Aquatic Ecosystem Impacts of River Diversion for Hydro Power
J. A. Stanford
Flathead Lake Biological Station, The University of Montana
Flathead Lake Biological Station at Yellow Bay
First Principles of Regulated River Ecology
Flood plains are hot spots of productivity
Habitat diversity, abundance and quality
and biodiversity but are the most
always is reduced, usually substantially
endangered landscapes on earth owing to
globalization
of
flow
regulation.
Native biodiversity always decreases and non
-native species
and proliferate
Floodplain
riversusually
have invade
high restoration
potential if channels are not substantially
Biophysical
conditions
reset
predictably
in
incised and flood plains are not
relation to influences of tributaries and as
substantially encroached.
distance downstream from the dam increases.
Tockner, K., and J. A. Stanford. 2002. Riverine flood plains: present state and future trends. Environmental
Conservation 29:308–330.
Stanford, J. A., M. S. Lorang, and F.Stanford
R. Hauer.et2005.
The shifting
habitat
mosaic for
of river
ecosystems.
Verh.
al. 1996.
General
protocol
restoration
of regulated
Internat. Verein. Limnol. 29:123–136.
rivers. River Research and Applications
Impact classification based on river channel fragmentation and water
flow regulation by dams on 292 of the world’s large river systems.
Nilsson, C., C. A. Reidy, M. Dynesius and C. Revenga. 2005.
regulation of the world’s large river systems. Science 308:405–408.
Fragmentation and flow
Nyack Floodplain
Research Natural
Area
Middle Fork,
Flathead River
Annual flood
zone
ALLUVIAL AQUIFER
20 yr flood
zone
5 yr flood zone
5th order
Northwest Montana
SaRON reference site:
ultra-oligotrophic,
protected, no salmon.
Funded by –
NSFawards:
Biocomplexity in the
Environment; Microbial
Observatory; Ecology
program
Moore Foundation
National Park Service
A LIDAR image of The
Nyack Flood Plain
showing the landscape
features, including the
channel network and
the mass wasting on
the GNP (right) side.
A portion of the
LIDAR image in the
previous slide that
has been processed
to finer detail using a
GIS. Here the water
is dark black and dry
flood-and paleochannels show up as
dark grey channels
that bisect lightercolored benches.
These benches are
covered by riparian
forests.
Nyack Flood Plain
M. Flathead River,
Montana
Flood intensity and
duration varies with
the Pacific Decadal
Oscillation (PDO)
– determines
turnover of SHM
Whited,
Stanford et al.,.
2008 Ecology
Distinct cooling
phase (shaded)
of the
PDO(1947-1976)
Habitat change at the Nyack Flood Plain of the Flathead River, Montana
1945-2004
A
Operative SHM
B
Whited et al.,2008. Ecology
a
Headwaters
b
Headwater Canyon
Montane
Flood Plain
Montane Canyon
Piedmont
Valley
Flood Plain
Piedmont Canyon
Coastal
Flood Plain
Delta-Estuary
Stanford, J. A., M. S. Lorang, and
F. R. Hauer. 2005. The shifting
habitat mosaic of river
ecosystems. Verh. Internat.
Verein. Limnol. 29:123–136.
