Restoring environmental flows through adaptive reservoir management: planning, science, and implementation through the Sustainable Rivers Project

Warner, Andrew T.; Bach, Leslie; Hickey, John T.

doi:10.1080/02626667.2013.843777

Cited by 49 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Likewise, reservoir releases can be managed adaptively to achieve ecological outcomes. Warner et al (2014) documented an exercise in the USA that focused on eight demonstration basins containing 36 dams, from which the collective experience will help guide operational changes for as many as 600 dams.…”

Section: Evidence and Uncertaintymentioning

confidence: 99%

The changing role of ecohydrological science in guiding environmental flows

Acreman

Overton

King

et al. 2014

Hydrological Sciences Journal

134

122

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The term "environmental flows" is now widely used to reflect the hydrological regime required to sustain freshwater and estuarine ecosystems, and the human livelihoods and well-being that depend on them. The definition suggests a central role for ecohydrological science to help determine a required flow regime for a target ecosystem condition. Indeed, many countries have established laws and policies to implement environmental flows with the expectation that science can deliver the answers. This article provides an overview of recent developments and applications of environmental flows on six continents to explore the changing role of ecohydrological sciences, recognizing its limitations and the emerging needs of society, water resource managers and policy makers. Science has responded with new methods to link hydrology to ecosystem status, but these have also raised fundamental questions that go beyond ecohydrology, such as who decides on the target condition of the ecosystem? Some environmental flow methods are based on the natural flow paradigm, which assumes the desired regime is the natural "unmodified" condition. However, this may be unrealistic where flow regimes have been altered for many centuries and are likely to change with future climate change. Ecosystems are dynamic, so the adoption of environmental flows needs to have a similar dynamic basis. Furthermore, methodological developments have been made in two directions: first, broad-scale hydrological analysis of flow regimes (assuming ecological relevance of hydrograph components) and, second, analysis of ecological impacts of more than one stressor (e.g. flow, morphology, water quality). All methods retain a degree of uncertainty, which translates into risks, and raises questions regarding trust between scientists and the public. Communication between scientists, social scientists, practitioners, policy makers and the public is thus becoming as important as the quality of the science. lois et des politiques de mise en oeuvre de débits environnementaux en espérant que la science peut fournir les réponses. Ce document donne un aperçu des développements et des applications récents de débits environnementaux sur les six continents dans le but d'explorer l'évolution du rôle des sciences éco-hydrologiques, en reconnaissant leurs limites et les nouveaux besoins de la société, des gestionnaires des ressources en eau et des décideurs politiques. La science a répondu par de nouvelles méthodes pour relier l'hydrologie à l'état des écosystèmes, mais à cette occasion des questions fondamentales ont été soulevées qui vont au-delà de l'éco-hydrologie, telles que : qui décide de l'état souhaité pour un écosystème ? Certaines méthodes de débits environnementaux sont basées sur le paradigme de l'écoulement naturel, ce qui suppose que le régime souhaité est la condition naturelle « non modifiée ». Cela peut être irréaliste là où les régimes d'écoulement ont été modifiés pendant de nombreux siècles et sont susceptibles d'évoluer avec le changement climatique ...

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Section: Evidence and Uncertaintymentioning

confidence: 99%

The changing role of ecohydrological science in guiding environmental flows

Acreman

Overton

King

et al. 2014

Hydrological Sciences Journal

134

122

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The operation of flood control and other large dams has dramatically reduced peak flows, ultimately causing a decline in flood-dependent species (Dister et al, 1990;Auble et al, 2005;Frazier and Page, 2006;Burke et al, 2009;Stallins et al, 2010;Johnson et al, 2012). To help mitigate the loss of floodplain communities due Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene • 2: 000031 • doi: 10.12952/journal.elementa.000031 to flow regulation, many scientists, NGOs, and government agencies have proposed a full suite of potential solutions, including controlled flow releases to approximate natural flow regimes to help restore downstream in-channel and riparian ecological processes (Richter, 2010;Arthington, 2012;Olden et al, 2014;Warner et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying flooding regime in floodplain forests to guide river restoration

Marks

Nislow

2014

Elem. Sci. Anth.

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Determining the flooding regime needed to support distinctive floodplain forests is essential for effective river conservation under the ubiquitous human alteration of river flows characteristic of the Anthropocene Era. At over 100 sites throughout the Connecticut River basin, the largest river system in New England, we characterized species composition, valley and channel morphology, and hydrologic regime to define conditions promoting distinct floodplain forest assemblages. Species assemblages were dominated by floodplain-associated trees on surfaces experiencing flood durations between 4.5 and 91 days/year, which were generally well below the stage of the two-year recurrence interval flood, a widely-used benchmark for floodplain restoration. These tree species rarely occurred on surfaces that flooded less than 1 day/year. By contrast abundance of most woody invasive species decreased with flooding. Such flood-prone surfaces were jointly determined by characteristics of the hydrograph (high discharges of long duration) and topography (low gradient and reduced valley constraint), resulting in increased availability of floodplain habitat with increasing watershed area and/or decreasing stream gradient. Downstream mainstem reaches provided the most floodplain habitat, largely associated with low-energy features such as back swamps and point bars, and were dominated by silver maple (Acer saccharinum). However, we were able to identify a number of suitable sites in the upper part of the basin and in large tributaries, often associated with in-channel islands and bars and frequently dominated by sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) and flood disturbance-dependent species. Our results imply that restoring flows by modifying dam operations to benefit floodplain forests on existing surfaces need not conflict with flood protection in some regional settings. These results underscore the need to understand how flow, geomorphology, and species traits interact to produce characteristic patterns of floodplain vegetation, and that these interactions should form the basis of effective river restoration and conservation.

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“…Robinson and Uehlinger (2008) note that "As a large-scale disturbance, the long-term sequential use of floods provides an excellent empirical approach to examine ecosystem regime shifts in rivers." The Sustainable Rivers Project is a North American example of a program of experimental interventions to reestablish environmental flows by "reoperationalizing" dams at some six sites covering over 1000 km of river (Warner et al 2014). …”

Section: Case Study: Active Adaptive Governance In Coloradomentioning

confidence: 99%