nent: emerging trends in the s for sivers Rivers Researel sty Modeling and Control ‘os landscapes: potentials of unity ecology. Journal ofthe tat eroplet fr sver system regations, Animal Groups in University Press, New York, lion Harper Collins College Princeton University Press, 13 Hydroecology: the Scientific Basis for Water Resources Management and River Regulation Geoffrey B, Pets 13.1 Introduction The challenge of 21x century river management isto betier balance lnonan water demands with the needs of rivers themselves ‘Postel and Richer, 2003, p, 4) ‘Water shortage in the face of increasing human demands ancl uncertainties in resource ‘assessment caused by predictions of climate change are key issues for this century. Flood ‘protection and waterway regulation for navigation are also high priorities. The conserva tion of biodiversity, improvement in ecosystem health, and restoration of ecosystem integrity are now embedded in strategy documents, such as the European Union's Water Framework Directive (Barth and Fawell, 2001), but in practice they ate rarely given the investment required by the sustainability agenda, Too often, nature conservation issues along river corridors are limited () to protecting relatively small areas of weilund oF floodplain forest as wildlife sanctuaties or sites of special scientific interest, or (i) to enhancing habitat by installing artificial structures and to maintaining ishoties by stocking With hatchery-reared fish. The Twenty-first century sustainability agenda requires that ‘We implement actions to conserve, protect and restore river carzidors and theit water- = dependent ecosystems, pnd Flys: Pa ro and Pate, by Ps Wo Did Hass Bede Se e {82007 Jt Way Sons, Lt226 Hydroccology and Ecohydrofogy: Past, Present and Future Table 13.1 Examples of Megarprojects to secure water resources constructed between T998 and 1970, References to work on hiydroecological impacts [1] Petts (1984); (20 Stanford and Ward (1986); [3] Davies (1986); [4] Davies and Wishart (2000); (5) Pete 71986); [6] Prowse et al. (2002); 171 Prowse and Conly (2002); (6) Dumont (1986); 19] Wishart et al. (2000) Date Project River Comment 3935 Hoover Dam Colorado, USA First of 19 high dams to control ‘ows along the river 1, 2) 1942 Grand Coulee Columbia, USA 5494 MW capacity hydro-power dam and largest ofthe 23 dams fegulating the river and its major tributaries for hydro-power and itrigation supplies [1] 1959 Kariba Dam Zambezl, Zimbabwe A 160 x 10Prn? reservoir with 1200MW hydropawer capacity 1, 3,4) 1964 Braisk Angara (Yenisey) 169% 10? reserve and 600M caray byo-powe 1964 Akosombo Volta, Ghana 148. 10%? reservoir with a ‘912 MW capacity dar; drowned area 8480km (1, 5) 1967 WAC. Bennett Peace, Canada 7A x 10m? reservoir was first large Pest in US prof Macken asin 1, 6 71 1970 High Aswan Nile, Egypt 464'x 10?r reservoir supporting hhydro-power generation and 2,5 million ha of irigated land 8,9) SEES ed saEsEECE SESS e eee ‘Snecess in acbieving sustainable water resources management will sequire lessons (© bbe Teamed from the legacies of the control-by-construction agenda of the Twenticth century, The era of the megaproject in water resources management opened with the Completion ofthe Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, USA, in 1985. ‘The project wae planned as the hub ofa large region supplying hydroelectric power and inigation water find fed to unprecedented growth in economy and population (Thomas, 1956, p. 29). fear of drought led to aggressive policies using an armoury of ‘weapons to combat water problems, improve national security, and realise the "American dream’ — a limitless economy (p. 408). Despite the growing awareness of the environmental damage that could be done to river systems by impoundments and inter-basin transfers (e.g. Petts, 1984) the development of water resources focused on ‘control by construction’ (Table 13.1) By 1990, there wero over 40000 large dams over 151 high; 400 megu-projests! had been cconsiucted or were planned (Gleick, 1998). At the start of this century, Jorge dams eon- ttibuted nearly 20% of the world's electricity supply CWCD, 2000) and irigation agri- taulture consumed some 2500kim? of water in protucing 40% ofthe world's foad (Gleick, 1998). Jato ose wit ds over 150m hgh «dam yume of vee 25 non nx evoke volume een insted ety meee the 1003 eet iconstructed between |} Pets (1984); (2) tart (2000); (5) Petr Dumont (1986); jh dams to control the river [1, 2) ‘pacity hysro-power 3igest of the 23 dams the river and its major for hydeo-power and upplies {1} ‘nF reservoir with hydropower capacity reservoir and capacity hydre-power reseevol with a spacty dam; drowned of, 5} ‘carol was fist large Ss part of Mackenzie 7 reservoir supporting cer generation and ha of inigated land will require lessons to ia of the Twentieth ment opened with the 1935. The project was cer and irtigation water vomas, 1956, p. 29). A. ‘pons’ to combat water ‘dream’ — a limitless atal damage that could fers (e.g., Petts, 1984) truetion’ (Table 13.1), ceaaeprojects! had been nfary, large dams con- 10) and irrigation agui- + wotld’s food (Gleick, ° ares volameexcsing The Scientific Basis for Hydroecology 227 Globally, the natural services provided by river ecosystems are threatened and in some specific cases, are already over exploited (Postel and Carpenter, 1997; Naiman et aly 2002). These secvices include not only water for drinking, irigation and other human needs, but also other goods such as fish, waterfowl and riparian plants, and nonextractive benefits such as recreation, transportation, energy, flood regulation and self-purification. ‘Aiong the world's great rivers, 60% of the flows have already been diverted and large ‘dryland rivers such as the Nile, Colorado and Yellow rivers no longer reach the sea (Gleick, 1998). In Australi, water abstraction from the Murray-Darling system is approaching 90% of mean annual runoff with flow to the ocean being a rare event {Schofield er al., 2000), and most of the floodpfain wetlands have been lost (Reid and Brooks, 2000). Even where abstractions do not severely deplete river flows, series of dams, now regulate entice river systems. Along the Volga between Rybinsk and Volvograd, 50 years of dam construction has turned the river info a series of eight shallovr lakes with a combined volume of 150km? and a surface area of 20000km? (Khaiter ef al., 2000), In general terms, the lessons for sustainable river regulation from ‘control by construction” are that ecological degradation results from: () loss of flood flows to reset instream, riparian and floodplain habitats; (i) reduction of low flows causing habitat limitation and ‘change, ¢g, by siltation, plant encroachment or water-quality changes; (il) loss of hydro- Jogical cues of life-cycle behaviour such as migration and spawning; (iv) unnatural sea- sonal flow vatiations, eg. below irrigation-supply dams; and (y) unnatural rates of flow rise and recession, e.g, below power-peaking dams, By 2025, 40% of the world’s population could face problems related to water shortage, Sustaining or estoring the natural functioning of watet-dependent ecosystems in the face ‘of continuing grovth of human demands is & major challenge (Postel and Richter, 2003) that requires acceptance of a multiuse ethic to provide flexible water budgets to support coological functions (Stalnaker, 1994) Its solution requires the allocation of water to protect water-dependent ecosystems along river corridors from the impacts of abstraction and flow regulation. Governing objectives are included in policy statements. The EU ‘Water Framework Directive, for example, requires the achievement of a ‘good ecological status? int all water bodies by 2015 through the application of an integrated, catchment- based approach to water management (Achleitner ef al.,2005; Table 13.2), but sustainable ‘water mangement still appears to be no more than en aspiration. ‘The interdisciplinary science of hydroccology offers water resource managers and river regulators new knowl edge of ecological responses to hydrological change, new tools to assess water develop: ment scenarios, and a framework to improve communication of ecological issues in adaptive management, Its application to planning, policy development and operational management offers optimism that the next generation may have the approaches ard tools, necessary to realise this aspiration, This chapter provides a perspective that places this optimism in context. 13.2 A Scientific Basis for Water Resources Management Hiydroecology provides an interdsciplinary approach fo managing river flows. Itinvolves the integration of hydrology, geomomphology and ecology to advance knowledge of lotic systems in order to improve the management of abstractions and rive regulation schemes,