Restoring aquatic habitats through dam removal
USGS researchers at the Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit investigated restoring aquatic habitats through dam removal.
This report presents results from a four-year project (2018–2022) to document the effects of small, run-of-river dams and dam removal on water quality (stream temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO)), aquatic macroinvertebrates, and fishes. Temperature and DO are critical water quality parameters that shape biogeochemical processes and biotic assemblages in streams. Macroinvertebrate and fish assemblages can be reflective of habitat and water quality due to their diversity and sensitivity to high temperatures and low DO, and are often used as indicators of ecosystem health (e.g., Clean Water Act Section 401). This study aimed to better explain the responses of these important ecological parameters to small dam removals, which may support a more comprehensive understanding of the benefits of restoration to aquatic ecosystems. Abstract source: USFWS Cooperator Science Series.
USGS researchers at the Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit investigated restoring aquatic habitats through dam removal.
This report presents results from a four-year project (2018–2022) to document the effects of small, run-of-river dams and dam removal on water quality (stream temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO)), aquatic macroinvertebrates, and fishes. Temperature and DO are critical water quality parameters that shape biogeochemical processes and biotic assemblages in streams. Macroinvertebrate and fish assemblages can be reflective of habitat and water quality due to their diversity and sensitivity to high temperatures and low DO, and are often used as indicators of ecosystem health (e.g., Clean Water Act Section 401). This study aimed to better explain the responses of these important ecological parameters to small dam removals, which may support a more comprehensive understanding of the benefits of restoration to aquatic ecosystems. Abstract source: USFWS Cooperator Science Series.