Origin of the Colorado River experimental flood in Grand Canyon

Andrews, E. D.; Pizzi, Leslie A.

doi:10.1080/02626660009492361

Cited by 22 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Although a number of studies have examined the effects of single floods (flushing flows) on riverine ecosystems below dams (Reiser et al, 1985;Kondolf and Wilcock, 1996;Molles et al, 1998;Patten et al, 2001), we are aware of no study that examined the effects of intra-annual flood flows in multiple years (but see Robinson et al, 2003). This is not unexpected since the implementation of a flood program can be highly complex and take many years at substantial financial cost (Andrews and Pizzi, 2000). The flood regime implemented in the present study was cost-neutral, however, as no economic cost was realized from the release of water from the reservoir (Scheurer, 2000;Scheurer et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Effects of a multi-year experimental flood regime on macroinvertebrates downstream of a reservoir

Robinson

Uehlinger

Monaghan

2003

Aquatic Sciences - Research Across Boundaries

106

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Abstract.We examined the response of stream macroinvertebrates to a multiple-year experimental flood regime downstream of a large reservoir. Benthic samples were collected from the River Spöl prior to the initial flood (1999) and at periodic intervals before and after eight floods from 2000 through 2002. Three artificial floods occurred each in 2000 and 2001, and two floods were implemented in 2002. We also sampled macroinvertebrates in an adjacent tributary (Val da l'Aqua) on the same dates as in the Spöl to assess the natural temporal variability in assemblage structure. The regulated baseflow discharge in the Spöl was < 2.5 m 3 /s, whereas the floods ranged from 10 m 3 /s to over 25 m 3 /s with some flood peaks reaching > 40 m 3 /s for a short period. Repeated measures ANOVA indicated that the floods significantly reduced macroinvertebrate densities in the Spöl, although recovery to pre-flood densities occurred within a matter of weeks to densities found in 1999. A principal components analysis revealed that assemblage composition shifted in Aquat. Sci. 65 (2003) 210-222 1015-1621/03/030210-13 DOI 10.1007/s00027-003-0663-8 © EAWAG, Dübendorf, 2003 Aquatic Sciences response to the recurring floods, first from 1999 to 2000 and then from 2000 to 2001/2. Taxa that decreased in abundance due to the floods included the Gammaridae (Gammarus fossarum) and Turbellaria (Crenobia alpina). Taxa that increased in abundance included Baetidae, Chironomidae, and Simuliidae. Some Plecoptera, Trichoptera, and Heptageniidae that were negatively impacted by the floods in 2000, subsequently increased in abundance. Our data suggest that the response of macroinvertebrates to experimental floods occurs over a period of years rather than months, as species composition adjusts to the new and more variable habitat template. Future changes are expected as additional species begin to colonize the river from adjacent sources. The results clearly show that the experimental flood regime should be maintained if resource managers wish to sustain the development of a more natural macroinvertebrate assemblage.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Effects of a multi-year experimental flood regime on macroinvertebrates downstream of a reservoir

Robinson

Uehlinger

Monaghan

2003

Aquatic Sciences - Research Across Boundaries

106

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“…This does not require a major storage of melt water in the spring, as in the case of reservoir dams. The homogenization flow regime is the regime most commonly observed in continental or mountainous temperate climates, owing to the increase in winter flows to generate hydroelectric power (Reily and Johnson, 1982;Maheshwari et al, 1995;Andrews and Pizzi, 2000;Merrit and Cooper, 2000;Leconte et al, 2001). The water stored in spring can also serve for irrigation or for air conditioning in the summer.…”

Section: Impacts Of Dams On the Frequency Of Rare Floodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been shown, however, that flood flows play just as crucial a role in the functioning and productivity of river ecosystems (Stanford et al, 1996). The case of the Colorado River in the USA is an eloquent example (Schmidt et al, 1998;Andrews and Pizzi, 2000;Patten et al, 2001). Experimentation with the effects of a flood revealed the necessity of restoring certain strong spring floods that completely disappeared after dam construction (Patten et al, 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Comparison of impacts of dams on the annual maximum flow characteristics in three regulated hydrologic regimes in Québec (Canada)

