Dams in the last large free-flowing rivers of Patagonia, the Santa Cruz River, environmental features, and macroinvertebrate community

Spatial Pattern and Habitat Requirements of Galaxias maculatus in the Last Un-Interrupted Large River of Patagonia: A Baseline for Management

“…The effect of disturbance are especially evident in smaller species or stages; particularly, G. maculatus swimming performance from New Zealand showed that the degree of fish-turbulence interaction may depend on both the turbulence energy and size of fish (Nikora, Aberle, Biggs, Jowett, & Sykes, 2003). The two dams to be built on the Santa Cruz will have another great impact on fish population: the obliteration of 51% of the current lotic environment, and the flooding of the most productive sections of the river (Tagliaferro et al, 2013). No information about possible development of fish passages for management projects wasavailable.…”

“…278.1 m 3 s -1 in Septemberand max. 1,278 m 3 s -1 in March), which is highly predictable due to a glacial dominated flow regime (Tagliaferro, Miserendino, Liberoff, Quiroga, & Pascual, 2013). Mean water temperature is 9 °C with maxima registered in January (15 °C) and minima in July (3 °C).…”

Dams versus habitat: predicting the effects of dams on habitat supply and juvenile rainbow trout along the Santa Cruz River, Patagonia

“…The other two are the Baker and Pascua Rivers in Chile. Together with the Rio Negro of Argentina, these three rivers constitute the four largest rivers of Patagonia in terms of discharge (Tagliaferro et al, 2013). The three PIF rivers have distinctive characteristics differentiating them from other rivers of Patagonia (Tagliaferro et al, 2013), as well as from most large rivers in temperate ecoregions of the world (Milner & Petts, 1994;Carrasco et al, 2002).…”

“…Together with the Rio Negro of Argentina, these three rivers constitute the four largest rivers of Patagonia in terms of discharge (Tagliaferro et al, 2013). The three PIF rivers have distinctive characteristics differentiating them from other rivers of Patagonia (Tagliaferro et al, 2013), as well as from most large rivers in temperate ecoregions of the world (Milner & Petts, 1994;Carrasco et al, 2002). A discharge strongly dominated by ice melt provides them with (Tagliaferro et al, 2013) (a) a distinct seasonal cycle with peaks and low flows delayed by as much as 6 months with respect to rivers dominated by snow melt and rainfall, (b) an extremely stable discharge with much lower variability than other rivers, both within and among years, and (c) a high glacial sediment load.…”

“…Projected losses in terms of macroinvertebrates and native fish as a result of the two dams are large (Tagliaferro et al, 2013(Tagliaferro et al, , 2014. Rainbow trout were introduced in the river between 1908 and 1910 (Pascual et al, 2001;Riva Rossi et al, 2003).…”