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Southern Instream Flow Network (SIFN) Wiki
A project of the Southeast Aquatic Resource Partnership
We would like to thank the South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative (SALCC) for their support.
For a quick link to the documents and supporting information for reviews of the instream flow products that SARP produced for the SALCC , go to http://sifn.bse.vt.edu/sifnwiki/index.php/SIFN_datasprint.
The Southeastern United States is a global center of aquatic biodiversity. The region’s rich array of habitats and mild climate support many fish, mussel, and other aquatic species, indeed the greatest number of aquatic species of special federal and state concern. Instream flows – the natural variations of water levels in rivers and streams - are critical to maintenance of these rich aquatic ecosystems. Flow alteration from consumption and other water management practices is identified by experts as one of the major threats facing aquatic habitats across the region. Interest in developing effective instream flow protection has increased among water resource managers as recent droughts and interstate controversies have called attention to the limits of water resources and exacerbated conflicts for them. The importance of natural flow regimes to the ecological integrity of rivers has been established for decades, but more specific information is needed to develop and implement scientifically credible instream flow standards.
As a consequence of the widespread impacts of increased uses of surface water and climate changes in the region, the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP) identified implementation of protective instream flow policies as a priority strategy in its Southeast Aquatic Habitat Plan. SARP developed SIFN to address the impacts of flow alterations in the region’s aquatic ecosystems. SIFN leverages policy, technical experience, and scientific resources among partners based in 15 states (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MO, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV). The SIFN goal is to help develop and improve protective instream flow policies by providing scientific resources and opening lines of communication. The Southern Instream Flow Research Agenda, which guides SIFN, is a collaborative effort to strengthen the scientific foundation to support state instream flow protection and standards in the Southern US. See the SIFN website for more information at The SIFN Home Page.
This Wiki supports the work of the Southern Instream Flow Network. The following pages link to interactive activities associated with several SIFN projects. The Instream Flow Policy document presents topics and approaches for instream flow protection in state programs. Ongoing research is documented under the five priority research topics identified in the Southern Instream Flow Agenda. In addition, the process is presented to develop a regional hydrologic foundation to relate ecological responses to flow alteration in southern rivers.
These documents are living and meant to for you to add your experience, comments, resources and revisions. If you have not done so already, you are invited to create an account following the instructions above and participate in these efforts by editing pages according to your interests. The original Wiki documents are saved as well as a history of revisions and additions to the documents. The Wiki manager is alerted to changes. All revisions are subject to review and final approval by SARP. Please contact Mary Davis (mary@southeastaquatics.net) for more information.
I. INSTREAM FLOW POLICY: An Overview of Southeastern US State Programs and Policies
Protection of instream flows is a complex problem involving policy, science, and many stakeholders. There are myriad terms, approaches, and program structures in use in states which provide various levels of effective instream flow protection for their rivers, lakes, wetlands, and aquifers. Information is not centralized for state agencies and other practitioners to research easily when developing new programs or improving their existing programs. The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of the main issues that need to be considered when developing an instream flow program and provide examples from other states.
The structure of this document is a primer of the main issues with examples, references and links for more information. It starts with basic information about the ecological value of natural flow regimes in streams, then lays out state instream flow program components, including the legal structure, water management plans, and finances necessary to support effective protection programs. The science behind instream flow protection is dealt with in a companion document.
This document is intended to be a living and growing resource. The text is not meant to be an exhaustive treatment of instream flow policy issues. Rather, it is intended to serve as a framework to organize topics and direct the user to resources of various types for more in-depth information. Users are encouraged to contribute text and other resources to improve and enlarge this document. The focus is on the Southern U.S., but information from other areas is included as case studies and resources. It should serve as an up-to-date resource for anyone interested in instream flow policies and programs. Once reviewed and vetted by SIFN membership, this document will serve as the basis for the technical resources on the SIFN website.
