This study analyzed the effects of small impoundments on macroinvertebrate and fish communities in headwater prairie streams in Kansas. The researchers sampled 12 stream reaches, 6 influenced by upstream ponds and 6 control sites, to test hypotheses about differences in seston levels, filter-feeder biomass, and species richness between the sites. They found no significant differences in these metrics between control and pond-influenced reaches, suggesting the macroinvertebrates are resilient to disturbance from impoundments. There was a near-significant decline in fish species richness at influenced sites, indicating impoundments may fragment habitat in a way that is detrimental to stream fishes. Future multi-year studies are needed to better
The Hudson during & after extreme weather events. What do they tell us about ...Teaching the Hudson Valley
Dan Miller, habitat restoration coordinator, NYS DEC, Hudson River Estuary Program Climate models predict that our region will experience increased precipitation in more episodic and intense events. Irene, Lee, and Sandy have given us a taste of what that might mean for the Hudson. Dan describes the impacts of these storms on the estuary and describes efforts to improve the Hudson’s resiliency in the face of big storms.
DSD-INT 2019 DANUBIUS-RI the Scientific Agenda-BradleyDeltares
Presentation by Chris Bradley (University of Birmingham, United Kingdom), at the DANUBIUS Modelling Workshop, during Delft Software Days - Edition 2019. Friday, 8 November 2019, Delft.
A presentation on the benefits of wetland watering in the Murray-Darling Basin given by Dr Peter Bacon to a joint meeting of the Riverina and NSW branches of Soil Science Australia at Wagga Wagga on 2 May 2019
Expanding the window - the past, present, and future of Minnesota's waterScott St. George
Nearly all decisions about water in Minnesota relate either directly or indirectly to data collected by the state’s hydrological observing network. Because most gauges were installed in early 20th century, as a whole the network provides us with roughly a 100-year ‘window’ to estimate flood risks, develop worst-case scenarios for drought, and set maximum allowable withdrawals for aquifers. But when we rely exclusively on observations made during this relatively brief interval, we may inadvertently increase our exposure to hydrological ‘surprises’. In order to make sound decisions about water in Minnesota, we need to expand this window: into the past, drawing upon historical accounts and natural archives; and into the future, via projections from climate and hydrological models. By cultivating a broader perspective on hydrological variability and extremes across the state, we will be better prepared to ensure adequate water supplies and mitigate the impacts of future floods and droughts.
The Hudson during & after extreme weather events. What do they tell us about ...Teaching the Hudson Valley
Dan Miller, habitat restoration coordinator, NYS DEC, Hudson River Estuary Program Climate models predict that our region will experience increased precipitation in more episodic and intense events. Irene, Lee, and Sandy have given us a taste of what that might mean for the Hudson. Dan describes the impacts of these storms on the estuary and describes efforts to improve the Hudson’s resiliency in the face of big storms.
DSD-INT 2019 DANUBIUS-RI the Scientific Agenda-BradleyDeltares
Presentation by Chris Bradley (University of Birmingham, United Kingdom), at the DANUBIUS Modelling Workshop, during Delft Software Days - Edition 2019. Friday, 8 November 2019, Delft.
A presentation on the benefits of wetland watering in the Murray-Darling Basin given by Dr Peter Bacon to a joint meeting of the Riverina and NSW branches of Soil Science Australia at Wagga Wagga on 2 May 2019
Expanding the window - the past, present, and future of Minnesota's waterScott St. George
Nearly all decisions about water in Minnesota relate either directly or indirectly to data collected by the state’s hydrological observing network. Because most gauges were installed in early 20th century, as a whole the network provides us with roughly a 100-year ‘window’ to estimate flood risks, develop worst-case scenarios for drought, and set maximum allowable withdrawals for aquifers. But when we rely exclusively on observations made during this relatively brief interval, we may inadvertently increase our exposure to hydrological ‘surprises’. In order to make sound decisions about water in Minnesota, we need to expand this window: into the past, drawing upon historical accounts and natural archives; and into the future, via projections from climate and hydrological models. By cultivating a broader perspective on hydrological variability and extremes across the state, we will be better prepared to ensure adequate water supplies and mitigate the impacts of future floods and droughts.
This presentation provides an overview of a grass-roots oyster restoration effort by a non-profit. The Massachusetts Oyster Project For Clean Water entity is seeking to establish reefs of the water cleansing mollusks in the estuaries of Boston Harbor. An oyster can filter 30 gallons of water per day. For more information visit www.massoyster.org
Nitrogen Pollution and The Future of Long Island By Prof. Christopher GoblerSave The Great South Bay
How does excessive nitrogen loading effect the health and resiliency of Long Island’s coastal ecosystems?
Loss of critical habitats: Eelgrass, salt marshes
Low dissolved oxygen levels, hypoxia
Acidification, low pH
Macroalgal blooms: Sea lettuce, Ulva
Toxic algal blooms: Red, rust, brown tides
Loss or depletion of shellfisheries and finfisheries
1. Title: The effects of small impoundments on headwater prairie stream macroinvertebrate and
fish community structure
Authors: Liz Renner and Keith Gido
Abstract:
Low-order headwater prairie streams provide critical habitat for lotic fishes and aquatic
macroinvertebrates. Unfortunately, these streams are experiencing hydrologic disturbance as
aquifers are drained and small impoundments are constructed for watering livestock, irrigation,
flood control, and recreation. The influence of these small impoundments on macroinvertebrate
and fish communities is not yet well understood. The purpose of this study was to analyze the
influence of small impoundments on the macroinvertebrate and fish communities in headwater
streams within the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve near Strong City, KS. We hypothesized
that seston levels would be significantly higher downstream of ponds, which would translate into
increased biomass of filter-feeding macroinvertebrates. We also hypothesized that
macroinvertebrate and fish richness would decrease downstream of ponds and that there would
be a greater percentage of centrarchids in pond-influenced reaches. To test these hypotheses, we
sampled 12 100-meter stream reaches, divided into 6 sites influenced by ponds upstream and 6
control sites. Macroinvertebrate samples were taken at each site on two separate sampling events
in June and July 2016 from pools using a stovepipe benthic corer and from riffles using a Surber
sampler. The fish community was sampled in June 2016 via backpack electroshocker and
seining. Seston and benthic organic matter samples were collected and the stream habitat was
characterized for each site. There was no significant difference in seston levels (p = 0.626) or
filter-feeder biomass (p = 0.346) between control and pond-influenced reaches. Ponds had no
detectable effects on downstream macroinvertebrate communities. There was no significant
difference in species richness between control and influenced reaches for either the core (p =
0.672) or surber (p = 0.168) samples. Moreover, we found no significant difference in fish
species richness between control and influenced reaches (p = 0.0503). Our results suggest that
the macroinvertebrates that inhabit headwater prairie streams are resilient in the face of
disturbance, which could explain why impoundments had little effect on them. The decline in
species richness at influenced sites suggests that the habitat fragmentation generated by
impoundments is detrimental to stream fishes. It is important to recognize that detecting shifts in
community structure generally requires multiyear sampling efforts. Future studies should
examine how communities respond to multiple impoundments over the course of a stream
continuum to determine whether there is a compounding pond effect and analyze whether the
distance downstream of an impoundment influences macroinvertebrate and fish community
structure.
