CAP Future of Aquatic Flows Cohort (2022-24)
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By Climate Adaptation Science Centers
December 1, 2021
The 2022-2024 Climate Adaptation Postdoctoral (CAP) Fellows cohort will explore how climate change is altering aquatic flows in streams and rivers across the country and how climate can be integrated into aquatic ecosystem management.
About
In ecosystems characterized by flowing water, such as rivers and streams, the dynamics of how the water moves - how deep it is, how fast it flows, how often it floods - have direct effects on the health, diversity, and sustainability of underlying communities. Yet increasingly, climate extremes like droughts and floods are disrupting fragile stream ecosystems by specifically changing their internal aquatic flows. Human infrastructure, such as irrigation and dams, further disrupt these dynamics, leading federal and state agencies to develop environmental flow standards to protect the Nation's aquatic ecosystems.
The 2022-2024 "Future of Aquatic Flows" cohort of the Climate Adaptation Postdoctoral Fellows (CAP Fellows) Program will explore how climate change contributes to changes in aquatic flows across the nation, how these changes will affect the long-term sustainability of ecosystems, and how climate can be integrated into establishing and maintaining environmental flow standards. Fellows situated at each of the nine regional CASCs will work with USGS, university, and regional partners to conduct research directly applicable to regional management priorities relating to aquatic flows. The fellows will also work with each other on a national synthesis project on the topic and participate in professional development training on conducting management-focused research.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
From right to left: Madeleine Rubenstein (USGS National CASC), Will Farmer (USGS Northeast CASC), Richard Palmer (University of Massachusetts Amhurst, Emeritus), Kostas Andreadis (University of Massachusetts Amhurst), Michelle Baker (Utah State University), Jennifer Koch (University of Oklahoma), Charlotte Lee (North Carolina State University), Jay Wimhurst (University of Oklahoma), Yog Aryal (Indiana University), Farah Nusrat (Utah State University), Holly Barnard (University of Colorado Boulder), Jenny Pensky (University of Colorado Boulder), Megan Behnke (University of Alaska Southeast), Jackson Valler (USGS National CASC), Shawn Carter (USGS National CASC), Jason Fellman (University of Alaska Southeast).
Future of Aquatic Flows Projects
| CASC | Project Title | Principal Investigator(s) | Location | Fellow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Central | Future of hydrologic flow in the NC CASC: Towards a synthesis of changing hydrology under increasing climate change and disturbance pressures |
Holly Barnard | University of Colorado Boulder | Jenny Pensky |
| Pacific Islands | Fill the knowledge gaps: Extreme weather driven changes in flow regime and their impacts on amphidromous species in Hawaiian streams |
Yinphan Tsang | University of Hawai’i at Manoa | Arman Haddadchi |
| Alaska | Impacts of cryospheric change on aquatic flows and freshwater habitat quality for Pacific salmon and coastal communities |
Ryan Toohey Jason Fellman |
University of Alaska | Megan Behnke |
| South Central | Mesoscale socio-environmental systems modeling of water availability across the Mississippi River Basin |
Jennifer Koch | University of Oklahoma | Jay Wimhurst |
| Northwest | Assessment of the variability in modeled representation of low and no flow conditions and implications for management decision support tools |
Guillaume Mauger Lejo Flores Kendra Kaiser |
University of Washington | Adam Price |
| Southwest | Endangered streams: building strong and authentic bridges between science and practice to understand impacts of future water flows on aquatic ecosystems |
Michelle Baker | Utah State University | Farah Nusrat |
| Southeast | Future of aquatic flows: Exploring changes in the freshwater/saltwater interface and its impacts to aquatic species |
Natalie Nelson | North Carolina State University | Charlotte Lee |
| Northeast | A data-driven framework to inform projections of aquatic flows in the Northeast |
Kostas Andreadis | University of Massachusetts, Amherst | |
| Midwest | Exploring changes in rain-on-snow events and their influence on future streamflows, stream temperatures, and management priorities in the Great Lakes Basin |
Darren Ficklin | Indiana University | Yog Aryal |
<< Return to the CAP Fellows Program
Future of Aquatic Flows: Impacts of Cryospheric Change on Aquatic Flows and Freshwater Habitat Quality for Fish and Communities
