Let it flow: Modeling ecological benefits and hydropower production impacts of banning zero-flow events in a large regulated river system

Widén, Åsa; Renöfält, Birgitta Malm; Degerman, Erik; Wisaeus, Dag; Jansson, Roland

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147010

Cited by 16 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…Imposing limits on the speed of alteration of flow or water levels are common measures of environmental flow implementation (Poff et al., 2017). However, by restricting flow and water‐level intervals, the ability to go from zero to high discharge and vice versa is also restricted as a result of the inertia of the water volume in the impoundment (Widén et al., 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These areas were considered new lotic habitat, given the introduction of rules for minimum discharge to allow for a minimum flow velocity at all times. Presently, there may be long periods of zero discharge (Widén et al., 2021). In calculating the area, we also assumed structural modification, such as widening the channel to create shallow areas and addition of boulders and dead wood, would be done to improve conditions for lotic species such as grayling.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Environmental Flow Scenarios for a Regulated River System: Projecting Catchment‐Wide Ecosystem Benefits and Consequences for Hydroelectric Production

Widén

Renöfält

Degerman

et al. 2022

Water Resources Research

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Hydropower is considered a green and renewable source of electricity, and the ability to store water in reservoirs enables matching electricity production minute-by-minute to variation in demand (Poff & Schmidt, 2016). However, hydropower production entails modifying rivers with large infrastructure such as dams and diversion canals. As a consequence, riverine ecosystems belong to the ecosystem types that are most degraded globally (Dudgeon et al., 2006). Freshwater is a limited resource with multiple users claiming their right to water required

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Flow Scenarios for a Regulated River System: Projecting Catchment‐Wide Ecosystem Benefits and Consequences for Hydroelectric Production

Widén

Renöfält

Degerman

et al. 2022

Water Resources Research

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“…In terms of the value of tributaries for the biodiversity in larger impounded rivers, the mouth areas of the tributaries are not particularly rich in fish species in these northern rivers. However, rheophilic species are disfavored in impounded rivers since their typical habitats, riffles and rapids, are often either inundated, or completely or partially dried out when bypassed by hydropower infrastructure (Malm Renöfält et al 2010; Göthe et al 2019; Widén et al 2021). To maintain as high ecological potential as possible, natural tributary mouths characterized by flowing habitats and medium to large sediment substrate could be protected from further anthropogenic impacts, as they may constitute near-main stem refuges for rheophilic species and as migration areas to upstream suitable habitats.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sediment substrate size influences fish diversity in tributary mouth areas in impounded boreal rivers in Sweden

Näslund

Bowes

Sandin

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Large boreal rivers in Sweden are generally impounded by hydropower dams and a large proportion of their main stem shallow flowing habitats have been lost. Tributaries often contain relatively undisturbed habitats and could be important for the conservation of species diversity. Tributary mouth areas could be biodiversity hot-spots, due to the vicinity to the main stem and favorable environmental conditions. In this study, we investigate whether tributary mouth areas in two impounded boreal rivers (Ume- and Lule River) could be regarded as biodiversity hot spots for fish. Based on electrofishing in 20 tributary mouths, we found that overall fish diversity is generally low. The highest species richness and diversity was found in mouth areas dominated by intermediate substrate sizes (gravel to cobble). Few, if any, species were found in association with fine sediment substrates (smaller than sand). The tributary mouth areas had similar species richness and diversity as areas in the tributaries located 1-km upstream of the mouth, but the fish community composition often differed between these sites. Management action favoring fish diversity in the tributary mouth areas could include protection or rehabilitation of areas dominated by medium sized substrate and reduction of erosion and transport of fine sediments in the tributaries. Overall, we find no support for tributary mouths being hot-spots for fish biodiversity and while some patterns in diversity gives hints on suitable management action, it is important to further understand impacts in tributaries and their mouths especially in relation to temporal dynamics of the fish community.

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“…These changes will interact with changing energy demand and supply from variable generation renewables: for example, in California renewables have notably changed the typical daily hydropower generation profile to more closely correlate with net load than load (Uría‐Martínez et al., 2018). Changes in non‐energy constraints could also alter the daily timing of hydropower generation: in Sweden, a proposed limitation on zero‐flow frequency could shift hydropower generation from day to night time (Widén et al., 2021), which would greatly alter the value of hydropower in a high RE scenario. Finally, an important result of this analysis not reflected in many energy model structures is that demand responsiveness varies seasonally as well as regionally.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These non‐power constraints impact hydropower operations. For instance, environmental flow requirements may dictate the magnitude, seasonality, and frequency of high and low flow values (Rand, 2018; Widén et al., 2021), and can vary depending on water year types (Rheinheimer et al., 2016). Ramp rates may be limited by the well‐established ecological impacts of hydropeaking, which risks flooding or stranding aquatic organisms (Richter & Thomas, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydroelectricity Modeling for Low‐Carbon and No‐Carbon Grids: Empirical Operational Parameters for Optimization and Dispatch Models

Marshall

Grubert

2022

Earth's Future

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Hydroelectric power has unusual technical characteristics that could become more valuable as the penetration of variable generation renewables grows, but its use for electricity generation is constrained by complex physical, safety, and socioenvironmental considerations. Hydroelectricity can therefore be difficult to represent in national‐scale energy models, and is frequently presumed to be either overly flexible or inflexible. While a few grid models address this complexity via detailed hydraulic process models, more simplified optimization and dispatch models could benefit from the use of empirical parameter values. In this study, we combine a new data set comprising 7.8 million flow‐hours of data from 2011 to 2016 at 158 dams across the United States with monthly and hourly generation data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) to elucidate such empirical constraints for the continental United States. We introduce an approach for estimating power generation from hourly water discharge, then present regionally resolved interannual seasonal and diurnal generation patterns; frequency analyses of ramp rates; minimum and maximum generation rates; daily reversals; and load duration curves, all available interactively with a new data visualization tool. We suggest that due largely to hydropower's role as power generation that also serves non‐energy purposes, it acts as a predictable variable generator with constrained dispatchability, more like a supply side analog to demand response resources than like a battery. This observation is particularly relevant for high penetration renewable energy scenarios, given hydroelectric generators' expected value for grid stabilization and load balancing.

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Let it flow: Modeling ecological benefits and hydropower production impacts of banning zero-flow events in a large regulated river system

Cited by 16 publications

References 68 publications

Environmental Flow Scenarios for a Regulated River System: Projecting Catchment‐Wide Ecosystem Benefits and Consequences for Hydroelectric Production

Environmental Flow Scenarios for a Regulated River System: Projecting Catchment‐Wide Ecosystem Benefits and Consequences for Hydroelectric Production

Sediment substrate size influences fish diversity in tributary mouth areas in impounded boreal rivers in Sweden

Hydroelectricity Modeling for Low‐Carbon and No‐Carbon Grids: Empirical Operational Parameters for Optimization and Dispatch Models

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