The objective of this project is to improve understanding of how alteration of streamflow characteristics affects the ecological health of rivers and streams in Tennessee. Initial efforts are aimed at identifying critical streamflow characteristics and providing a set of statistical tools and analytical approaches for the prediction of these characteristics. Application of these tools will enhance understanding of how hydrologic alteration may change fish community structure in the Tennessee River basin.
This research is part of the USGS Cooperative Funding Program and is supported by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, The Nature Conservancy, Tennessee Valley Authority, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Predicting ecological flow regime at ungaged sites: A comparison of methods
Ecological limit functions relating fish community response to hydrologic departures of the ecological flow regime in the Tennessee River basin, United States
Modelling ecological flow regime: an example from the Tennessee and Cumberland River basins
Invertebrate response to changes in streamflow hydraulics in two urban areas in the United States
Relating streamflow characteristics to specialized insectivores in the Tennessee River Valley: a regional approach
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
The objective of this project is to improve understanding of how alteration of streamflow characteristics affects the ecological health of rivers and streams in Tennessee. Initial efforts are aimed at identifying critical streamflow characteristics and providing a set of statistical tools and analytical approaches for the prediction of these characteristics. Application of these tools will enhance understanding of how hydrologic alteration may change fish community structure in the Tennessee River basin.
This research is part of the USGS Cooperative Funding Program and is supported by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, The Nature Conservancy, Tennessee Valley Authority, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Predicting ecological flow regime at ungaged sites: A comparison of methods
Nineteen ecologically relevant streamflow characteristics were estimated using published rainfall–runoff and regional regression models for six sites with observed daily streamflow records in Kentucky. The regional regression model produced median estimates closer to the observed median for all but two characteristics. The variability of predictions from both models was generally less than the obsEcological limit functions relating fish community response to hydrologic departures of the ecological flow regime in the Tennessee River basin, United States
Ecological limit functions relating streamflow and aquatic ecosystems remain elusive despite decades of research. We investigated functional relationships between species richness and changes in streamflow characteristics at 662 fish sampling sites in the Tennessee River basin. Our approach included the following: (1) a brief summary of relevant literature on functional relations between fish andModelling ecological flow regime: an example from the Tennessee and Cumberland River basins
Predictive equations were developed for 19 ecologically relevant streamflow characteristics within five major groups of flow variables (magnitude, ratio, frequency, variability, and date) for use in the Tennessee and Cumberland River basins using stepbackward regression. Basin characteristics explain 50% or more of the variation for 12 of the 19 equations. Independent variables identified throughInvertebrate response to changes in streamflow hydraulics in two urban areas in the United States
Stream hydrology is foundational to aquatic ecosystems and has been shown to be a structuring element for fish and invertebrates. The relations among urbanization, hydraulics, and invertebrate communities were investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey, National Water-Quality Assessment Program by using measures of stream hydraulics in two areas of the United States. Specifically, the hypothesis tRelating streamflow characteristics to specialized insectivores in the Tennessee River Valley: a regional approach
Analysis of hydrologic time series and fish community data across the Tennessee River Valley identified three hydrologic metrics essential to habitat suitability and food availability for insectivorous fish communities in streams of the Tennessee River Valley: constancy (flow stability or temporal invariance), frequency of moderate flooding (frequency of habitat disturbance), and rate of streamflo - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.