, rapids, and waterfalls are required for determining environmental flow strategies. These approaches also pro-

Cited by 2 publications

References 21 publications

Riverine landscapes, water resource development and management: A view from downunder

Riverine landscapes, water resource development and management: A view from downunder

Long‐term environmental flows restore benthic invertebrate communities in a highly regulated river

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