High latitude northern ecosystems are currently warming twice as fast as the global average. Over the last several decades, this has caused dramatic losses of frozen area in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. However, it is unclear how melting coastal mountain glaciers, thawing permafrost, and declines in snowpack will affect the quality of freshwater habitat for culturally and economically important salm
Future of Aquatic Flows: Exploring Changes in the Freshwater/Saltwater Interface and Related Impacts to Aquatic Species
Coastal ecosystems are uniquely vulnerable to changes in the quantity and quality of freshwater discharge. With a warming climate, changes in freshwater discharge into estuaries will interact with rising sea levels. Natural resource managers in coastal areas are looking for guidance on the potential impacts and vulnerabilities to better manage the risks to aquatic species and habitats, and to miti
Future of Aquatic Flows in the South Central U.S.: Toward Sustainable Water Management in the Mississippi River Basin
The greater Mississippi River Basin (MRB) is the largest river basin in North America and the fourth largest basin in the world. The MRB encompasses 24 terrestrial ecosystems, providing habitat for 100 species of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians Its floodplain supports 40% of the waterfowl and wading birds in North America, and the MRB’s rivers transport 40% of the nation’s total exports. Dozens
Future of Aquatic Flows: Endangered streams: Understanding misalignments between aquatic flows and management strategies to inform adaptation efforts
Stream flow is directly tied to climate, and numerous studies provide substantial evidence that climate change is a threat to future aquatic water flow processes. In the southwestern United States, mountain snow is a primary water source for streams and rivers. However, climate change is threatening the region's mountain snow, leading to reduced snowpack, earlier snowmelt, and more precipitation f
Future of Aquatic Flows: A Data-driven Framework to Inform Projections of Aquatic Flows in the Northeast
As climate change is impacting water resources and aquatic ecosystems, there is a great need for natural resource managers to assess adaptation measures in a holistic manner. This can be done by integrating model predictions of climate, hydrology, and ecosystems with observational data to better refine estimates of conditions on-the-ground; however, it can be challenging to combine these different
Future of Aquatic Flows: Towards a National Synthesis of Streamflow Regimes Under a Changing Climate
In ecosystems characterized by flowing water, such as rivers and streams, the dynamics of how the water moves - how deep it is, how fast it flows, how often it floods - have direct effects on the health, diversity, and sustainability of underlying communities. Yet increasingly, climate extremes like droughts and floods are disrupting fragile stream ecosystems by specifically changing their interna
A Guide to Modeling Low Flows and Intermittent Streams in the Pacific Northwest
As droughts become more frequent, there is a growing need to understand how drought impacts streamflow permanence. Intermittent streams, or streams that go dry at some point during the year, are found in all ecoregions and represent over half of the global stream network length. As stream intermittence increases, there will be implications for both aquatic and terrestrial wildlife communities, lan
Future of Aquatic Flows: Towards a Synthesis of Changing Hydrology Under Increasing Climate Change and Disturbance Pressures
Understanding the paths by which water flows through the landscape is critical for providing fresh water for human use, maintaining ecosystem function, and better predicting how disturbances such as fire or drought may impact water quantity and water quality. Yet projected changes in climate, disturbances, and land use , are likely to alter hydrologic flow paths, and .natural resource managers inc
Future of Aquatic Flows: Exploring Changes in Rain-On-Snow Events and Their Influence on Future Streamflows, Stream Temperatures, and Management Priorities in the Great Lakes Basin
Rain-on-snow events occur when warm rain falls on an existing snowpack, causing rapid snowmelt that can lead to damaging floods, reduced spring and summer streamflow, and altered stream temperatures, with ecological, social, and economic consequences. Rain-on-snow events can result in a loss of riverine biodiversity, decreases in fisheries production, and degradation of stream habitat; water short
The 2022-2024 Climate Adaptation Postdoctoral (CAP) Fellows cohort will explore how climate change is altering aquatic flows in streams and rivers across the country and how climate can be integrated into aquatic ecosystem management.
