2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference

March 13 - 15, 2022

<< BACK TO AGENDA

6/05/2017  |   11:30 AM - 11:45 AM   |  QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH SUPPORTING A FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPING ECOLOGICAL FLOWS FOR NORTH CAROLINA   |  302C

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH SUPPORTING A FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPING ECOLOGICAL FLOWS FOR NORTH CAROLINA

NC DEQ appointed a Science Advisory Board (SAB) to “assist with characterizing the natural ecology and identifying the flow requirements” required by NC Session Law 2010-143. A small, ad hoc advisory science team formed to support the SAB collected biological data and modeled hydrology to characterize the degree of alteration in streamflows at the stream segment level statewide. The team explored strategies for: (1) classifying streams both by flow characteristics and by physiological and ecological regions; (2) characterizing the biota of streams and relative sensitivity to flow alterations; and (3) quantifying biological responses to flow alterations. Twelve significant and negative, linear flow – biology relationships were developed. Findings show the response of fish species to reductions in streamflow may be greatly underestimated if flow – biology relationships are not established separately by fish guild. Because the final statewide relationships were linear, thresholds for ecological flows could not be easily established. Given the lack of thresholds typical to water regulations, a method of setting ecological flows based on the magnitude of change in biological condition that is acceptable to society is demonstrated.

  • C34 Science and Policy
  • C36 Water Resource Management
  • S31 Moving forward in flow ecology: identifying and testing key hypotheses

Presentation:
This presentation has not yet been uploaded.

Handouts:
Handout is not Available

Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference


Presenters/Authors

Michele Eddy (), RTI International, mceddy@rti.org;


ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -

Nonfinancial -

Jennifer Phelan (), RTI International, jenphelan@rti.org;


ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -

Nonfinancial -

Sam Pearsall (), Environmental Defense Fund (retired), samlindapearsall@gmail.com;


ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -

Nonfinancial -