White sand beaches – Gunnison River – free-flowing 1952
Natural
Provision of
environmental
flows as
federal water
right
Regulated
Palisades Dam, Snake River, ID
1997
SUSTAINABILITY OF NATIVE
YELLOWSTONE CUTTHROAT
INTRODUCED EXOTIC SPECIES
RAINBOW AND BROWN TROUT
GALLERY FOREST
-Age Structure
-Cottonwood regeneration
-Maintaining Spatial Diversity
ESA SPECIES
-Aquatic
-Wetland
-Riparian
EXOTIC SPECIES
- e.g., reed canary grass
Flow Competence
Lorang and Hauer 2003. JNABS 22(4)
Cobbles
Gravel
Pebbles
Coarse Sand
Fine Sand
Silt
Suldalslågen, Norway – regulated lake outlet river - S. J. Saltveit
Higher base flow; fewer floods; 5-8o C summer cooling
Atlantic
salmon
sport catch
12
Surna River,
Norway
Gill netting in
fiords
stopped
River regulation
begins
10
Atlantic salmon
Brown trout
Tons
8
6
4
2
0
1940
1945
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
Svein Saltveit, Univ. Oslo, unpublished data
Kol River, Kamchatka
Run Timing by Species - Kol River, Kamchatka, Russia
A M
J
J A S
O
N
ice
10oC
18oC
10oC
5oC
ice
lamprey
stickelbacks - 2 species
chinook salmon
cherry salmon
sockeye salmon
dolly varden charr
chum salmon
White-spotted (kunzha) charr
pink salmon
coho salmon
steelhead trout
Estimated total run
size – 5+ million fish.
Pink, coho and chum
are most abundant.
Spring flood
2005 Pink spawn
2006 spawn
Results: Foliar N
molar C:N
•  Kol floodplain
–  Salix A:
–  Salix B:
–  F. camtschatica:
–  Nettle
•  Temperate Broadleaf1
•  Nyack cottonwoods2
13.7
12.6
14.4
8.1
35.1
38.1
1: McGroddy et al. 2004 Ecology, 2: Harner and Stanford 2003 Ecology
First Principles of Regulated River Ecology
Flood plains are hot spots of productivity
Habitat diversity, abundance and quality
and biodiversity but are the most
always is reduced, usually substantially
endangered landscapes on earth owing to
globalization
of
flow
regulation.
Native biodiversity always decreases and non
-native species
and proliferate
Floodplain
riversusually
have invade
high restoration
potential if channels are not substantially
Biophysical
conditions
reset
predictably
in
incised and flood plains are not
relation to influences of tributaries and as
substantially encroached.
distance downstream from the dam increases.
Tockner, K., and J. A. Stanford. 2002. Riverine flood plains: present state and future trends. Environmental
Conservation 29:308–330.
Stanford, J. A., M. S. Lorang, and F.Stanford
R. Hauer.et2005.
The shifting
habitat
mosaic for
of river
ecosystems.
Verh.
al. 1996.
General
protocol
restoration
of regulated
Internat. Verein. Limnol. 29:123–136.
rivers. River Research and Applications
Salmon Ecosystem Vital Signs
• Sustained return of spawners to all spawning habitat in numbers that provide
conservative accounting for environmental variation.
• Sustained habitat-specific density and growth of juveniles.
• High habitat connectivity and productivity in freshwater, estuary and ocean (shifting
habitat mosaic)
• Natural or normative hydrology
• Natural or normative temperature patterns
• Productive, biodiverse food webs with strong riparian linkages and sustained MDN
inputs (salmon carcasses, naturally deposited after spawning)
• High salmonid biodiversity (diverse life histories)
• Natural or normative water chemistry (minimal pollution)
• No cultured stock introductions or supplementations
Vital signs must be quantified by routine monitoring with rigorous statistics
and adaptive models that unambiguously demonstrate trends and allow
comparison to patterns at a suite of unaltered reference (observatory) sites
Rankings of wild Pacific salmon rivers from high quality (yellow), to intermediate
(green) and low (blue) quality based on production potential estimated from a suite of
remotely sensed physical metrics that are coherent with salmon productivity in the
Salmonid Rivers Observatory Network.
Sedan Creek near Kitwanga
Skeena River
Proposed Norway-like
hydropower development
Cascade that blocks spawner migration???
Approval before final development plans?
IFIM basis for final approval?
Fishless upper reaches?
Non-salmon biota don’t matter?
Geomorphic change not important?
Environmental impact of penstock
construction corridor not figured into cost?
Green energy or incremental dismantling of
a prime river ecosystem?
Thanks for your attention!!