About
In ecosystems characterized by flowing water, such as rivers and streams, the dynamics of how the water moves - how deep it is, how fast it flows, how often it floods - have direct effects on the health, diversity, and sustainability of underlying communities. Yet increasingly, climate extremes like droughts and floods are disrupting fragile stream ecosystems by specifically changing their internal aquatic flows. Human infrastructure, such as irrigation and dams, further disrupt these dynamics, leading federal and state agencies to develop environmental flow standards to protect the Nation's aquatic ecosystems.
The 2022-2024 "Future of Aquatic Flows" cohort of the Climate Adaptation Postdoctoral Fellows (CAP Fellows) Program will explore how climate change contributes to changes in aquatic flows across the nation, how these changes will affect the long-term sustainability of ecosystems, and how climate can be integrated into establishing and maintaining environmental flow standards. Fellows situated at each of the nine regional CASCs will work with USGS, university, and regional partners to conduct research directly applicable to regional management priorities relating to aquatic flows. The fellows will also work with each other on a national synthesis project on the topic and participate in professional development training on conducting management-focused research.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
From right to left: Madeleine Rubenstein (USGS National CASC), Will Farmer (USGS Northeast CASC), Richard Palmer (University of Massachusetts Amhurst, Emeritus), Kostas Andreadis (University of Massachusetts Amhurst), Michelle Baker (Utah State University), Jennifer Koch (University of Oklahoma), Charlotte Lee (North Carolina State University), Jay Wimhurst (University of Oklahoma), Yog Aryal (Indiana University), Farah Nusrat (Utah State University), Holly Barnard (University of Colorado Boulder), Jenny Pensky (University of Colorado Boulder), Megan Behnke (University of Alaska Southeast), Jackson Valler (USGS National CASC), Shawn Carter (USGS National CASC), Jason Fellman (University of Alaska Southeast).
Future of Aquatic Flows Projects
| CASC | Project Title | Principal Investigator(s) | Location | Fellow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Central | Future of hydrologic flow in the NC CASC: Towards a synthesis of changing hydrology under increasing climate change and disturbance pressures |
Holly Barnard | University of Colorado Boulder | Jenny Pensky |
| Pacific Islands | Fill the knowledge gaps: Extreme weather driven changes in flow regime and their impacts on amphidromous species in Hawaiian streams |
Yinphan Tsang | University of Hawai’i at Manoa | Arman Haddadchi |
| Alaska | Impacts of cryospheric change on aquatic flows and freshwater habitat quality for Pacific salmon and coastal communities |
Ryan Toohey Jason Fellman |
University of Alaska | Megan Behnke |
| South Central | Mesoscale socio-environmental systems modeling of water availability across the Mississippi River Basin |
Jennifer Koch | University of Oklahoma | Jay Wimhurst |
| Northwest | Assessment of the variability in modeled representation of low and no flow conditions and implications for management decision support tools |
Guillaume Mauger Lejo Flores Kendra Kaiser |
University of Washington | Adam Price |
| Southwest | Endangered streams: building strong and authentic bridges between science and practice to understand impacts of future water flows on aquatic ecosystems |
Michelle Baker | Utah State University | Farah Nusrat |
| Southeast | Future of aquatic flows: Exploring changes in the freshwater/saltwater interface and its impacts to aquatic species |
Natalie Nelson | North Carolina State University | Charlotte Lee |
| Northeast | A data-driven framework to inform projections of aquatic flows in the Northeast |
Kostas Andreadis | University of Massachusetts, Amherst | |
| Midwest | Exploring changes in rain-on-snow events and their influence on future streamflows, stream temperatures, and management priorities in the Great Lakes Basin |
Darren Ficklin | Indiana University | Yog Aryal |
<< Return to the CAP Fellows Program
Future of Aquatic Flows: Impacts of Cryospheric Change on Aquatic Flows and Freshwater Habitat Quality for Fish and Communities
