WaterSMART: Apalachicola/Chattahoochee/ Flint River (ACF) Basin Completed
The Challenge: The DOI WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) initiative is developing data and tools to help water managers identify current and future water shortages, for humans and for freshwater ecosystems. Fishes, for example, can decline in diversity and abundance when streamflow becomes too low, for too long. However, ecologists find that effects of declining streamflow can vary depending on stream characteristics and on traits of local species, confounding predictions of ecological outcomes. Scientists thus need data on ecological responses to low streamflow in differing physical and biological contexts to better inform water management decisions.
The Challenge: Ecologists generally hypothesize that stream-dwelling fishes and other biota are strongly governed by stream flow regimes. For example, we expect that fishes will decline in diversity and abundance when stream flows become too low, for too long. Most of the data to test these hypotheses come from surveys of population status in streams that have differing flow regimes. Because so many other factors affect stream populations, detecting a clear signal of the effects of streamflow variation have proven difficult. Additionally, because few streams are gaged, methods are needed for estimating stream flow dynamics at locations where biological data are collected.
The Science: We have collected data describing changes in fish assemblages in individual stream sites in relation to stream flow variation through time. From 2011 through 2017, we conducted seasonal surveys of fishes occupying up to 40 stream sites located in the Blue Ridge, Piedmont and Coastal Plain portions of the ACF basin. We have applied dynamic occupancy models to these data to estimate effects of low- and high-flow periods on fish species persistence and colonization rates. In collaboration with USGS hydrologists, we have evaluated the efficacy of using modeled stream flows (as opposed to flows extrapolated from nearest available stream gages) to predict fish responses. We have also investigated differences in flow effects on fishes in the differing physical settings of upland (mountain and Piedmont) and Coastal Plain streams.
The Future: Our final phase involves applying state-transition models to the fish population data in order to relate stream flows to variation in fish abundances as well as to community turnover.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Stream fish colonization but not persistence varies regionally across a large North American river basin
States and rates: Complementary approaches to developing flow‐ecology relationships
Integrating modeling, monitoring, and management to reduce critical uncertainties in water resource decision making
Progress toward establishing a national assessment of water availability and use
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
The Challenge: The DOI WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) initiative is developing data and tools to help water managers identify current and future water shortages, for humans and for freshwater ecosystems. Fishes, for example, can decline in diversity and abundance when streamflow becomes too low, for too long. However, ecologists find that effects of declining streamflow can vary depending on stream characteristics and on traits of local species, confounding predictions of ecological outcomes. Scientists thus need data on ecological responses to low streamflow in differing physical and biological contexts to better inform water management decisions.
The Challenge: Ecologists generally hypothesize that stream-dwelling fishes and other biota are strongly governed by stream flow regimes. For example, we expect that fishes will decline in diversity and abundance when stream flows become too low, for too long. Most of the data to test these hypotheses come from surveys of population status in streams that have differing flow regimes. Because so many other factors affect stream populations, detecting a clear signal of the effects of streamflow variation have proven difficult. Additionally, because few streams are gaged, methods are needed for estimating stream flow dynamics at locations where biological data are collected.
The Science: We have collected data describing changes in fish assemblages in individual stream sites in relation to stream flow variation through time. From 2011 through 2017, we conducted seasonal surveys of fishes occupying up to 40 stream sites located in the Blue Ridge, Piedmont and Coastal Plain portions of the ACF basin. We have applied dynamic occupancy models to these data to estimate effects of low- and high-flow periods on fish species persistence and colonization rates. In collaboration with USGS hydrologists, we have evaluated the efficacy of using modeled stream flows (as opposed to flows extrapolated from nearest available stream gages) to predict fish responses. We have also investigated differences in flow effects on fishes in the differing physical settings of upland (mountain and Piedmont) and Coastal Plain streams.
The Future: Our final phase involves applying state-transition models to the fish population data in order to relate stream flows to variation in fish abundances as well as to community turnover.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Stream fish colonization but not persistence varies regionally across a large North American river basin
Many species have distributions that span distinctly different physiographic regions, and effective conservation of such taxa will require a full accounting of all factors that potentially influence populations. Ecologists recognize effects of physiographic differences in topography, geology and climate on local habitat configurations, and thus the relevance of landscape heterogeneity to species dAuthorsKit Wheeler, Seth J. Wenger, Stephen J. Walsh, Zachary P. Martin, Howard L. Jelks, Mary FreemanStates and rates: Complementary approaches to developing flow‐ecology relationships
In recognition of the influence of flow on riverine habitats and organisms, stream ecologists have devoted considerable effort to the development of quantitative predictive relationships describing ecological responses to flow variability, i.e. flow‐ecology relationships.Methods used to generate flow‐ecology relationships can be thought of as a continuum bookended by pure states approaches on oneAuthorsKit Wheeler, Seth J. Wenger, Mary FreemanIntegrating modeling, monitoring, and management to reduce critical uncertainties in water resource decision making
No abstract available.AuthorsJames Peterson, Mary FreemanProgress toward establishing a national assessment of water availability and use
The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-11) was passed into law on March 30, 2009. Subtitle F, also known as the SECURE Water Act, calls for the establishment of a "national water availability and use assessment program" within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). A major driver for this recommendation was that national water availability and use have not been comprehensivelyAuthorsWilliam M. Alley, Eric J. Evenson, Nancy L. Barber, Breton W. Bruce, Kevin F. Dennehy, Mary Freeman, Ward O. Freeman, Jeffrey M. Fischer, William B. Hughes, Jonathan Kennen, Julie E. Kiang, Kelly O. Maloney, MaryLynn Musgrove, Barbara E. Ralston, Steven Tessler, James P. Verdin - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.