- Go to the Instream Flow Protection Policy Document
INSTREAM FLOW POLICY DOCUMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION
2 FLOWS AND AQUATIC RESOURCES
2.1 Natural Flow Regimes: Values and Threats
2.2 Instream versus Environmental Flows: What is the Difference?
2.3 Additional Information About Instream Flows
3 FLOW MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS AND ISSUES
3.1 Regulated Riparian versus Prior-appropriation Water Law
3.2 Instream Flow Criteria versus Water Allocation Permit Limits
3.3 Flow Criteria for Water Quality Standards versus Water Allocation
3.4 Incentive versus Regulatory Water Management Approaches
3.5 Management of Surface versus Ground Water Resources
4 INSTREAM FLOW PROGRAMS
4.1 Overview
4.2 Goals
4.3 Structure
5 DEVELOPING INSTREAM FLOW CRITERIA
5.1 Which hydrologic measures do we choose?
5.1.1 Limit the amount of withdrawals
5.1.2 Set minimum amount to remain in the river
5.2 What Ecological Conditions Do We Consider?
5.3 How do we determine the thresholds for the criteria?
5.4 How protective are the criteria?
5.4.1 Scale
5.4.2 Science-based Information
5.4.3 Priority Water Resources
6 USING INSTREAM FLOW CRITERIA IN PERMITS
6.1 Water Withdrawal Permits
6.1.1 Pass-by Flows
6.1.2 Pour Points
6.2 Permits for Reservoir Operations
7 PHASED APPROACH TO PROTECTION OF INSTREAM FLOWS
8 LEGAL MANDATE
8.1 Public Trust Doctrine
9 LITERATURE CITED
- To visit the SIFN website for downloadable documents, figures and tables referenced in this document, click here [1]
II. SOUTHERN INSTREAM FLOW RESEARCH AGENDA: Priority Research Topics
The Southern Instream Flow Research Agenda is a collaborative effort to strengthen the scientific foundation to support protective instream flow standards and management practices in the Southern US. The agenda articulates the priority research topics identified by aquatic ecologists and resource managers from 15 southern states as the scientific information necessary to inform, develop, and implement protective instream flow standards. Currently, there is little focus of research or funding on instream flow standards.
The objective of this agenda is to highlight research needs and thereby coordinate sources of funding and research to address these priority topics.
The goal is to ensure that instream flow research is focused on the needs of water resource managers for scientifically credible, protective state instream flow standards.
To download a copy of the Southern Instream Flow Research Agenda from the SARP website, click here [2]
Since its inception in 2009, the Southern Instream Flow Research Agenda has provided a logical framework for development of valuable regional water resource information. While focusing on instream flow needs, it identifies basic information for management of healthy rivers and streams that also relates to other threats such as water quality and connectivity. It has coordinated and leveraged expertise and efforts of SARP, USFWS, USGS, DOI Landscape Conservation Cooperatives, state water resource agencies, and many others. All of the research priorities identified in the Research Agenda are under development in the SARP region. More information about the Agenda products is given below.
The products of the Southern Instream Flow Research Agenda form an integrated body of information to support our understanding of how ecological conditions in rivers and streams respond to alterations of the natural flow regime. As identified in the Ecological Limits of Flow Alteration (ELOHA; [3]) framework, these flow-ecology relationships provide the scientific basis for determining acceptable levels of impacts due to flow alterations. The schematic below identifies the major Research Agenda products and how they are used to develop the flow-ecology relationships together with additional regional information. Thesse relationships and the process to develop the individual products are documented below.
II.A. Develop a regional river classification system
Updated December 9, 2011
Rationale and Integration
The use of limited ecological data can be extended with the assumption that ecosystems with similar streamflow attributes and geomorphic characteristics respond similarly to flow alteration. A regional river classification system allows states and other water resource managers to supplement their own limited data for flow-ecology relationships with information from other areas. To support instream flow standards, a classification system for southern aquatic ecosystems is needed that is based initially on ecologically-relevant streamflow characteristics. It should support subclassifications based on other factors that influence how biota respond to hydrologic alteration, such as water temperature and channel form and materials. Ideally such a river classification system could be integrated with similar classification efforts in other areas and the national data being developed under the National Fish Habitat Partnership. In addition, the river classification framework will inform the selection of aquatic conservation priority areas by ensuring that a representative range of southern rivers are identified.
