dual nature of hydropeaking rivers: is ecopeaking possible?

Philosophically, the natural flow regime concept is tremendously appealing; however, its application can be challenging for many biologists without the expertise or resources to handle such approaches on their own. This is particularly true on hydropeaking rivers, where incorporating natural flow is...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:River research and applications 2014-05, Vol.30 (4), p.521-526
Main Author: Jones, N. E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Biological and medical sciences
Biologists
daily flow fluctuations
Deviation
Discharge
dual nature
Ecology
ecosystems
environmental factors
Fish
Fresh water ecosystems
Freshwater
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Geomorphology
habitats
hydropeaking
Invertebrates
natural flow regime
productivity
risk
Rivers
Synecology
varial zone
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Summary:Philosophically, the natural flow regime concept is tremendously appealing; however, its application can be challenging for many biologists without the expertise or resources to handle such approaches on their own. This is particularly true on hydropeaking rivers, where incorporating natural flow is sometimes challenging. Additional challenges include our limited understanding of how individual flow components relate to geomorphic and ecological processes. Supplementary to environmental flow approaches is understanding that many hydropeaking rivers are ecologically two different rivers in one: the low flow and high peaking flow. Taxa that require a narrow range of water velocities or cannot withstand rapid changes in discharge would likely be eliminated or competitively disadvantaged under such harsh environmental conditions. As the low and peak flows diverge, the two rivers become increasingly different ecologically, and there will likely be fewer taxa that can withstand such abiotic variability. Deviations from a natural flow regime may result in new constraints on certain fishes and invertebrates, but this does not necessarily mean a loss of productive fish habitat. Viewing hydropeaking rivers as two rivers in one and the risks associated with high to low flow ratios may serve as a more practical and useful perspective towards maintaining altered yet productive rivers while representing a step towards improving the management river ecosystems. © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada 2013.
ISSN:1535-1459
1535-1467
DOI:10.1002/rra.2653