High latitude northern ecosystems are currently warming twice as fast as the global average. Over the last several decades, this has caused dramatic losses of frozen area in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. However, it is unclear how melting coastal mountain glaciers, thawing permafrost, and declines in snowpack will affect the quality of freshwater habitat for culturally and economically important salm
Future of Aquatic Flows: Exploring Changes in the Freshwater/Saltwater Interface and Related Impacts to Aquatic Species
Coastal ecosystems are uniquely vulnerable to changes in the quantity and quality of freshwater discharge. With a warming climate, changes in freshwater discharge into estuaries will interact with rising sea levels. Natural resource managers in coastal areas are looking for guidance on the potential impacts and vulnerabilities to better manage the risks to aquatic species and habitats, and to miti
Future of Aquatic Flows in the South Central U.S.: Toward Sustainable Water Management in the Mississippi River Basin
The greater Mississippi River Basin (MRB) is the largest river basin in North America and the fourth largest basin in the world. The MRB encompasses 24 terrestrial ecosystems, providing habitat for 100 species of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians Its floodplain supports 40% of the waterfowl and wading birds in North America, and the MRB’s rivers transport 40% of the nation’s total exports. Dozens
Future of Aquatic Flows: Endangered streams: Understanding misalignments between aquatic flows and management strategies to inform adaptation efforts
Stream flow is directly tied to climate, and numerous studies provide substantial evidence that climate change is a threat to future aquatic water flow processes. In the southwestern United States, mountain snow is a primary water source for streams and rivers. However, climate change is threatening the region's mountain snow, leading to reduced snowpack, earlier snowmelt, and more precipitation f
Future of Aquatic Flows: A Data-driven Framework to Inform Projections of Aquatic Flows in the Northeast
As climate change is impacting water resources and aquatic ecosystems, there is a great need for natural resource managers to assess adaptation measures in a holistic manner. This can be done by integrating model predictions of climate, hydrology, and ecosystems with observational data to better refine estimates of conditions on-the-ground; however, it can be challenging to combine these different
Future of Aquatic Flows: Towards a National Synthesis of Streamflow Regimes Under a Changing Climate
In ecosystems characterized by flowing water, such as rivers and streams, the dynamics of how the water moves - how deep it is, how fast it flows, how often it floods - have direct effects on the health, diversity, and sustainability of underlying communities. Yet increasingly, climate extremes like droughts and floods are disrupting fragile stream ecosystems by specifically changing their interna
A Guide to Modeling Low Flows and Intermittent Streams in the Pacific Northwest
As droughts become more frequent, there is a growing need to understand how drought impacts streamflow permanence. Intermittent streams, or streams that go dry at some point during the year, are found in all ecoregions and represent over half of the global stream network length. As stream intermittence increases, there will be implications for both aquatic and terrestrial wildlife communities, lan
Future of Aquatic Flows: Towards a Synthesis of Changing Hydrology Under Increasing Climate Change and Disturbance Pressures
Understanding the paths by which water flows through the landscape is critical for providing fresh water for human use, maintaining ecosystem function, and better predicting how disturbances such as fire or drought may impact water quantity and water quality. Yet projected changes in climate, disturbances, and land use , are likely to alter hydrologic flow paths, and .natural resource managers inc
Future of Aquatic Flows: Exploring Changes in Rain-On-Snow Events and Their Influence on Future Streamflows, Stream Temperatures, and Management Priorities in the Great Lakes Basin
Rain-on-snow events occur when warm rain falls on an existing snowpack, causing rapid snowmelt that can lead to damaging floods, reduced spring and summer streamflow, and altered stream temperatures, with ecological, social, and economic consequences. Rain-on-snow events can result in a loss of riverine biodiversity, decreases in fisheries production, and degradation of stream habitat; water short