Shenandoah River Instream Flow Studies
As urban and rural growth continues, competition for clean water expands into stream areas previously capable of meeting local water-use demands. Conflicts among instream and offstream users of streamflow increase as flows decrease. This research enhances understanding of summer low-flow conditions in the North Fork, South Fork, and Shenandoah Rivers, relating water availability to physical habitat needs of fish, and developing relations for the availability of suitable fish habitat and instream flows.
Problem
As urban and rural growth continues, competition for clean water expands into stream areas previously capable of meeting local water-use demands. Conflicts among instream and offstream users of streamflow increase as flows decrease.
Objective
The objectives of this research are to enhance understanding of summer low-flow conditions in the North Fork, South Fork, and Shenandoah Rivers, relate water availability to physical habitat needs of fish, and develop a relation for the availability of suitable fish habitat and instream flows.
Relevance and benefits
As a result of the study, the counties and communities in the Shenandoah Basin should have a better knowledge of the water resources in the basin, the regional hydraulic system, and the effect of withdrawals and conservation measures on the ecology, agriculture, industry, and water supply. The data and alternative condition analyses may be used for identification and compilation of the major instream-flow issues, development of the required multidisciplinary technical team to conduct more detailed studies, and develop basin specific habitat and flow requirements for aquatic life and water uses.
Approach
Flow data and biological data will be combined with depth and velocity of streamflow, cover type and bed-material size of numerous verticals at cross sections representing channel types. For the North Fork, hydraulic data were collected over a range of discharges by the USGS with the assistance of VPI. Hydraulic data were input to the RHABSIM model (River Habitat Simulation Software), a 1-dimensional water-surface profile model that uses stage-discharge ratings to simulate habitat conditions over a range of discharges. The modeling was used to determine the relation between habitat and flow. This information along with offstream user needs will allow the planning district more efficient allocation of water resources.
Shenandoah River presentations summary
- May 29, 2013 Shenandoah Water Supply Summit: Jen Krstolic and Alison Teetor, South Fork Shenandoah River Habitat-Flow Modeling to Determine Ecological and Recreational Characteristics during Low-Flow Periods.
- March 7, 2013 USGS Cooperative Water Stakeholder Webinar: Jen Krstolic with John Staelin and Alison Teetor, Ecological Flows in the Shenandoah River Valley, Virginia.
- October 7, 2011 Federal News Radio Video about the Mainstem Shenandoah Research. Jen Krstolic and Roger Moberg, Cool Jobs: The Biogeographer.
- April 22, 2009 Regional Water Resources Policy Committee, Habitat Suitability Criteria for Fishes of the South Fork of the Shenandoah River (pdf) 588 KB
- October 28, 2008 Shenandoah Water Conference
- April 29-30, 2008 USGS-TNC Meeting: Regional-Scale Streamflow-Ecology Relationships: A River Science Workshop (pdf) 89 KB
- March 30, 2008 Presentation to Page County Citizens: DROUGHT, WATER QUALITY. AND WATER QUANTITY: Are We Currently in a Drought? What Can the Instream Flow Study Results and Other Drought Indices Tell Us?
- September 20, 2006 Joint Regional Water Resources Policy Committee and Technical Meeting, Instream Flow Studies in the Shenandoah River Basin
- June 7-8, 2005
- Mid Atlantic Area Water Availability Workshop, University of Delaware Conference Center, Newark Delaware, Presentation with Alison Teetor Accompanying Notes for USGS power point
- North Fork Instream Flow Study Poster Presented at the Water Availability Workshop
- "Habitat Availability During Low-Flow Periods on the North Fork Shenandoah River, Virginia"
- March 2005
- USGS power point presentation to the RWRPC Technical Advisory Committee North Fork Shenandoah River Results Application For the State Drought Assessment Plan
- DEQ Drought Response Plan Documentation
- October 25, 2004 USGS Powerpoint presentation to the RWRPC Technical Advisory Committee North Fork Instream Flow Study overview and South Fork proposed work
- December 10, 2003 USGS Powerpoint presentation to the MIF Technical Advisory Committee with accompanying notes.
Shenandoah River presentations summary
- Krstolic, J.L. and Hayes, D.C., 2010 GIS Data Release: Physical Habitat Characteristics on the North and South Forks of the Shenandoah River, VA in 2002-2007
See the 'Publications' tab for a complete summary of Shenandoah River publications.
Project time periods
- Shenandoah River: 1995 to 1998
- North Fork Shenandoah River: 1998 to 2004
- South Fork Shenandoah River: 2004 to 2011
- Mainstem Shenandoah River Model Update: 2011 to 2013
Publications describing Shenandoah River Instream Flow Studies.
Data Collection and Simulation of Ecological Habitat and Recreational Habitat in the Shenandoah River, Virginia
South Fork Shenandoah River habitat-flow modeling to determine ecological and recreational characteristics during low-flow periods
Physical habitat classification and instream flow modeling to determine habitat availability during low-flow periods, North Fork Shenandoah River, Virginia
Water-quality synoptic sampling, July 1999: North Fork Shenandoah River, Virginia
A demonstration of the instream flow incremental methodology, Shenandoah River, Virginia
Below are partners associated with this project.