Assani

Stichelbout

Roy

et al. 2006

Hydrological Processes

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Abstract:Despite the presence of numerous dams in Québec, no study has yet been devoted to their impacts on flood levels. To compensate for this deficiency, we have compared the impacts of dams on the five characteristics (magnitude and its interannual variability, timing and its interannual variability, and asymmetry) of the maximum annual flows between natural rivers and regulated rivers by means of several statistical approaches (analysis of variance, chi-square test, nonparametric tests, etc.). In the course of this study, we analysed 88 stations on pristine rivers and 60 stations on regulated rivers. The latter group was subdivided into three regulated hydrologic regimes, i.e. inversed flow regimes (25 stations), homogenization flow regimes (15 stations) and natural-type flow regimes (20 stations). The following observations emerge from this study. (1) In inversed and homogenization flow regimes, generally associated with reservoirs, all the flow characteristics are modified. These modifications notably entrain a decrease in magnitude, a significant reduction in the frequency of the maximum annual spring flows when the snow is melting and an increase in skewness of the distribution and interannual variability of the magnitude and dates of occurrence of the annual maximum flows. We also observed the disappearance of most flows with a recurrence of over 10 years. All these changes particularly affect watersheds larger than 10 000 km 2 . (2) In natural-type flow regimes, often associated with run-of-river dams, very few changes were observed compared with pristine rivers. These changes primarily affected watersheds smaller than 1000 km 2 .

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“…Single periodic floods (flushing flows) have been frequently used to remove fine sediments that accumulate in reaches below dams with the primary intent to improve habitat conditions and fisheries (see references in Reiser et al, 1985). Most notable of such a single high flow was the Glen Canyon flood experiment on the Colorado River below lake Powell (Andrews and Pizzi, 2000), even-though that experiment was designed to mobilize and redistribute sediments rather than as a pure flushing flow. However, there have been only a handful of studies addressing the use of sequential floods (intra-annual and annual) for river restoration (Rulifson and Manooch, 1993;Molles et al, 1998;Robinson et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Longitudinal effects of experimental floods on stream benthos downstream from a large dam

Jakob

Robinson

Uehlinger

2003

Aquatic Sciences - Research Across Boundaries

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Abstract.We examined the longitudinal effects of 3 experimental floods on seston, periphyton, and macroinvertebrates in a regulated river downstream from a large reservoir in the Swiss Alps. In addition, suspended organic sediments, in conjunction with conductivity and turbidity, were measured during each flood. Three study reaches were selected downstream from the reservoir: an Upper site ca 150 m, a Middle site at 1.2 km, and a Lower site at 2.3 km from the dam. The Upper site was located upstream of any significant source of sediments. No flood effect was observed on water temperature, although river temperatures and diel amplitudes increased progressively downstream from the dam. Most organic sediments were mobilized and transported within the first few hours of each flood, with the pulse in sediments typically occuring later (after peak discharge) and being more prolonged at the Lower site. Turbidity generally decreased Aquat. Sci. 65 (2003) Dübendorf, 2003 Aquatic Sciences during the flood season, perhaps in response to lower amounts of fines and reductions in periphyton biomass. Seston concentrations (as chlorophyll a and AFDM) were lowest at the Upper site, and typically decreased following each flood. The flood response in seston was lowest at the Upper site and more pronounced at the Middle and Lower sites. Periphyton biomass also was lowest at the Upper site, and the flood effects were significant only in the Middle and Lower sites. In contrast, macroinvertebrate densities were similar between the Upper and Lower sites, and both sites exhibited a similar response to the floods. These results indicate a longitudinal response of river benthos to flooding below the reservoir that partly reflects the examined benthic constituent (periphyton or zoobenthos) and the longitudinal differences in the degree and type (e. g., flow in combination with sediment mobility and scouring) of disturbance.223 -231 1015-1621/03/030223-09 DOI 10.1007/s00027-003-0662-9 © EAWAG,

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Origin of the Colorado River experimental flood in Grand Canyon

Abstract: The Colorado River is one of the most highly regulated and extensively utilized rivers in the world. Total reservoir storage is approximately four times the mean annual runoff of -17 x 10 m 3 year" 1

Cited by 22 publications

References 9 publications

Effects of a multi-year experimental flood regime on macroinvertebrates downstream of a reservoir

Effects of a multi-year experimental flood regime on macroinvertebrates downstream of a reservoir

Comparison of impacts of dams on the annual maximum flow characteristics in three regulated hydrologic regimes in Québec (Canada)

Longitudinal effects of experimental floods on stream benthos downstream from a large dam

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