Dr. Eloise Kendy Director, Environmental Flows Program The Nature Conservancy Dr. John S. Sanderson, TNC, Colorado Dr. Julian D. Olden, University of Washington Colin D. Apse, TNC, Northeastern States Michele M. DePhilip, TNC, Pennsylvania Jeanmarie A. Haney, TNC, Arizona Rodney R. Knight, USGS, Tennessee Dr. Julie K.H. Zimmerman, TNC, Maryland International Environmental Water Allocations Conference Port Elizabeth, South Africa February 25, 2009 APPLICATIONS OF THE ECOLOGICAL LIMITS OF HYDROLOGIC ALTERATION (ELOHA) IN THE UNITED STATES
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Dr. Eloise Kendy Director, Environmental Flows Program The Nature Conservancy Dr. John S. Sanderson, TNC, Colorado Dr. Julian D. Olden, University of Washington.
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Dr. Eloise KendyDirector, Environmental Flows Program
The Nature Conservancy
Dr. John S. Sanderson, TNC, Colorado
Dr. Julian D. Olden, University of Washington
Colin D. Apse, TNC, Northeastern States
Michele M. DePhilip, TNC, Pennsylvania
Jeanmarie A. Haney, TNC, Arizona
Rodney R. Knight, USGS, Tennessee
Dr. Julie K.H. Zimmerman, TNC, Maryland
International Environmental Water Allocations ConferencePort Elizabeth, South AfricaFebruary 25, 2009
APPLICATIONS OF THE ECOLOGICAL LIMITS OF HYDROLOGIC ALTERATION
Ceilings and floors: Invertebrates, western United States
(Konrad et al, 2008)
Dependence on catchment size: Invertebrates, Pennsylvania (Apse
et al, 2008)
Step 1. Hydrologic Foundation
SCIENTIFIC PROCESS
Monitoring
AcceptableEcological Conditions
SocietalValues and
Management Needs
Implementation
SOCIAL PROCESS
Adaptive Adjustments
Flow Alteration-Ecological Response Relationships
by River Type
Stream Hydrologic
Classification
Degree of HydrologicAlteration
Hydrologic Alteration
by River Type
BaselineHydrographs
DevelopedHydrographs
Ecological Data and Indices
Environmental Flow Standards
Hydrologic Modeland Stream Gauges
Flow - EcologyHypotheses
Geomorphic Stratification
Step 4. Flow-Ecology Relationships
Step 3. Flow Alteration
Step 2. Stream Classification
CONNECTICUT
Class 1 – Natural
Class 2 – Near Natural
Class 3 – Ecologically Sufficient
Class 4 – Ecological Non-Attainment
MAINE
Class AA – Outstanding natural resource for preservation
Class A – Habitat for fish and other aquatic life is natural
Class B – Habitat for fish and other aquatic life is unimpaired
Class C – Habitat for fish and other aquatic life exists
Ecological Goal Classes
Connecticut River tributary
Penobscot River, Maine
Step 1. Hydrologic Foundation
SCIENTIFIC PROCESS
Monitoring
AcceptableEcological Conditions
SocietalValues and
Management Needs
Implementation
SOCIAL PROCESS
Adaptive Adjustments
Flow Alteration-Ecological Response Relationships
by River Type
Stream Hydrologic
Classification
Degree of HydrologicAlteration
Hydrologic Alteration
by River Type
BaselineHydrographs
DevelopedHydrographs
Ecological Data and Indices
Environmental Flow Standards
Hydrologic Modeland Stream Gauges
Flow - EcologyHypotheses
Geomorphic Stratification
Step 4. Flow-Ecology Relationships
Step 3. Flow Alteration
Step 2. Stream Classification
ImplementationMichigan Water Withdrawal Assessment
Tool1.0
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Proportion of index flow removed
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“Adverse resource impact”
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OLO
GIC
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ITIO
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ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW STANDARD
Flow-ecology
relationship
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Pro
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c Source: Michigan Groundwater Conservation Advisory Council
ImplementationMichigan Water Withdrawal Assessment
Tool
Flow-Ecology Relationships
ELOHA ToolboxELOHA Home Partners Contact Us Case Studies Bibliography
Hydrologic Foundation River Types Flow Alteration Policy Implementation
Ecological Limits of Hydrologic Alteration (ELOHA) is a scientifically robust and flexible framework for assessing and managing environmental flows* across large regions, when lack of time and resources preclude evaluating individual rivers. ELOHA systematically translates understanding of the ecological ramifications of human-induced streamflow alterations from rivers that have been studied to rivers that have not, without requiring detailed site-specific information for each river. In numerous case studies worldwide, water managers, policy makers, stakeholders, and scientists with diverse expertise are using ELOHA to accelerate the integration of environmental flows into regional water resource planning and management.
ELOHA consists of the following steps, as illustrated in the framework flow chart (in English and Spanish):
Building a hydrologic foundation of daily streamflow hydrographs representing at least two conditions – baseline (pre-development) and present-day – for a single time period for every analysis point within the region Classifying river types according to hydrologic and other characteristics Computing flow alteration from baseline conditions at every analysis point Determining flow-ecology relationships that quantify biological responses to different degrees of hydrologic alteration for each river type, based on existing biological and related data and models. Implementing policies to maintain and restore environmental flows through a social process involving stakeholders and water managers informed by the flow-ecology relationships. The scientific basis for ELOHA was published in 2006 by an international group of river scientists (Arthington et al 2006). Practical guidelines for its application have been developed by consensus of leading international environmental flow experts (Poff et al 2009).
Among the resources found on the ELOHA toolbox are:• 4-page ELOHA brochure in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese • PowerPoint with notes explaining ELOHA step-by-step, illustrated with examples from around the world• List of multidisciplinary expertise needed to carry out ELOHA (or any comprehensive environmental flow* assessment).• Case studies illustrating the various steps of ELOHA• ELOHA project database of cooperating agencies, costs, funding sources, timelines, and other attributes of selected ELOHA applications that are underway • Sample proposals from ELOHA projects that have been funded• Bibliography of useful reports and articles
* Environmental flows are the amount and timing of water flows required to maintain the species, functions, and resilience of freshwater ecosystems and the livelihoods of human communities that depend on those healthy ecosystems.
Welcome to the ELOHA Toolbox, an information resource to foster learning and communication about managing environmental flows over large regions
ELOHA framework
Building a Hydrologic Foundation
Classifying River Types
Computing Flow Alteration
Determining Flow-Ecology Relationships
Implementing Policy
Resources
• Get Started
Brochure in: English Spanish Vietnamese Flow Chart in: English Spanish