Evaluating species-specific changes in hydrologic regimes: an iterative approach for salmonids in the Greater Yellowstone Area (USA)

Al‐Chokhachy, Robert; Sepulveda, Adam J.; Ray, Andrew M.; Thoma, David P.; Tercek, Michael T.

doi:10.1007/s11160-017-9472-3

Cited by 14 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 105 publications

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“…Climate change‐induced drought reduces water supply by reducing precipitation and increases water demand by increasing rates of evapotranspiration. Warmer temperatures due to climate change can cause earlier snowmelt peaks in the western U.S. (Kunkel and Pierce ; Al‐Chokhachy et al ). An earlier snowmelt peak can increase the temporal difference between time periods of high natural flow availability — snowmelt — and high water demand — the growing season (Barnett et al ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Management and Limnology Interact to Drive Water Temperature Patterns in a Middle Rockies River‐Reservoir System

McLaren

Royer

Kirk

et al. 2019

J American Water Resour Assoc

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This study seeks to improve understanding of temperature patterns in reservoir outflows. We examined water temperatures in an irrigation storage reservoir, Island Park Reservoir, and its outflow, Henry’s Fork of the Snake River in eastern Idaho. Our objectives were to (1) quantify the extent to which daily temperature ranges in the reservoir outflow deviated from other reaches of the Henry’s Fork, and (2) test whether the reservoir’s net volume change during the summer — expressed as the volume of water remaining in the reservoir on September 1 — predicted mean summer temperature in the outflow. Two years of temperature data showed dampened diel temperature cycles in the reservoir outflow. Model selection with 17 years of climatic, hydrologic, and reservoir management variables found mean summer temperature in the outflow was best predicted by September 1 reservoir volume and average summer air temperature. Two years of weekly reservoir thermal profiles indicated large changes in reservoir volume eliminated cool hypolimnetic water and encouraged mixing, allowing warm epilimnetic water to be discharged into the outflow. Increases in future drought frequency and severity and increases in summer air temperatures could increase the frequency of occurrence of high mean summertime water temperatures in the outflow. Our study provides important information for local managers by quantifying influences on outflow temperatures and the downstream river ecosystem.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Management and Limnology Interact to Drive Water Temperature Patterns in a Middle Rockies River‐Reservoir System

McLaren

Royer

Kirk

et al. 2019

J American Water Resour Assoc

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“…Whether these systems are approaching or have reached tipping points of irreversible degradation unknown, but should be a high priority for research and adaptive management. The large native fish kill in the Yellowstone River and resulting economic losses during the record low flow in 2016 (Al-Chokhachy et al 2017) illustrated the importance of addressing the issue.…”

Section: Synthesis Of Results: Wildland Health Index Scorecardmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trends in vital signs for Greater Yellowstone: application of a Wildland Health Index

Hansen

Phillips

2018

Ecosphere

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The Earth's remaining tracts of wildlands are being altered by increased human pressure and climate change. Yet, there is no systematic approach for quantifying change in the ecological condition of wildland ecosystems. This paper applies a Wildland Health Index (WHI) to evaluate trends in ecological vital signs in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Components of the WHI include criteria for judging ecosystem health, vital signs consistent with these criteria, monitoring at spatial scales relevant to the ecosystem, evaluating trends in condition, and communicating with decision makers. The GYE, while large, intact, and with substantial management capacity, is undergoing increasing human pressure and climate change. Thus, assessment of trends in ecological health is needed to prioritize management. We synthesized current knowledge to evaluate trends in stressors and vital signs of ecosystem function, composition, and structure for 1970 to present and forecasted to 2100. Results were summarized in a WHI Scorecard to illustrate trends in the higher level vital signs of interest to policy makers. We found that human population has doubled, and housing density has tripled in the GYE since 1970 and both are projected to double again by 2050. Human development is now estimated to cover 31% of the GYE. Temperature has warmed 0.8°C since 1950 and is projected to increase 2.5-5.3°C by 2100. These changes in land use and climate have reduced snowpack and stream flows, increased stream temperatures, favored pest outbreaks and forest die-off, fragmented habitat types, expanded invasive species, and reduced native fish populations. Large mammal populations, in contrast, have been increasing in numbers and expanding in range. These trends differ among land allocation types. The WHI Scorecard rated 6 of 9 vital signs as relatively stable or improving in national parks and designated wilderness. On private lands, in contrast, five vital signs were rated as deteriorating. Confidence in our evaluation is not high because of lack of monitoring across the full GYE. While the National Park Service has a rigorous monitoring program, fewer vital signs are tracked on other federal lands and still fewer on private lands. Thus, trends in ecological condition are not evaluated across the entire GYE nor widely reported in the media. We recommend that the WHI approach be systematically applied across the GYE and other large wildland ecosystems in the United States to better inform management to sustain these wildlands.

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“…Streamflows within the study area are typical for snowmelt‐dominated streams in the Rocky Mountains; high spring discharge events occur during May and June and streamflows decline throughout the summer and early autumn (Al‐Chokhachy et al. ). Both basins are strongholds for Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout, which are present in multiple life history forms (i.e., resident, fluvial) and exhibit genetic purity (May et al.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Climate‐Related Stream Factors on Patterns of Individual Summer Growth of Cutthroat Trout

et al. 2018

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Coldwater fishes are sensitive to abiotic and biotic stream factors, which can be influenced by climate. Distributions of inland salmonids in North America have declined significantly, with many of the current strongholds located in small headwater systems that may serve as important refugia as climate change progresses. We investigated the effects of discharge, stream temperature, trout biomass, and food availability on summer growth of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri, a species of concern with significant ecological value. Individual size, stream discharge, sample section biomass, and temperature were all associated with growth, but had differing effects on energy allocation. Stream discharge had a positive relationship with growth rates in length and mass; greater rates of prey delivery at higher discharges probably enabled trout to accumulate reserve tissues in addition to structural growth. Temperature effects were positive but not significant, and support in growth models was limited, likely due to the cold thermal regimes of the study area. The strength of the discharge effect on growth suggests that climate adaptation strategies for coldwater fishes that focus solely on thermal characteristics may be misleading and highlights the importance of considering multiple factors, including hydrologic regimes, in conservation planning.

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Evaluating species-specific changes in hydrologic regimes: an iterative approach for salmonids in the Greater Yellowstone Area (USA)

Cited by 14 publications

References 105 publications

Management and Limnology Interact to Drive Water Temperature Patterns in a Middle Rockies River‐Reservoir System

Management and Limnology Interact to Drive Water Temperature Patterns in a Middle Rockies River‐Reservoir System

Trends in vital signs for Greater Yellowstone: application of a Wildland Health Index

Effects of Climate‐Related Stream Factors on Patterns of Individual Summer Growth of Cutthroat Trout

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