Evaluation of Streamflow Requirements for Habitat Protection by Comparison to Streamflow Characteristics at Index Streamflow-Gaging Stations in Southern New England
(Englisch)
Bitte wählen Sie ihr Lieferland und ihre Kundengruppe
Streamflow characteristics and methods for determining streamflow requirements for habitat protection were investigated at 23 active index streamflow-gaging stations in southern New England. Fish communities sampled near index streamflow-gaging stations in Massachusetts have a high percentage of fish that require flowing-water habitats for some or all of their life cycle. The relatively unaltered flow condition at these sites was assumed to be one factor that has contributed to this condition. This report provides: 1. flow-duration and low-flow statistics computed for a common period of record (1976-2000) for 23 index stations in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire; 2. an assessment of fish-community composition for reaches near index stations in Massachusetts by use of fish population surveys conducted by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MDFW) and habitat use classifications as modified from Bain and Meixler (2000); 3. flow-management targets and streamflow requirements for habitat protection for the index stations, computed by use of three methods based on hydrologic records: the Range of Variability Approach (RVA) (Richter and others, 1997), the Tennant method (Tennant, 1976), and the New England Aquatic-Base-Flow (ABF) method (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1981; Lang, 1999); 4. streamflow requirements for habitat protection computed for 10 index stations by use of 2 hydraulic-rating methods, the Wetted-Perimeter method (Nelson, 1984; Leathe and Nelson, 1986; Lohr, 1993), and the R2Cross method (Espegren, 1996, 1998; Nehring, 1979); and 5. evaluation of streamflow requirements determined by the various methods by comparison to flow statistics from the index stations.
Evaluation of Streamflow Requirements for Habitat Protection by Comparison to Streamflow Characteristics at Index Streamflow-Gaging Stations in Southern New England