Integrative Method for Quantifying Floodplain Habitat
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 140, Issue 8
Abstract
Restoring functional, self-sustaining floodplain habitats requires explicit consideration of the flow dynamics that once created healthy floodplain ecosystems. This paper describes a new method for quantifying the benefits of river projects by linking the spatial and temporal characteristics of floodplains to define the functional habitat they create. Combining standard hydrologic and hydraulic analysis, habitat can be quantified using area-duration-frequency (ADF) curves for several durations and across multiple frequencies of flood occurrence. From this, a value can be created for expected annual habitat (EAH) analogous to expected annual damages (EAD) used in flood risk analysis. To illustrate this method, a modeling case study was conducted on the Lower San Joaquin River in California. The case study shows that a levee setback to restore floodplain connectivity could benefit splittail fish populations but not rearing salmonids. The development of ADF curves and EAH values is a transparent and replicable means to examine the effects, impacts, and benefits of policy and projects on riverine species and ecosystems.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This research was made possible by the CA Bay-Delta Authority/Sea Grant (U-04-SC-005) award for project R/SF-39 and supported by American Rivers.
References
Anderson, M. G., Ferree, C. E., Olivero, A. P., and Zhao, F. (2010). “Assessing floodplain forests: Using flow modeling and remote sensing to determine the best places for conservation.” Nat. Areas J., 30(1), 39–52.
Bogárdi, I., and Balogh, E. (2013). “Floodway system operation along levee-protected rivers.” J. Water Resour. Plann. Manage.,.
California Department of Water Resources (DWR). (2011). Flood control system status report, Sacramento, CA.
Costanza, R., et al. (1998). “The value of ecosystem services: Putting the issues in perspective.” Ecol. Econ., 25(1), 67–72.
Freeman, M. C., Pringle, C. M., and Jackson, C. R. (2007). “Hydrologic connectivity and the contribution of stream headwaters to ecological integrity at regional scales.” J. Am. Water Resour. Assoc., 43(1), 5–14.
Henry, C. P., and Amoros, C. (1995). “Restoration ecology of riverine wetlands: I. A scientific base.” Environ. Manage., 19(6), 891–902.
Moyle, P. B. (2002). Inland fishes of California, revised and expanded, University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.
Pingel, N., and Ford, D. (2004). “Interior floodplain flood-damage reduction study.” J. Water Resour. Plann. Manage., 123–130.
Shenton, W., Bond, N. R., Yen, J. D. L., and Mac Nally, R. (2012). “Putting the “ecology” into environmental flows: Ecological dynamics and demographic modelling.” Environ. Manage., 50(1), 1–10.
Sommer, T., Baxter, R., and Herbold, B. (1997). “Resilience of splittail in the Sacramento San Joaquin estuary.” Trans. Am. Fish. Soc., 126(6), 961–976.
Tockner, K., and Stanford, J. A. (2002). “Riverine flood plains: Present state and future trends.” Environ. Conserv., 29(3), 308–330.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). (2008). “Appendix C-Monte Carlo simulation.” HEC-FDA, flood damage reduction analysis software, Hydrologic Engineering Center, Davis, CA.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). (2009). HEC-EFM: Ecosystem functions model quick start guide. Version 2.0, Hydrologic Engineering Center, Davis, CA.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). (2010a). HEC-SSP statistical software package user’s manual, Version 2.0, Hydrologic Engineering Center, Davis, CA.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). (2010b). HEC-RAS river analysis system user’s manual, Version 4.1, Hydrologic Engineering Center, Davis, CA.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and Reclamation Board, State of California (Rec Board). (2002). Sacramento and San Joaquin River basins California comprehensive study: Interim report, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District, Sacramento, CA.
U.S. Department of the Interior. (1980). Habitat evaluation procedures, Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Ecological Services, Washington, DC.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 140 • Issue 8 • August 2014
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 28, 2013
Accepted: Aug 15, 2013
Published online: Aug 19, 2013
Published in print: Aug 1, 2014
Discussion open until: Sep 7, 2014
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.