As urban and rural growth continues, competition for clean water expands into stream areas previously capable of meeting local water-use demands. Conflicts among instream and offstream users of streamflow increase as flows decrease. This research enhances understanding of summer low-flow conditions in the North Fork, South Fork, and Shenandoah Rivers, relating water availability to physical habitat needs of fish, and developing relations for the availability of suitable fish habitat and instream flows.
Problem
As urban and rural growth continues, competition for clean water expands into stream areas previously capable of meeting local water-use demands. Conflicts among instream and offstream users of streamflow increase as flows decrease.
Objective
The objectives of this research are to enhance understanding of summer low-flow conditions in the North Fork, South Fork, and Shenandoah Rivers, relate water availability to physical habitat needs of fish, and develop a relation for the availability of suitable fish habitat and instream flows.
Relevance and benefits
As a result of the study, the counties and communities in the Shenandoah Basin should have a better knowledge of the water resources in the basin, the regional hydraulic system, and the effect of withdrawals and conservation measures on the ecology, agriculture, industry, and water supply. The data and alternative condition analyses may be used for identification and compilation of the major instream-flow issues, development of the required multidisciplinary technical team to conduct more detailed studies, and develop basin specific habitat and flow requirements for aquatic life and water uses.
Approach
Flow data and biological data will be combined with depth and velocity of streamflow, cover type and bed-material size of numerous verticals at cross sections representing channel types. For the North Fork, hydraulic data were collected over a range of discharges by the USGS with the assistance of VPI. Hydraulic data were input to the RHABSIM model (River Habitat Simulation Software), a 1-dimensional water-surface profile model that uses stage-discharge ratings to simulate habitat conditions over a range of discharges. The modeling was used to determine the relation between habitat and flow. This information along with offstream user needs will allow the planning district more efficient allocation of water resources.
Shenandoah River presentations summary
- May 29, 2013 Shenandoah Water Supply Summit: Jen Krstolic and Alison Teetor, South Fork Shenandoah River Habitat-Flow Modeling to Determine Ecological and Recreational Characteristics during Low-Flow Periods.
- March 7, 2013 USGS Cooperative Water Stakeholder Webinar: Jen Krstolic with John Staelin and Alison Teetor, Ecological Flows in the Shenandoah River Valley, Virginia.
- October 7, 2011 Federal News Radio Video about the Mainstem Shenandoah Research. Jen Krstolic and Roger Moberg, Cool Jobs: The Biogeographer.
- April 22, 2009 Regional Water Resources Policy Committee, Habitat Suitability Criteria for Fishes of the South Fork of the Shenandoah River (pdf) 588 KB
- October 28, 2008 Shenandoah Water Conference
- April 29-30, 2008 USGS-TNC Meeting: Regional-Scale Streamflow-Ecology Relationships: A River Science Workshop (pdf) 89 KB
- March 30, 2008 Presentation to Page County Citizens: DROUGHT, WATER QUALITY. AND WATER QUANTITY: Are We Currently in a Drought? What Can the Instream Flow Study Results and Other Drought Indices Tell Us?
- September 20, 2006 Joint Regional Water Resources Policy Committee and Technical Meeting, Instream Flow Studies in the Shenandoah River Basin
- June 7-8, 2005
- Mid Atlantic Area Water Availability Workshop, University of Delaware Conference Center, Newark Delaware, Presentation with Alison Teetor Accompanying Notes for USGS power point
- North Fork Instream Flow Study Poster Presented at the Water Availability Workshop
- "Habitat Availability During Low-Flow Periods on the North Fork Shenandoah River, Virginia"
- March 2005
- USGS power point presentation to the RWRPC Technical Advisory Committee North Fork Shenandoah River Results Application For the State Drought Assessment Plan
- DEQ Drought Response Plan Documentation
- October 25, 2004 USGS Powerpoint presentation to the RWRPC Technical Advisory Committee North Fork Instream Flow Study overview and South Fork proposed work
- December 10, 2003 USGS Powerpoint presentation to the MIF Technical Advisory Committee with accompanying notes.
Shenandoah River presentations summary
- Krstolic, J.L. and Hayes, D.C., 2010 GIS Data Release: Physical Habitat Characteristics on the North and South Forks of the Shenandoah River, VA in 2002-2007
See the 'Publications' tab for a complete summary of Shenandoah River publications.
Project time periods
- Shenandoah River: 1995 to 1998
- North Fork Shenandoah River: 1998 to 2004
- South Fork Shenandoah River: 2004 to 2011
- Mainstem Shenandoah River Model Update: 2011 to 2013
Publications describing Shenandoah River Instream Flow Studies.
Data Collection and Simulation of Ecological Habitat and Recreational Habitat in the Shenandoah River, Virginia
South Fork Shenandoah River habitat-flow modeling to determine ecological and recreational characteristics during low-flow periods
Physical habitat classification and instream flow modeling to determine habitat availability during low-flow periods, North Fork Shenandoah River, Virginia
Water-quality synoptic sampling, July 1999: North Fork Shenandoah River, Virginia
A demonstration of the instream flow incremental methodology, Shenandoah River, Virginia
Below are partners associated with this project.