The Klamath River basin, which spans parts of southern Oregon and northern California, has been the focus of a prominent conflict over competing uses for water. Management actions to protect threatened and endangered fish species in the basin have left less water available for irrigation in dry years and heightened tensions among farmers and other stakeholders including commercial fishermen, Native Americans, conservationists, hunters, anglers, and hydropower producers. This National Research Council book assesses two recent studies that evaluate various aspects of flows in the Klamath basin: (1) the Instream Flow Phase II study (IFS), conducted by Utah State University, and (2) the Natural Flow of the Upper Klamath Basin study (NFS), conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR). The book concludes that both studies offer important new information but do not provide enough information for detailed management of flows in the Klamath River, and it offers many suggestions for improving the studies. The report recommends that a comprehensive analysis of the many individual studies of the Klamath river basin be conducted so that a big picture perspective of the entire basin and research and management needs can emerge.
Ecohydraulics: An Integrated Approachprovides a research level text which highlights recent developments of this emerging and expanding field. With a focus on interdisciplinary research the text examines:- the evolution and scope of ecohydraulics interactions between hydraulics, hydrology, fluvial geomorphology and aquatic ecology the application of habitat modelling in ecohydraulic studies state of the art methodological developments and approaches detailed case studies including fish passage design and the management of environmental flow regimes research needs and the future of ecohydraulics research The contributions offer broad geographic coverage to encapsulate the wide range of approaches, case studies and methods used to conduct ecohydraulics research. The book considers a range of spatial and temporal scales of relevance and aquatic organisms ranging from algae and macrophytes to macroinvertebrates and fish. River management and restoration are also considered in detail, making this volume of direct relevance to those concerned with cutting edge research and its application for water resource management. Aimed at academics and postgraduate researchers in departments of physical geography, earth sciences, environmental science, environmental management, civil engineering, biology, zoology, botany and ecology; Ecohydraulics: An Integrated Approach will be of direct relevance to academics, researchers and professionals working in environmental research organisations, national agencies and consultancies.
It is increasingly apparent that human activities are not suitable for sustaining a healthy global environment. From energy development to resource extraction to use of land and water, humans are having a devastating effect on the earth’s ability to sustain human societies and quality lives. Many approaches to changing the negative environmental consequences of human activities focus on one of two options, emphasizing either technological fixes or individual behavior change to reduce environmental harms through sustainable consumption habits. This book takes a different approach, focusing on the role of environmental policy in shaping the possibilities for and creating hindrances to pursuing more sustainable use of environmental resources. This unique compilation examines environmental policy through empirical case studies, demonstrating through each particular example how environmental policies are formed, how they operate, what they do in terms of shaping behaviors and future trajectories, and how they intersect with other social dynamics such as politics, power, social norms, and social organization. By providing case studies from both the United States and Mexico, this book provides a cross-national perspective on current environmental policies and their role in creating and limiting sustainable human futures. Organized around four key parts – Water; Land; Health and Wellbeing; and Resilience – and with a central theme of environmental justice and equity, this book will be of great interest to students and scholars of environmental policy and sustainability.
Rivers are vital ecosystems that support aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity and several ecosystem services, including food, water, culture, and recreation. After centuries of building dams on rivers across the world, dam removal projects are now on the rise due to obsolescence, reservoir sedimentation, insufficient return on investment, or river restoration and conservation priorities. Most dam removal projects have focused on smaller structures (< 10 m in structural height), but larger structures have also started to be removed in increasing numbers as practitioners, river managers, conservationists, and the public have gained more experience with the practice. Recent estimates suggest that only a small fraction of dam removals have been scientifically studied, and include mostly small dams and short time scales. Documenting the long-term ecological outcomes of large dam removal (i.e. >10 m tall) represents a new frontier in dam removal research: projects are more recent and provide an opportunity to understand the complex ecological changes that occur with these transformative restoration projects. Here, we aim to collate a diverse array of papers on long-term dam removal research projects involving larger dams (>10 m) to synthesize the issues, outcomes, tools, and experimental designs used to study large dam removal projects from physical, biological, and ecological perspectives. With this collection, we aim to showcase diverse global projects on ecosystem responses to large dam removal; collect perspectives from different disciplines, fields, and geographies; and synthesize the current state of knowledge in this area. We expect that this Research Topic will be informative to ongoing, long-term ecological restoration and monitoring projects related to dam removal as well as to upcoming large dam removal projects. We welcome contributions from all disciplines addressing the physical, ecological, and ecosystem responses to large-scale dam removal. Contributions could include original research in a specific discipline or area, case studies, or synthesis papers that address one or more of these topics in a transdisciplinary approach. Contributors could address any of the following major topics as related to outcomes of large dam removal, alone or in combination: Freshwater, estuarine, and marine aquatic biota; River and reservoir geomorphology; Terrestrial and riparian vegetation; Wildlife; Sedimentation; and Modelling. We would like contributors to highlight key results in their area of study, cross-disciplinary insights, and lessons learned that could inform ongoing monitoring and research efforts in current projects as well as upcoming large dam removals.
Aquatic ecosystems in the Upper Klamath Basin (Upper Basin), Oregon are degraded as a result of more than a century of land use alterations due to logging, dams, irrigated agriculture, and cattle grazing. These changes have led to degraded habitat conditions including decreased baseflow, loss of vegetation, increased stream temperature, fish impediments, and nutrient loading. All these factors negatively impact watershed function and resident fish populations, which have experienced severe declines in recent decades. The primary threats to fish populations include habitat loss, degraded water quality, barriers and entrainment, and predation and competition from non-native species. Millions of dollars have been spent since the late-1900's to restore aquatic habitat in the Upper Basin primarily to improve the distribution and abundance of endangered and threatened fish species. This project details the hydrologic characteristics of three primary tributaries in the Upper Klamath Lake Sub-Basin including Sevenmile Creek, Wood River, and the Williamson River (including spring tributaries). Available discharge data was assembled to plot seasonal fluctuations in flows and identify annual peak flow at different re-occurrence intervals. Stream systems in the UKL Sub-Basin show a range of hydrologic inflow due to groundwater and/or snow-melt run-off. Characteristics of spring-fed vs. run-off dominated stream systems are reviewed and recommendations are made for how to address restoration practices considering the hydrologic and geomorphic characteristics of stream channels.
The committee's conclusions are subject to modification in the future if scientific evidence becomes available to show that modification of flows or water levels would promote the welfare of the threatened and endangered species under consideration by the committee. The committee will make a more comprehensive and detailed consideration of the environmental requirements of the endangered suckers and threatened coho in the Klamath River Basin over the next year, during which time it will develop final conclusions.
