ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS FOR THE MAINTAINACE OF SOUND RIPARINE AND WETLAND HABITATS IN THE CYPRESS RIVER BASIN. October 17, 2012 Fort Worth, Texas

Transcription

1 ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS FOR THE MAINTAINACE OF SOUND RIPARINE AND WETLAND HABITATS IN THE CYPRESS RIVER BASIN October 17, 2012 Fort Worth, Texas

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3 Sustainable Rivers Project

4 From Rivers for Life: Managing Water for People and Nature by Sandra Postel and Brian Richter (Island Press 2003)

5 8/1/1924 8/1/1927 8/1/1930 8/1/1933 8/1/1936 8/1/1939 8/1/1942 8/1/1945 8/1/1948 8/1/1951 8/1/1954 8/1/1957 8/1/1960 8/1/1963 8/1/1966 8/1/1969 8/1/1972 8/1/1975 8/1/1978 8/1/1981 8/1/1984 8/1/1987 8/1/1990 8/1/1993 8/1/1996 8/1/1999 8/1/2002 Discharge (cfs) Daily Average Streamflow in Big Cypress at USGS Gage

6 Examples of 200+ Participants in the Work to Date Federal Agencies Regional and Local Governments Other Organizations U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (13) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (6) U.S. Geological Survey (12) National Wetland Resource Center (3) State Agencies La Depart. of Environmental Quality (2) La Depart. of Wildlife & Fisheries (1) Tx Comm. on Environmental Quality (10) Tx Parks & Wildlife Dept. (12) Tx State Soil & Water Cons. Board (2) Tx Water Development Board (3) Tx Legislature (3) City of Longview (2) City of Marshall (2) City of Uncertain (1) Cypress Valley Navigation District (2) Harrison County (1) North East Tx Municipal Water Dist. (8) Universities East Texas Baptist Univ. (1) Louisiana State Univ. Shreveport (1) Middle Tennessee State Univ. (1) Tx A&M Univ. (6) Tx A&M Water Resources Institute (4) Texas Christian Univ. (1) Texas State Univ. (1) Texas Tech Univ. (1) Univ. of Texas Tyler (2) American Ecology, Inc. (2) American Electric Power (2) Caddo Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism (2) Caddo Lake Institute (2) Ducks Unlimited (1) Environmental Defense Fund (1) Espey Consultants (2) Greater Caddo Lake Assn. of Texas (4) HDR Engineering, Inc. (1) National Wildlife Federation (2) Nature Conservancy (6) Nestle Waters North America (1) Red River Valley Association (1) Texas Conservation Alliance (1) TXU/Luminant (1)

7 Timeline 12 -Science workgroup meetings December 2004 April 2005 May 2005, October 2006, December 2008 & December 2011

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9 Big Cypress High Flow Recurrence Recurrance PeakFQ Target 1.5 4, ,485 6, , ,295 20,000 Channel Maintenance flow High Flow Pulse 1,500 cfs from IHA Bankfull Flow 2 year recurrence Channel Forming Flow 10 year recurrence Durations of occurrence adjusted based on professional judgment Magnitude of bankfull identified as a top research priority

10 Field Data Collection Pressure transducer installed at each site for continuous monitoring of stage and water temperature -Base of transducer sensor surveyed in to benchmark of known datum. -Continuous (hourly beginning in March 06 to August 07) recording of stage and water temperature. -Transducer data downloaded and units calibrated every 3-4 weeks. Surveyed channel features including bankfull height, structural components and into connects to floodplain wetlands

11 Connectivity

12 Stage Bankfull discharge (X = 1687 cfs) in upstream reach is much less than the 2 to 3-year recurrence discharge of 6,000 cfs that was prescribed Equal to surveyed bankfull discharge Riffle Pool Riffle Pool Reach Length (ft)

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14 Senate Bill 3 - Floodplain Inundation and Forested Wetland Vegetation Analysis in The Sabine River Basin

15 Bottomland Hardwood Habitat Types

16 Bottomland Hardwood Habitat Areas

17 Area Inundation Response to Flow Total Habitat Flooded Big Cypress Total Basin Event Date Area Swamp Forests Flow (cfs) Flow (cfs) 1 1/18/ /9/ /22/ /4/ , /30/1987 1, , /6/2007 1, , /9/1995 1, , /25/1997 1, , /20/2001 2, ,159 1,190 7, /1/2004 1, ,210 3, /1/1988 1, ,300 10, /10/2003 1, ,390 2, /20/1995 2, ,099 1,790 6, /1/1998 2, ,262 2,480 5, /21/1995 2, ,107 2,620 3, /25/2008 1, ,670 4, /5/2001 2, ,254 2,720 4, /7/2002 1, ,060 4, /9/2001 2, ,560 3,070 8,210 Total Habitat in Basin 5,434 1,141 3,837

18 % Habitat Inundated % Habitat Inundated % Habitat Inundated % Habitat Inundated Big Cypress Black Cypress Swamp 60 Swamp Flooded Forest Flooded Forest 0 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 Flow (cfs) 0 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 Flow (cfs) Little Cypress Upper Caddo Swamp 60 Swamp Flooded Forest Flooded Forest 0 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 Flow (cfs) Elevation (ft) Big Cypress (cfs) Little Cypress (cfs) Black Cypress (cfs) Upper Caddo (ft) Percent Flooded Flooded Flooded Flooded Inundated Swamp Forest Swamp Forest Swamp Forest Swamp Forest , ,204 3, , , ,354 5,866 2,255 6,481 1,532 3, ,240 7,426 4,496 8,608 2,590 5, ,652 9,912 8,069 11,999 4,275 7,

19 High Flow Pulse Hypothesis Inundation will prevent encroachment of upland species. Magnitude 75% of totals (more subjective but needs to be of sufficient size to produce meaningful benefits ) Frequency/ Duration/ Timing/ Rate of Change based on life history information from literature. Habitat Swamps Flooded Forest Pulse Duration and Frequency 2 months/ 1 year 2 weeks/ 2 years Flow Volumes/Stage Elevations * Big Cypress (cfs) Little Cypress (cfs) Black Cypress (cfs) Upper Caddo (ft) 2,354 2,255 1, ,866 6,481 3, * Flows achieving 75% habitat inundation based on discharge-inundation analyses Timing - Begin high and overbank flows in early spring (March 15-April 15) Rate of Change - Follow higher flows with gradual drawdowns and subsequent maintenance flows to protect juvenile life stages

20 Field Studies Short Term 1. Do these flows inundate the expected areas? Measure observed areas of inundation after HFP to verify results from imagery analysis (Hayes and Trungale 2011) 2. How long do the areas remain inundated after an overbank event? Measure soil moisture following inundation event to determine how long soil moister persists. Longer Term 3. Measure the ecological response? Tree seedling and sapling establishment Species diversity within each forest strata (tree, shrub, herbaceous) Encroachment by upland and exotic plant species

21 Results - Short Term 1. Observations of inundated areas are reasonably consistent with expectations in many areas which leads support to estimates of recommended flow magnitudes. In some areas the observed inundated area was less than predicted by aerial analysis. These areas should be re-checked. 2. Soil saturation instruments are installed but were not active during the high flow event.

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23 Long Term Monitoring Plots (1) Tree seedling and sapling establishment (2) Species diversity within each forest strata (tree, shrub, herbaceous) (3) Encroachment by upland and exotic plant species

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25 Thank You Questions?

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