SFS Annual Meeting

5/23/2019  |   11:00 - 11:15   |  250 CF

CHALLENGES TO IMPLEMENTING ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS IN OKLAHOMA Oklahoma is one of two Western states that has no formal Environmental Flow Program. Efforts have been ongoing to study environmental flows in Oklahoma. A scientific study was performed on a scenic river in Northeastern Oklahoma to develop flow standards using Instream Flow Incremental Methodology (IFIM). Legislative bills have been introduced in the 2019 session to implement a formal Environmental Flow Program for the state. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has been involved in these efforts to develop environmental flows. Scientific, legal, social, and management challenges will be discussed related to environmental flows in Oklahoma. Oklahoma’s challenges will be compared to efforts in other states.

Kimberly Elkin (Primary Presenter/Author), The Nature Conservancy, kelkin@tnc.org;


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5/23/2019  |   11:15 - 11:30   |  250 CF

FLOW-ECOLOGY RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS THE GREAT PLAINS Streamflow is a “master variable” that largely governs stream ecological processes. The upper Red River basin is a variable, extreme environment, where periods of both excessive rainfall and drought are common, whereas the lower basin is much more humid. The basin transitions five states; thus, management interests also vary across the landscape. Of particular interest in the upper basin is the ecology of Prairie Chub Machrybopsis australis, a vulnerable pelagic-broadcast spawning cyprinid endemic to the Red River basin. As expected, we found detection probability was higher in the dry season, while the species was actually less likely to occur. Further, the importance of flow metrics, particularly the variability in the timing of high flow events, also differed across wet and dry seasons where the response was much more pronounced in the wet season. The lower basin, however, was much more difficult to model due to missing data, and the lack of gear reporting. Examining discharge requirements for Prairie Chub and other species of concern can inform management regulations on water use that may have broader implications beyond the Red River Basin.

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


Robert Mollenhauer (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), OSU, mollen@okstate.edu;


Maeghen Wedgeworth (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), OSU, maeghen.wedgeworth@gmail.com;


Dusty Swedberg (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), OSU, dusty.swedberg@okstate.edu;


Joshuah Perkin (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Texas A&M University , jperkin@tamu.edu;


Rheannon Hart (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), USGS, rmhart@usgs.gov;


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5/23/2019  |   11:30 - 11:45   |  250 CF

THE NATIONAL WATER RESERVE PROGRAM: A MEXICAN EXPERIENCE IN IMPLEMENTING ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS In 2012, Mexico launched the National Water Reserve Program (NWRP) to implement environmental flows (e-flow) as a nationwide strategy for freshwater conservation. The NWRP is based on the premise that leaving enough water for nature sets the foundation for long-term water availability for all uses, and an adaptation strategy in the face of a changing climate. Water reserves (i.e. e-flows) were determined by applying holistic and hydrological methodologies described in the National Environmental Flow Standard. A multidisciplinary team coordinated by WWF and Mexico’s National Water Commission, analyzed field information through different conservation scenarios and the risk of different alternatives for water resource management, to adopt a preventive allocation of water for the environment. Water reserves in nearly 300 river basins have been established through presidential decrees, representing the conservation of 55% of the total country’s surface water. Of the total volume of reserved water, 79% is destined to ecological conservation, 1% to human consumption to cover population needs by 2070, and only 20% is available for new uses. The NWRP represents an advance in interdisciplinary research and multi-stakeholder coordination showing that ecosystem conservation and water management are two compatible practices.

Mariana Z. Nava-López (Primary Presenter/Author), WWF-Mexico, mnava@wwfmex.org;


Eugenio Barrios (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), WWF-Mexico, ebarrios@wwfmex.org;


Ninel Escobar (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), WWF-Mexico, nescobar@wwfmex.org;


Sergio Salinas-Rodríguez (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), WWF-Mexico, ssalinas@wwfmex.org;


Ricardo Domínguez (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), WWF-Mexico, rdominguez@wwfmex.org;


Ignacio González (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), WWF-Mexico, igonzalez@wwfmex.org;


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5/23/2019  |   11:45 - 12:00   |  250 CF

TOWARDS EXPERIMENTALLY-BASED ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT IN HIGH-ALTITUDE TROPICAL STREAMS Thresholds from flow–benthic fauna relationships in the light of data-scarce hydrosystems constitute an advance in implementing sustainable principles for water infrastructure management. To quantify the limits to the amount of water that can be withdrawn from Andean river networks before their natural functioning, biodiversity and ecosystem services become degraded, we conducted a whole-ecosystem experimental flow alteration. We reduced flow in the reach of a stream above a water intake from the supply system for the city of Quito, Ecuador. During the low-flow season, we diverted water using a system of weirs to accommodate streamflow in complementary percents (i.e., 90% flow deviation and 10% flow left in the stream). We performed seven reductions and kept them for seven days, during that time we sampled benthic algae chlorophyll concentration, bottom-velocity, temperature, conductivity, light, and measured stream morphology. Our preliminary results indicate a high variability of ecological and physical responses to hydrological alterations in high-altitude tropical streams. A reduction to minimum flow similar to conditions observed in for the low-flow season caused significant changes in stream morphology and reductions above this thresholds evidence changes in the relative presence of major benthic algae groups.

Todd Walter (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA, mtw5@cornell.edu;


Alexander Flecker (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA, asf3@cornell.edu;


Bert De Brieve (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Fondo para la Proteccion de Cuencas FONAG, bert.debievre@fonag.org.ec;


Dunia González-Zeas (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Insititute for Research and Development IRD, duniapgz@yahoo.com.mx;


Pablo Lloret (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Empresa de Agua Potable de Quito, pablo.lloret@aguaquito.gob.ec;


Olivier Dangles (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France., olivier.dangles@ird.fr;


Daniela Rosero-López (Primary Presenter/Author), Universidad San Francisco de Quito, droserol@usfq.edu.ec;


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