- SIFN River Classification - An overview of river classification by John Faustini (USFWS)
- River Classification - Expert Review Process - Mapping issues and decision-making process by the SIFN River Classification Committee
- SIFN River Classes - Classification attributes and class divisions
- River Classification - Research Needs - A list of research needs to improve the regional river classification framework
- Visit the SIFN website for workshop and webinar presentations on regional and national river classification efforts [4]
- See Apse et al. 2008 for a discussion of current river classification efforts [5]
- Funding for this work is provided by the Department of Interior, South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative (SALCC)
II.B. Identify commonalities in ecosystem responses to flow alterations
UPDATED November 29, 2011
Rationale and Integration
Given the complexity of aquatic ecosystems and the myriad flow-ecology relationships, there is a need to focus limited research resources. Flow regime components need to be identified that are most likely to be altered under common influences in the southern landscape, including water consumption, dams, and impervious surfaces. Components of the aquatic ecosystems most sensitive to these flow alterations can then be identified and relevant ecological data compiled. Identification of the most common flow alterations will help focus the development and testing of scientific hypotheses on the flow conditions that can be managed by instream flow standards in water management planning and regulatory programs. In addition, an understanding of the location, type, and degree of risk of impact from various sources of flow alterations will help identify the aquatic conservation priorities most at risk by flow alteration.
- SIFN Sources & Measures of Flow Alteration - Project objectives, GIS spatial analysis methods, and supporting information
- Flow Alteration Assessment - Expert Review Process - Mapping issues and decision-making process by the SIFN Flow Alteration Committee
- Flow Alteration Assessment - Research Needs - Research topics to improve the flow alteration assessment
- Funding for this work is provided by the Department of Interior, South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative (SALCC)
II.C. Compile regional aquatic ecology data sets
UPDATED February 2, 2012
Rationale and Integration
A critical step in developing instream flow standards is to demonstrate ecological responses to alterations in the flow regime. Limits to flow alterations can then be set based on acceptable levels of ecological impacts. While flow regimes can be quantified (see A Regional Hydrologic Foundation below), ecological information about riverine biota, geomorphology, water quality, and other processes is widely scattered, inconsistent, and difficult to access relative to measures of flow alteration. A compilation of regional ecological data sets provides information to form and test flow-ecology hypotheses, as well as allows the identification of information gaps and development of guidelines to improve the comparability of future study results. The ecological data compilation leverages and broadens the use of local information to support stronger flow-ecology relationships across classes of rivers.
- John Kauffman, retired VA DNR Fisheries Biologist, is under contract with SARP to gather state aquatic data of all sorts as well as to develop data queries to support flow-ecology analyses. Follow his progress in the SARP region at SIFN Aquatic Data Compilation Progress Report
- More information about where the aquatic data are stored can be found on the Multistate Aquatic Resource Information System (MARIS)at http://www.marisdata.org/
- Robert Burgholzer of VADEQ brought the idea of a "Data Sprint" to the data compilation effort. His early thoughts are documented at SIFN Data-Sprint 2010
- Funding for this work is provided by the Department of Interior, South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative (SALCC)
II.D. Develop hypotheses for regional ecological responses to flow alteration
UPDATED February 2, 2012
Rationale and Integration
A holistic suite of flow-ecology relationships demonstrating responses to a gradient of altered flow regimes in the region form the scientific basis for setting ecological limits of hydrologic alteration for a class of rivers. Very few of these relationships have been identified, however, which limits the ability of southern states to substantiate state instream flow standards. The holistic suite of relationships should address all aspects of the ecosystem that are sensitive to flow alteration such as fish, macroinvertebrates, riparian vegetation, and other biota, as well as channel morphology, nutrient exchange, and other physical and chemical processes. An iterative process of developing hypothetical flow-ecology relationships to inform data synthesis and design of field studies will be established, which in turn will improve the flow-ecology relationships and the science supporting instream flow standards.
