1. Bringing Science into Large Scale
River Restoration Programs
Within Our Reach 12/12/12
Cliff Dahm
Professor – University of New Mexico –
Albuquerque, New Mexico
and
Formerly Lead Scientist – Delta Science
Program – Sacramento, California

2. Bringing Science into Large Scale River
Restoration Programs
• Rationale for large-scale river restoration
• Basic principles for effective river restoration
• Two successfully implemented large scale river
restoration projects (Kissimmee River and
Healthy Waterways)
• Planning for California Delta restoration
• Institutional challenges to river restoration
• Science and phases of river restoration
• Some insights and helpful advice

3. Dual Challenge to Rivers Worldwide
• Rivers are the chief source
of renewable freshwater
supplies for humans and
contain high levels of
biodiversity
• 80% of the world’s
population is exposed to
high levels of threat to
water security
• 65% of riverine habitat is
moderately to highly
threatened
Vörösmarty et al. 2010 (Nature)

4. Threats to Rivers
• River Biodiversity
– Destruction or degradation of habitat
– Impacts from overexploitation (overfishing)
– Invasion by non-native species
– Water pollution
– Flow modification
• Water Supply
– Climate change
– Climate variability
– Salinization
– Water pollution

5. Basic Principles and Ecological Consequences of
Altered Flow Regimes for Aquatic Biodiversity
Stuart Bunn and Angela Arthington. 2002.
Environmental Management 30 (4): 492-507.
Four Guiding Principles
• Principle 1: Flow is a major determinant of physical habitat in
streams, which in turn is a major determinant of biotic
composition.
• Principle 2: Aquatic species have evolved life history
strategies primarily in direct response to the natural flow
regime.
• Principle 3: Maintenance of natural patterns of longitudinal
and lateral connectivity is essential to the viability of
populations of many riverine species.
• Principle 4: The invasion and success of exotic and
introduced species in rivers is facilitated by the alteration of
flow regimes.

6. Standards for Ecologically Successful River
Restoration. Margaret Palmer et al. 2005. Journal of
Applied Ecology 42:208-217.
Five Criteria for Measuring Success
• Design based on a specified guiding image of the
outcome
• River’s ecological condition must be measurably
improved
• River ecosystem must be more self-sustaining
and resilient to perturbations
• No lasting harm should be inflicted on the river
ecosystem
• Pre- and post-assessment must be completed and
data/results made publically available

7. Instream Flow Science for Sustainable River
Management. Geoffrey E. Petts 2009. Journal of the
American Water Resources Association 45:1071-
1086.
• Physical HABitat SIMulation (PHABSIM) has had a
global impact by internationalizing the setting of
flow criteria and promoting new science.
• Physical models (hydrological and hydraulic) have
advanced substantively – supporting biological
evidence has been slower to emerge.
• Need long-term research involving both physical
scientists and biologists that link population
dynamics and hydrodynamics.
• Importance of variability in riverine ecosystems
needs to be better understood by policy
makers, politicians, and the public.

8. Successful Large-scale River Restoration
The Kissimmee River Restoration Project
?
=
Restoration of the Pre-channelized
Kissimmee River Kissimmee River

9. Kissimmee River
Basin in
South Florida
Restoration Goals
• 44 miles of channel
• 26,000 acres of
wetlands
• Rigorous and
comprehensive
evaluation program

10. Anatomy of the Phase I Backfilling
Degraded
Spoil
Area
Backfilled
C-38
Remnant
River
Channel
(Micro Bluff Run)
Remnant
Degraded River
Spoil Channel
Area (Oxbow 13)
Oxbow 13 – Micro-Connector
February 9, 2001

11. Kissimmee River Restoration
60 Restoration Expectations (Metrics)
Ecosystem Perspective
• Hydrology - 6 • Algae - 2
• Geomorphology - 2 • Amphibians - 2
• Water Quality - 4 • Fish - 7
• Vegetation - 10 • Birds - 11
• Invertebrates - 11 • Listed Species - 5
Each expectation linked to an experimental design, location
and frequency of measurements, methods to be used,
and ways to analyze and report the resulting data.

