Evaluating the Potential Impact of Reservoir Operation on Fish Communities
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 135, Issue 6
Abstract
A developing understanding of instream flow needs now supports maintenance of ecological flow regimes rather than a fixed, time-invariant regulatory minimum flow. This shift is reflected in management of streamflow change created by existing reservoirs and flow diversion structures. With an emphasis on regime-based approaches a new connectivity is demanded between reservoir operations and the resulting downstream flow conditions. Complicating this situation is reservoir management that may be legally limited to flood control and water supply requirements reducing options for supplying downstream needs. This paper proposes an approach to reservoir operation that is based on ecological flow regime concepts. Reservoir operation is guided by six hydrologic indicators selected both to meet the specific flow needs of the local indigenous fish community and to satisfy authorized reservoir operational rules. The approach is based on incorporation of ecology and life history requirements of the fish community in the decision making process to better define and meet flow needs. Optimization using nondominated sorting genetic algorithms provides a basis for reservoir operational schemes that are expected to provide benefit to fish communities downstream while also meeting authorized reservoir storage needs.
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Acknowledgments
The writers gratefully acknowledge the research support of, and data supplied by, the Water Resources Agency, Taiwan and the research support by the Taiwan National Science Council under Contract No. 96-2221-E-006-264-MY3. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding agency.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 135 • Issue 6 • November 2009
Pages: 475 - 483
Copyright
© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: Oct 4, 2007
Accepted: Mar 11, 2009
Published online: Oct 15, 2009
Published in print: Nov 2009
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