FIRST STEP - Find out what we know about regional Flow-Ecology relationships from the literature - In 2011, SARP contracted with Ryan McManamay (now at Oak Ridge National Labortory), Don Orth (Virginia Tech), and John Kauffman (retired, VA DIF Fisheries Biologist) to find, review and summarize the flow-ecology literature in the South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative states. They went above and beyond and compiled literature for much of the SARP region. Their report and ancillary products are available by clicking on this paragraph heading.
- Under development
Other Efforts to Develop Flow-Ecology Relationships:
Parallel to the SARP Southern Instream Flow Research Agenda, there are several state and river basin efforts to advance their instream flow science to support flow standards and water management decisions. The following are links to significant efforts for quantifying flow-ecology relationships:
1. MIDDLE POTOMAC RIVER WATERSHED ASSESSMENT
Point of contact - Carlton Haywood at chaywood@icprb.org
For more information, go to: http://www.potomacriver.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=162&Itemid=117
2. VIRGINIA
Points of Contact - Robert Burgholzer at Robert.Burgholzer@deq.virginia.gov and Judy Dunscomb at jdunscomb@tnc.org)
3. Poff et al. 2010Poff et al. 2010 - F-E relationships from Tables 1 and 2on
II.E. Perform field studies to test ecological responses to altered flow regimes
TBD
Rationale and Integration
The objective of instream flow standards is to manage alterations to flow regimes and limit the associated ecological degradation. Rivers are complex ecosystems, and ecological degradation occurs in response to many changes in the environment. The hypothetical relationships between ecological conditions and flow alterations will help isolate flow as the cause of change. Field studies will confirm or refute these hypothetical relationships and strengthen the basis for instream flow standards to limit flow alteration. Few of these studies exist. Many more studies are needed across a gradient of altered flow conditions that are common in southern rivers, such as due to various dam operations, extractions, or augmentation from interbasin transfers. In addition, these studies need to address the holistic suite of flow-ecology relationships and across the range of river classes. The identification and prioritization of information gaps in the Research Agenda products above will form the basis for a Research Plan that can guide future work and funding to most efficiently establish the scientific basis to protect instream flows in southern rivers.
III. ADDITIONAL FLOW-ECOLOGY PRODUCTS FOR THE LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION COOPERATIVES
While the Southern Instream Flow Research Agenda provides a valuable guide for development of instream flow information resources, additional needs were identified in the process of developing research plans for the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives as well as for other efforts in the SARP region. The projects below add to the Research Agenda products listed above to support development of priority flow-ecology relationships in the region.
III.A. SALCC Regional Hydrologic Foundation
UPDATED February 3, 2012
Rationale and Integration
The primary objective of the SARP instream flow project for the South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative (SALCC) is to develop baseline information on hydrologic alteration and ecological responses to alteration in rivers and streams across the SALCC region. The regional hydrologic foundation will integrate with the other products under development by SARP, for example, by,:
• providing estimates of flow alteration for studies of ecological responses to magnitude of flows (e.g., converting Virginia DIF fish monitoring studies of Young-of-Year response to average June flows to response to altered June flows);
• extending river classes determined from gaged locations to ungagged locations in support of the regional river classification framework;
• quantifying altered flows at priority aquatic conservation areas; and
• substantiating estimates of flow alterations due to consumption, impervious surface, and dam operations across the region.
An initial step in developing flow-ecology relationships is to quantify the degree of hydrologic alteration by comparing baseline hydrologic conditions with current conditions at sites where ecological data is available. Various state and federal watershed hydrologic models have been developed or are under development in the SALCC region. This report surveys the extent, resolution, and availability of these hydrologic models, identifies information gaps, and assesses their applicability to serve as a hydrologic foundation for instream flow policy and management practices.