12. Healthy Waterways Initiative–Southeast Queensland
 15 major catchments
 22,672 km2
 19 local government areas
 Population 2.5 m
 Fastest growing region in
Australia

13. Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program (EHMP)
Freshwater EHMP
- Designed stage 3 ; Implemented 2002
120 freshwater sites
(sampled 2x/yr)

14. Report Cards on Progress

15. Defensible Science and Effective Communication

16. The California Delta - USA
Two major rivers –
Sacramento and San Joaquin

17. California Water Law – Special
Session of Legislature (Nov 09)
Five new bills passed and signed into law
1. New Governance for the Delta (Delta
Stewardship Council), Delta Science
Program, Delta Independent Science Board
2. Water Bond ($11.14 billion – 15 years)
3. Groundwater Monitoring – now required
4. Water Conservation (20% by 2020)
5. Water Rights and Diversions

18. 2009 State of California
Legislation - The Coequal Goals
• 'Coequal goals' means the two goals of
providing a more reliable water supply for
California and protecting, restoring, and
enhancing the Delta ecosystem. The coequal
goals shall be achieved in a manner that
protects and enhances the unique
cultural, recreational, natural resource, and
agricultural values of the Delta as an evolving
place." (California Water Code §85054).

19. The Delta Stewardship Council
• Created by the state legislature in 2009
• Comprised of seven appointed members
• Supported by independent science experts

20. Adaptive Management Required in
the Delta Plan
“Include a science-based, transparent, and formal adaptive
management strategy for ongoing ecosystem restoration and
water management decisions.” (Water Code §85308(f))
“‘Adaptive management’ means a framework and flexible
decision-making process for ongoing knowledge
acquisition, monitoring, and evaluation leading to
continuous improvements in management planning and
implementation of a project to achieve specified objectives.”
(Water Code §85052)

21. The Delta Plan
 Legally enforceable policies plus recommendations
 Management plan for the California Delta to 2100
 To be completed and approved in 2012
 Updated at least once every 5 years

22. Critical Question: What type of
conveyance is best for exporting water
from the Delta?
Proposed Water Conveyance Methods
1. Through the Delta (current method)
2. Around the Delta (tunnel or canal)
3. Both through and around
Tunnel or canal capacity = 3000 to 15000 cfs
Construction Cost Estimates ~ $15-23 billion

23. Critical Question: Can improved habitat
allow current levels of water export
from the California Delta?
Proposed Habitat Restoration
(50 years)
1. Tidal marsh – 65,000 acres
2. Riparian zone – 5,000 acres
3. Floodplain – 10,000 acres
4. Channel margins – 20 miles
Estimated Costs (50 Years)
Habitat restoration ~ $4.5 billion
Monitoring and research ~ $2.2 billion
The Historic California Delta

24. Institutional Challenges to Large-Scale
River Restoration
• Uncertainty – communicating uncertainty and
taking action when faced with uncertainty
• Breaking the loop of endless planning – moving
on to implementation
• Communication – effectively engaging the
public, decision makers, stakeholders, and
politicians
• Synthesis and integration – well-designed
evaluation programs, good data
management, and informed polymaths

25. Science and Phases of River
Restoration Programs
• Science and Planning – getting good science into
the planning process in a timely manner
• Science and Implementation – developing a robust
evaluation program with clear expectations
• Science and Communication – providing timely
and comprehensible scientific input
• Science and Adaptive Management – stronger
emphasis on data
management, synthesis, integration, and improved
understanding

26. Carlisle et al. 2011. Alteration of streamflow magnitudes
and potential ecological consequences: a multiregional
assessment. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 9:264-
270.
• 2888 stream flow sites evaluated
throughout the United States
• Compared stream alteration to
other stressors and found that
streamflow alterations have the
greatest impact
• Streamflow magnitudes were
altered in 86% of assessed streams
• Strong association between
diminished streamflow magnitudes
(highs and lows) and impaired
biological communities for fish and
aquatic invertebrates

27. Lindenmayer and Likens. 2010. The science and
application of ecological monitoring. Biological
Conservation 143:1317-1328.
Characteristics of effective
question-driven monitoring
programs:
1. Good questions
2. A clear conceptual model of an
ecosystem or population
3. Strong partnerships between
scientists, policy-
makers, managers and
stakeholders
4. Frequent use of the data collected

28. The role of science in decision making: does evidence-
based science drive river conservation policy?
• Likens, G. E. 2010 in Frontiers in Ecology and the
Environment 8:E1-E9.
– Considerable time may elapse between detecting
environmental problems and taking political action
– Dealing with human-accelerated environmental changes
requires better communication among
scientists, managers, policy makers, the media, and the
public
– Scientists need to demonstrate ethical behavior and have
unassailable data, perseverance, and good
communication skills.

29. Australian River Science
Mike Douglas Stuart Bunn Peter Davies