5/25/2016  |   13:30 - 13:45   |  314

HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS LIMITED VEGETATION ENCROACHMENT ALONG THE GREEN AND COLORADO RIVERS IN CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK? We examined high resolution imagery from 1937 to 2014 along 56 km of the Colorado River, and from 1948 to 2014 along 69 km of the Green River in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, to determine if bottomland vegetation, an indicator of channel narrowing, has increased. Vegetated river bottom has increased by 29% and 13% on the Colorado and Green rivers, respectively, between 1937/1948 and 2014. Large hydropower dams and diversions, placed upstream on these two rivers starting in the 1930s, were operated almost exclusively for power generation from the 1960s to 1990s, which also corresponded with widespread invasion by the exotic tree tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) and documented channel narrowing. Since the mid-1990’s, these dams have been re-operated due to endangered fish to more closely mimic natural flows. Despite these flows, vegetation continued to increase until 2010. Between 2010 and 2014, vegetation decreased on both rivers. Whether this is due to a large flood in 2011, a new equilibrium based on the environmental flow regime or the effects of the tamarisk beetle (Diorhabda carinulata) weakening tamarisk remains to be seen.

Dustin Perkins (Primary Presenter/Author), Northern Colorado Plateau Network, National Park Service, dustin_w_perkins@nps.gov;


Aneth Wight ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Northern Colorado Plateau Network, National Park Service, aneth_wight@nps.gov;


Mark Wondzell ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), National Park Service, mark_wondzell@nps.gov;


Mark Miller ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Canyonlands National Park, mark_e_miller@nps.gov;


Michael Scott ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), USGS, Retired, scottmikeski@gmail.com;


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5/25/2016  |   13:45 - 14:00   |  314

MEASURING AND EVALUATING ECOLOGICAL FLOWS FROM STREAMS TO REGIONS: STEPS TOWARD NATIONAL COVERAGE Aquatic communities are largely determined and maintained by the discharge, timing, and quality of flowing waters. Because excessive hydrologic alteration can degrade stream and river ecosystems and sensitivity varies among stream types, we built a set of linked models to support understanding and decision-making regarding stream flow issues. New synoptic flow and biological information now make it possible to evaluate the effects of altered flows throughout large regions at scales from the stream reach to the basin. The AFINCH system was used to estimate discharges and yields, and serves as a hydrological accounting system. Temperature and size can be used to classify streams and examine flow alterations and biological responses of communities associated with each class. As proof of concept, we have applied this system to all US Great Lakes Region streams and rivers, and examined responses of characteristic fishes. The general approach was first implemented in MI, where new legislation is supported by a similar system. An internet mapper is being developed to serve the data and sensitivity information. This prototype system can be expanded to the national scale.

James McKenna (Primary Presenter/Author), US Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science, jemckenna@usgs.gov;


Howard Reeves ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), US Geological Survey, Michigan Water Science Center, hwreeves@usgs.gov;


David Holtschlag ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), US Geological Survey, Michigan Water Science Center, dholtschlag@usgs.gov;


Paul Seelbach ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), US Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, pseelbach@usgs.gov;


Michael Slattery ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), US Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science, mslattery@usgs.gov;


Carol Luukkonen ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), US Geological Survey, Michigan Water Science Center, clluukko@usgs.gov;


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5/25/2016  |   14:00 - 14:15   |  314

THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN FLOW ALTERATION AND FISH-TRAIT COMBINATIONS IN A LARGE GREAT PLAINS RIVER Changes to rivers are multifaceted with flow modifications a driver of changing channel and habitat conditions. The flow regime of the Canadian River, located in the US Great Plains, has been altered by the construction of major reservoirs. This fragmentation has resulted in modification of the river continuum and the fish assemblage. We used a physics-based spatially distributed hydrologic model (Vflo®) to simulate river discharge at all sampling locations. The simulated streamflow was used to calculate ecologically-relevant flow indices that captured the major components of streamflow (e.g., duration, magnitude). Correlation and stepwise variance inflation factor analyses were used to reduce flow indices from 178 to a final subset of 8 indices. These flow indices were related to a subset of fish groups derived using morphological and ecological traits. Reproductive and morphological groups showed significant responses to flow variability and timing of maximum and minimum flows. Understanding the link between the flow regime and fish assemblages in the Canadian River will allow management agencies to better predict outcomes of climate change and future flow alteration and protect species of special concern.