Download SARP's Assessment of Hydrologic Model Availability in the SALCC at http://dl.dropbox.com/u/56483498/SALCC%20Hydrologic%20Model%20Assessment.pdf
Next Steps Towards Development of A Hydrologic Foundation for the SALCC
The conclusion of the SARP Hydrologic Model Assessment for the SALCC region was that there was no single hydrologic model available for the region. Two alternatives were suggested: either utilize the existing state-based models or create a new regional model. Discussions with the SALCC Rivers and Streams Group and selected experts familiar with hydrologic foundations identified the later option as the best. The state-based models, while good for their particular applications, were developed for various time and spatial scales and using different assumptions. Hydrographs produced by different models would not necessarily be comparable. A regional hydrologic model could produce hydrographs to assess ecological responses to flow alteration consistently throughout the region.
The SALCC has subsequently funded The Nature Conservancy in cooperation with the Research Triangle Institute to develop a regional hydrologic model. RTI will use their new watershed modeling tool and decision-support platform. Their Watershed Flow and ALLocation (WaterFALL™; https://waterfall.rti.org/) system employs the Generalized Water Loading Function (GWLF) that has been modified to run on EPA’s enhanced National Hydrography Dataset (NHDPlus) hydrologic network . The model will produce daily stream flow hydrographs for stream segments in the SALCC region with a user-friendly interface. Researchers, managers, and others will be able to obtain stream flow records for baseline, current, and future conditions for any period of record for stream segments of interest.
Follow development of the SALCC water resources, such as the hydrologic foundation, on their website: [6]. Join the Rivers and Streams Group to participate in the discussions. For more information, contact Rua Mordecai, SALCC Science Coordinator, at Rua_Mordecai@fws.gov.
Other Hydrologic Modeling Efforts for Flow-Ecology in the Region
Virginia - Point of Contact - Robert Burgholzer at Robert.Burgholzer@deq.virginia.gov
III.B. Southern Aquatic Conservation Priority Areas
UPDATED November 5, 2011
Rationale and Integration
Limited resources need to be utilized where they will best meet the needs of regional aquatic resource managers. A map of priority conservation areas is under development by the SARP Science and Data Committee based on DOI and USFS protected lands, state wildlife action plans, SARP regional threat assessment maps, NOAA Coastal Services Center Habitat Priority Planner, and TNC ecoregional portfolios.
IV. OVERSIGHT OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE RESEARCH AGENDA
Updated November 28, 2011
A fundamental concept behind the Southern Instream Flow Resarch Agenda is the involvement of regional aquatic experts in the oversight of the development and review of the priority research products. These experts have been brought into this process in a number of ways. Much of the work has been contracted out to various experts, as described in the product descriptions above. Expert review committees are comprised of regional and national experts that help ensure that the products are technically correct and achieve what was intended. Local experts, often from state resource agencies, help ensure that the products that pass review of the expert review committees truly represent the ecologically significant conditions in their area. Once the major work under the research agenda is completed for a SARP subregion (e.g., for the SALCC), these participants will serve as a body of experts that are well versed in the issues of flow-ecology relationships and the supporting information that is now available for their area. They can help guide future work towards the priority research topics that will advance instream flow science in their area. Progress and decisions of these participants are documented in the priority research product sections above.
Due to the structure of funding sources, the work under the Southern Instream Flow Research Agenda is being accomplished in parallel efforts in various SARP subregions. SARP provides some funding for the Southern Instream Flow Network from a Multistate Conservation Grant from the Southeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA). The majority of funding for the Research Agenda is from the Department of Interior Landscape Conservation Cooperative (LCC) programs. SIFN Steering Committees will be established in each subregion to guide this work towards useful and technically sound products. The progress and decisions of each Instream Flow Steering Committee are documented in the pages with links below.
