2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference

March 13 - 15, 2022

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5/20/2019  |   10:00 AM - 10:15 AM   |  BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION SUPPORTS RAPID DETERMINATION OF STREAMFLOW PERMANENCE OF HEADWATER, INTERMITTENT, AND EPHEMERAL STREAMS   |  250 CF

BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION SUPPORTS RAPID DETERMINATION OF STREAMFLOW PERMANENCE OF HEADWATER, INTERMITTENT, AND EPHEMERAL STREAMS

Biological indicators were among the most important attributes in discriminating among streamflow permanence classes (i.e. perennial, intermittent, ephemeral) in a three-state study evaluating the efficacy of ~30 physical and biological predictor variables for a rapid assessment framework to inform jurisdictional determinations for purposes of the U.S. Clean Water Act (CWA). Hydrology (duration, frequency, timing of flow) is a critical element of the abiotic template that governs the biological attributes of headwater and temporary streams; physical measures may be influenced by factors other than streamflow permanence, such as flow magnitude. Recent studies verify that non-perennial streams maintain distinct macroinvertebrate communities with adapted species. The Streamflow Duration Assessment Method (SDAM) for the Pacific Northwest, which relies primarily on biological indicators, has proven useful where knowledge of streamflow permanence improves ecological assessment and management, including informing CWA jurisdictional determinations. Given SDAM’s utility, the scarcity of long-term stream gauges, and the national need for accurate classification of flow permanence to inform water resource management decisions, we are evaluating the efficacy of indicators that performed well in the Pacific Northwest via an expansion study in the American southwest and mountain west, focusing on biological information.

  • Management
  • Intermittency
  • Environmental Regulation

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Presenters/Authors

Tracie Nadeau (), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, nadeau.tracie@epa.gov;


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