Worthington Thomas ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Cardiff University, WorthingtonT1@cardiff.ac.uk;


Shannon Brewer (Primary Presenter/Author), U.S. Geological Survey, shannon.brewer@okstate.edu;


Jonathan Kennen ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, 3450 Princeton Pike, Suite 110, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, jgkennen@usgs.gov;


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5/25/2016  |   14:15 - 14:30   |  314

WATER ABSTRACTION COULD TRUMP CLIMATE AND LAND COVER CHANGE IN ALTERING FUTURE FISH SPECIES RICHNESS IN NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT STREAMS Natural resource agencies are under increasing pressure to manage streamflows for the conservation of ecosystem integrity and ever-growing human water supply needs. Changes in climate, land and water use practices are altering the availability of water throughout the Southeast US. Identifying flow targets or thresholds that maintain ecosystem function is critical for long-term water management. Boosted regression trees (BRT) and WaSSI, a rainfall-runoff model, were used to predict the relation between streamflow and fish species richness under plausible scenarios of projected future water withdrawal, climate change, and impervious surfaces in the North Carolina Piedmont, USA. Streamflow variability, monthly discharge, the fraction of flow originating on impervious surfaces, and river basin accounted for 44% of the variability in the BRT model. On average, fish species richness was predicted to decline significantly with increased withdrawals and impervious surfaces, but not under future climate scenarios. Spatial analyses identified regions that are predicted to change faster than average. Such findings may help resource agencies and stakeholders develop management strategies that prioritize watersheds vulnerable to altered streamflow while meeting availability needs for human use.

Ernie Hain (Primary Presenter/Author, Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Center for Geospatial Analytics, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7106, Raleigh, NC 27695, ernie_hain@ncsu.edu;


Jonathan Kennen ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, 3450 Princeton Pike, Suite 110, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, jgkennen@usgs.gov;


Peter Caldwell ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), USDA Forest Service, Center for Forest Watershed Science, Coweeta Hydrologic Lab 3160 Coweeta Lab Road, Otto, NC 28763, pcaldwell02@fs.fed.us;


Stacy Nelson ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Center for Geospatial Analytics, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7106, Raleigh, NC 27695, sanelso2@ncsu.edu;


Ge Sun ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), USDA Forest Service, Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center, 920 Main Campus Drive, Venture II, Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27606, gesun@ncsu.edu;


Steven McNulty ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), 4USDA Forest Service, Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center, steve_mcnulty@ncsu.edu ;


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5/25/2016  |   14:30 - 14:45   |  314

DISTURBING FLOWS: RECOVERY CAPACITY OF MACROINVERTEBRATE ASSEMBLAGE AND TRAITS TO ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW EXTREMES Disturbance regimes, such as floods and droughts, place great stress on freshwater environments and their associated environmental flows. Resilience and resistance to these flows is essential for maintenance of community processes and dynamics. However, untangling and understanding community trait responses to these environmental flows provides insight into the underlying processes and ecosystem drivers that are required to sustain viable freshwater communities in an ever-changing environment. This paper discusses macroinvertebrate assemblage and trait responses to drought and flood flows within the subtropical humid forest World bioregion (Manning River catchment, New South Wales, Australia). Using a gradient approach, resistant, resilient and affected macroinvertebrate traits within these flow regimes are their significance are discussed.

Daniela Cortez (Primary Presenter/Author), Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, daniela.cortez@canberra.edu.au;


Ross M. Thompson ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Centre for Applied Water Science, University of Canberra, ross.thompson@canberra.edu.au;


Ivor Growns ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), NSW Department of Primary Industries, Water, ivor.growns@dpi.nsw.gov.au;


Ben Kefford ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Canberra, ben.kefford@canberra.edu.au;


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5/25/2016  |   14:45 - 15:00   |  314

DETERMINATION OF METHOD FOR ESTIMATING ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS (EFLOWS) IN POLAND The purpose of this project is to identify the most adequate methods for estimation of environmental flows in Poland. The literature review allowed to identify most promising methodologies, utilize them in methodological concept, which was then tested in seven pilot studies. The investigated sites represented 6 fish-ecological freshwater body types characterized by specific fish community structure composed of habitat use guilds. The environmental significance of the flows for those communities was established with help of habitat simulation model MesoHABSIM. This allowed to calculate flow indices specific for each freshwater body type, which are used to calculate e-flows at any cross section. Two e-flow management schemes have been proposed: simplified with one seasonally variable threshold value and adaptive with threshold values dependent on frequency and duration of habitat deficit events. The project has also documented that for hydromophlogically modified waterbodies the e-flows can be established only with help of site specific habitat studies.

Piotr Parasiewicz (POC,Primary Presenter), S.Sakowicz Inland Fisheries Institute , piotr@infish.com.pl;


Pawel Prus ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), S. Sakowcz Inland Fisheries Institute, pruspaw@wp.pl;


Katarzyna Suska ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Warsaw UNiversity of Life Sciences, katarzynasuska4@wp.pl;


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