king county normative flow project parametrix, king county, herrera, & foster wheeler normative...
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Parametrix, King County, Herrera, & Foster Wheeler King County Normative Flow Project
Normative Flow Studies
King County Department of Natural Resources
Water and Land Resources Division
Parametrix, King County, Herrera, & Foster Wheeler King County Normative Flow Project
Establishing links between flow regimes and aquatic ecosystem health
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Using a normative flow approach to guide river restoration in the PNW
Parametrix, King County, Herrera, & Foster Wheeler King County Normative Flow Project
Flow Regimes and Restoration
• Historical conditions• Ecological processes• Prioritization• Design
Parametrix, King County, Herrera, & Foster Wheeler King County Normative Flow Project
GeologyClimate
Regional VegetationRunoff regime
Sediment supplyLWD supply
Land UsePollution
RoadsCIP’s
Floodplain DevelopmentRestoration/LWD
Flow RegimeHabitat
Structure &Dynamics
Biotic Condition(Salmon Viability)
King County Normative Flow Project Parametrix, King County, Herrera, & Foster Wheeler
GEOLOGY, CLIMATE
Flow variablesUnaltered flowregime
Ecological Condition‘Reference Condition’
Geomorphological, Biotic, BiogeochemicalVariables
Key FlowVariables
Key EcologicalIndicators
Parametrix, King County, Herrera, & Foster Wheeler King County Normative Flow Project
Why has this not been done in PNW?
• Most information from:– Semi-arid/arid regions– Hydroelectric/irrigation diversions
• Single-species bias• Focus on minimum flows
• ‘Noise’ associated with effects of urbanization
• Several efforts underway (TNC, King Co., Ecology….)
Parametrix, King County, Herrera, & Foster Wheeler King County Normative Flow Project
Approach
How have flows been altered?
How has this impacted PNW rivers?
Types of hydrologic alteration
Ecological effects of flow alteration
Parametrix, King County, Herrera, & Foster Wheeler King County Normative Flow Project
Change in Number of High Pulses over Time
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Year
Nu
mb
er o
f p
uls
es p
er y
ear
Juanita Creek
Sw amp Creek at Kenmore
Big Soos Creek (above hatchery)
Leach Creek near Steilacoom
Leach Creah (near Fircrest)
MayCreek
Linear (Leach Creek near Steilacoom)
Linear (Juanita Creek)
Parametrix, King County, Herrera, & Foster Wheeler King County Normative Flow Project
Predicted Ecological Effects
• Literature review– Focus on 1998-present– Most common flow alterations– Most common ecological responses– Empirical relationships
• What is relevant to PNW?
Parametrix, King County, Herrera, & Foster Wheeler King County Normative Flow Project
Literature Review: Suites of Common Ecological Effects
Q
t
Connectivity
Life-history strategies
Habitat complexity
Community attributes
Parametrix, King County, Herrera, & Foster Wheeler King County Normative Flow Project
Longitudinal
Lat
eral
Ver
tica
l
Exchange of matter and energy:
•Flood pulse
•Nutrient cycling
•Productivity/food web support
Access to habitats:
•Refugia
•All life-stages
Population Viability:
•Dispersal
•Migration
•Recruitment
Changes in Flows Connectivity
Changes in Flow Habitat Complexity
•Species Diversity
•Life-history Diversity
•Genetic Diversity
•Population Structure
•Population Persistence
•Productivity
Channel form
Patch complexity
Disturbance regime
Complex, DiverseSimple, Uniform
Parametrix, King County, Herrera, & Foster Wheeler King County Normative Flow Project
Changes in Flow Life-history
Q
t
Seasonality; Predictability; Variability
Timing first floods
Life-history strategies:
Recruitment/spawning
Life-spans, age at first reproduction
Stable baseflows, drought
Changes in Flow Communities
Q
t
Seasonality; Predictability; Variability
Community attributes:
Diversity
Range expansions/contractions
Invasibility
Parametrix, King County, Herrera, & Foster Wheeler King County Normative Flow Project
Evaluate Flow Changes:Indicators and Metrics
• Connectivity• Habitat Complexity• Life-history Traits• Community Attributes
Parametrix, King County, Herrera, & Foster Wheeler King County Normative Flow Project
Habitat Complexity
Number of:
• Geomorphic surfaces
• Channel islands
• Un-vegetated patches
Length channel segments
• Patch turnover rates
• Structural diversity
• Size classes trees
• Rates channel migration
Spatial
Temporal
Parametrix, King County, Herrera, & Foster Wheeler King County Normative Flow Project
Life-History Traits
• Relative abundances/Presence-absence of life-history traits:– Timing of spawning runs– Number of runs– Length of reproductive season– Short-lived vs. long-lived species– Age at first reproduction– Generations/year– Tolerant/Intolerant
Parametrix, King County, Herrera, & Foster Wheeler King County Normative Flow Project
Approach
Can we use flow regimes to design better river restoration?
Predict effects of flow alteration on river health
Evaluate restoration actions under range of flow regimes
Parametrix, King County, Herrera, & Foster Wheeler King County Normative Flow Project
Flow Regimes and Restoration
• Historical flow regimes/existing constraints• Current flow regimes/limitations• Prioritization• Design
Historical
Feasible
Stewardship, Enhancement
Priority 2
Priority 1
Restoration
Timing of peak flows
A-seasonal high or low flows ‘Flashiness’
Frequency overbank flows
Prioritization
Parametrix, King County, Herrera, & Foster Wheeler King County Normative Flow Project
Restoration Design
• Feasibility• Potential for success• Goals and targets
Historical
Feasible
Stewardship, Enhancement
Priority 2
Priority 1
Restoration
Frequency peak flows
Magnitude peak flows
Flow Regime Geomorphic Response
•Velocity•Bedload transport capacity•Depth of bedload scour (in relation to egg pocket depths)•Grain size
Biotic Response – Individual,Population
•Egg/alevin survival
•Population size (fall spawners)
•Salmon to cutthroat•Invertebrate diversity•Species diversity•Life-history diversity
Biotic Response – Community Composition