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EFFECTS OF SIMULATED RAPID WATER LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS (HYDROPEAKING) ON SURVIVAL OF SENSITIVE BENTHIC SPECIES
Sudden changes in water releases below hydropower facilities (hydropeaking) can dramatically affect benthic organisms. Aquatic gastropods are an ideal organism for studying such effects because they inhabit littoral areas that are frequently dewatered during hydropeaking and have a low dispersal ability making them highly susceptible. We explored mortality rates of Taylorconcha serpenticola, the threatened Bliss Rapids snail, in four laboratory experiments that simulated hydropeaking during varying seasons and varying hydropower operation scenarios. Experiments were conducted in a light and temperature controlled Conviron® and were designed to simulate conditions on the Middle Snake River, Idaho, USA, in reaches that are subjected to hydropeaking. Experiments examined the effects of three air temperatures (winter = −7°C, spring = 17°C and summer = 37°C), three durations of exposure to air (2, 4 and 6 h), three dewatering rates (instantaneous, 0.3 and 0.15 m h−1), two substrate textures (smooth and vesicular) and consecutive daily exposures (1 to 15 days). With 2 h exposures >80% of gastropods survived under both the summer and winter condition, but with 6 h exposure only 60% survived under winter conditions and almost none survived under summer conditions. Survivorship of gastropods was always high under spring conditions (>90%) even when exposed for 6 h d−1for up to 15 days. When subjected to consecutive daily exposures, survivorship was lowest under winter conditions. Neither rate of dewatering nor substrate texture affected survivorship. Our data suggest that hydropower operations that include rapid stage fluctuations under extreme temperatures can cause high mortality of sensitive benthic species especially when exposure time is prolonged. Future water management policy decisions will need to consider these factors to manage for protection of aquatic species of conservation concern. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
EFFECTS OF SIMULATED RAPID WATER LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS (HYDROPEAKING) ON SURVIVAL OF SENSITIVE BENTHIC SPECIES
Sudden changes in water releases below hydropower facilities (hydropeaking) can dramatically affect benthic organisms. Aquatic gastropods are an ideal organism for studying such effects because they inhabit littoral areas that are frequently dewatered during hydropeaking and have a low dispersal ability making them highly susceptible. We explored mortality rates of Taylorconcha serpenticola, the threatened Bliss Rapids snail, in four laboratory experiments that simulated hydropeaking during varying seasons and varying hydropower operation scenarios. Experiments were conducted in a light and temperature controlled Conviron® and were designed to simulate conditions on the Middle Snake River, Idaho, USA, in reaches that are subjected to hydropeaking. Experiments examined the effects of three air temperatures (winter = −7°C, spring = 17°C and summer = 37°C), three durations of exposure to air (2, 4 and 6 h), three dewatering rates (instantaneous, 0.3 and 0.15 m h−1), two substrate textures (smooth and vesicular) and consecutive daily exposures (1 to 15 days). With 2 h exposures >80% of gastropods survived under both the summer and winter condition, but with 6 h exposure only 60% survived under winter conditions and almost none survived under summer conditions. Survivorship of gastropods was always high under spring conditions (>90%) even when exposed for 6 h d−1for up to 15 days. When subjected to consecutive daily exposures, survivorship was lowest under winter conditions. Neither rate of dewatering nor substrate texture affected survivorship. Our data suggest that hydropower operations that include rapid stage fluctuations under extreme temperatures can cause high mortality of sensitive benthic species especially when exposure time is prolonged. Future water management policy decisions will need to consider these factors to manage for protection of aquatic species of conservation concern. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
EFFECTS OF SIMULATED RAPID WATER LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS (HYDROPEAKING) ON SURVIVAL OF SENSITIVE BENTHIC SPECIES
Richards, R. R. (author) / Gates, K. K. (author) / Kerans, B. L. (author)
River Research and Applications ; 30 ; 954-963
2014-10-01
10 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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