Designing flows to enhance ecosystem functioning in heavily altered rivers.

ABSTRACT: More than a century of dam construction and water development in the western United States has led to extensive ecological alteration of rivers. Growing interest in improving river function is compelling practitioners to consider ecological restoration when managing dams and water extraction. We developed an Ecological Response Model (ERM) for the Cache la Poudre River, northern Colorado, USA, to illuminate effects of current and possible future water management and climate change. We used empirical data and modeled interactions among multiple ecosystem components to capture system-wide insights not possible with the unintegrated models commonly used in environmental assessments. The ERM results showed additional flow regime modification would further alter the structure and function of Po

SUBMITTER: Bestgen KR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9285520 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature