Influence of regional factors on zooplankton structure in a saline lowland river: the Salado River (Buenos Aires province,Argentina)

Knowledge of regional factors influencing zooplankton structure in a semiarid river must include both the main channel and any tributaries in order to identify spatial and temporal patterns along with the main factor that affect the zooplankton community. Accordingly, seasonal samples were taken during 1997–1999 at 15 stations in the Salado River basin, where 172 species were identified (53 protozoans, 88 rotifers and 31 crustaceans). Conductivity and temperature optima and tolerances were calculated for the evident taxa. Different assemblages were recognized by cluster analysis, on the basis of their temperature and conductivity preferences. With respect to the zooplankton assemblages, three zones can be distinguished along the longitudinal axis of the basin: (1) the headwaters (the effluent from large saline shallow lakes), (2) the inter‐tributaries, and (3) the lower basin and associated shallow lakes. The spatial distribution of the assemblages was a result of the combined action of factors always promoting the dominance of rotifers. The influence of floodplain waters (backwater ponds, waterlogged depressions, flushing lakes) was attenuated progressively downstream, thus producing disadvantages for the crustaceans. The food availability and high nutrient concentrations related to land use in the headwaters favoured the co‐dominance of cladocerans and copepods along with the rotifers in that region. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A national research and development blueprint for sustainable lake basin management in Malaysia

The deterioration of water quality in lakes resulting from unsustainable catchment practices requires concerted efforts to address them, in the form of cooperation among government agencies and institutions, private bodies and the community‐at‐large. Research that provides an understanding of a lake's ecosystem is an important aspect of making informed decisions for sustainable management and governance of lakes. The present study describes the findings of literature reviews on Malaysian lakes, and the national efforts made to establish an agenda for lake research and development in Malaysia directed towards integrated lake basin management (ILBM). The main findings and outcomes of the National Lake Research Blueprint workshop in April 2014 on the issues facing lakes and reservoirs are highlighted. Seven research themes were identified, namely (i) ecosystem services and socio‐economic development, (ii) governance, (iii) water quality and pollution, (iv) eco‐hydrology and basin management, (v) biodiversity and natural products, (vi) physical limnology and hydrodynamics and (vii) technology. The goal is to enhance research and development on sustainable lake basin management directed to conservation and development targets. The findings of this study provide an integrated research framework that can support ILBM governance elements (pillars) elsewhere, and to call for researchers to participate in much‐needed research areas.     

Classification of the macroinvertebrate fauna of two river systems in Southwestern Australia in relation to physical and chemical parameters

Benthic macroinvertebrates were quantitatively sampled from thirty sites along two river systems in southwestern Australia, and patterns in community structure related to physical and chemical parameters. Classification and ordination showed a major separation between upland and lowland sites, irrespective of river system. The change in benthic community structure reflected the rapid transition in geomorphology, stream hydraulics, and water chemistry as upland forested streams exit the Darling Escarpment to give rise to open rivers, disturbed by agriculture and urban development. One upland site was clearly influenced by a storage reservoir immediately upstream and consistently grouped with lowland sites; evidence of recovery was apparent at sites downstream. The remaining upland sites were separated on the basis of catchment; this was most likely related to stream flow permanence than any inherent catchment difference. A seasonal pattern was also detected for upland sites. Samples taken in summer or autumn were distinct from those taken in winter or spring. In constrast, lowland sites could not be separated into distinct groups on the basis of season or drainage basin. The presence of cosmopolitan and tolerant species with a high likelihood of dispersal, together with the homogeneous nature of the sites, may account for the high degree of similarity among benthic communities of sites along the lowland rivers. Much of the spatial and temporal variation in benthic community structure was explained by physical characteristics of the sites. Prediction of community type using chemical data alone was poor, however, this success could be improved by combining physical and chemical data, particularly for upland sites. The poor predictive success using chemical data was likely the result of the abrupt changes in the physical nature of the streams, and the absence of large spatial differences in water quality. The successful predictive relatioship betweenm benthic community structure and physical data will enable water management authorities to detect subsequent changes in water quality in these two river systems. The predictive power of the model could be assessed in adjacent river systems for which the patterns in benthic community structure are as yet unknown.     

Conceptual Modelling to Assess Hydrological Impacts and Evaluate Environmental Flow Scenarios in Montane River Systems Regulated for Hydropower

To improve understanding of natural and managed flow regimes in data‐sparse regulated river systems in montane areas, the commonly used Hydrologiska Byråns Vattenbalansavdelning (HBV) conceptual run‐off model was adapted to incorporate water regulation components. The extended model was then applied to the heavily regulated river Lyon (391 km²) in Scotland to reconstruct the natural flow regime and to assess the impacts of regulation at increasing spatial scales. Multi‐criteria model evaluation demonstrated that the model performed well in capturing the dominant catchment processes and regulation effects, especially at the timescales at which operation rules apply. The main change as a result of regulation in the river Lyon is a decrease in inter‐annual and intra‐annual variability of all elements of the flow regime, in terms of magnitude, frequency, and duration. Although these impacts are most pronounced directly downstream of the impoundments, the regulation effects propagate throughout the river system. The modelling approach is flexible and widely applicable and only limited amounts of data are required. Moreover, results are easily communicated to stakeholders. It has the potential to contribute to the development of flow regimes that may be more beneficial to the ecological status of rivers. In the case of the river Lyon, it is likely that this involves a more variable release regime. The approach developed here provides a tool for assessing impacts on flow regimes and informing environmental flows in other data‐sparse regions with heavily regulated montane river systems. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stream temperature dynamics within a New Zealand glacierized river basin

Knowledge of river thermal dynamics for glacierized basins is limited, despite the high sensitivity of these systems to climatic change/variability. This study examined spatio‐temporal water column and streambed temperature dynamics within a New Zealand glacierized river basin over two melt seasons. Water column temperature was recorded at three sites along the mainstem channel and four hillslope/groundwater‐fed tributaries. Air temperature, precipitation and stream discharge were monitored to characterize hydroclimatological conditions. Streambed temperature was monitored at the upper and lower main river sites at 0.05, 0.2 and 0.4 m depth. Water column temperature rose on average 0.6°C km^?1 along the glacier‐fed mainstem. Temperature was elevated during warmer periods but the downstream increase was reduced due to greater meltwater production (consequently a larger total stream flow volume for atmospheric heating) plus a proportional reduction in warmer groundwater contributions. Hillslope/groundwater‐fed tributaries yielded a range of temperature patterns, indicating variable sourcing (meltwater or rainfall) and residence times. In the upper basin, streambed temperature was warmer than the water column, suggesting groundwater upwelling; however, during high runoff events, water column and streambed temperature converged, indicating downwelling/heat advection by channel water. At the lower site, streambed temperature mirrored the water column, suggesting greater surface water/atmospheric influences. Key drivers of stream thermal regime were: (1) relative water source contributions, (2) prevailing hydroclimatological conditions, (3) distance from source, (4) total stream flow volume and (5) basin factors (specifically, valley/channel geomorphology and riparian forest). High magnitude precipitation events produced a contrasting stream thermal response to that reported elsewhere. In contrast to European alpine research, streams showed a reduced thermal range owing to the relatively mild, wet melt season climate. This New Zealand case study highlights the importance of understanding basin‐specific modification of energy and hydrological fluxes for accurate prediction of stream thermal dynamics/habitat and ecological response to climatic variability and change. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Water resources development and management

This paper examines the maximum available water resources in Japan, nationally and by region, and describes the present balance of demand and supply. The major existing mechanisms of water development and control ‐ dam construction and pricing structures ‐ are reviewed. Finally a classification of various stages of water resource and irrigation development is presented. These stages are identified as reliance on natural river discharge, the construction of reservoirs, restrictions on water use, inter‐basin planning, and the construction of reservoirs for perennial water regulation.     

The effect of Keepit Dam on the temperature regime of the Namoi River,Australia

Modifications to water temperature caused by the release of hypolimnetic water from thermally stratified reservoirs pose a major threat to the aquatic biota of lowland rivers in Australia's Murray–Darling basin. Keepit Dam is earmarked as one of several deep‐release structures in the basin causing ecologically significant temperature modification over a large length of river. This study utilized discrete and continuously monitored historical water temperature data from stream gauging stations, together with reservoir thermal profile data, to assess the impacts of Keepit Dam on the thermal regime of the Namoi River. Modifications to selected components of the river's annual temperature cycle were quantified in relation to a pre‐dam temperature regime estimated from statistical models incorporating catchment, hydrological and sample attributes. Keepit Dam has modified the thermal regime of the Namoi River. The effect was greatest immediately downstream from the dam where the annual maximum daily temperature was approximately 5.0 °C lower and occurred three weeks later than the pre‐dam condition. This change was sufficient to disrupt thermal spawning cues for selected Australian native fish species. The magnitude of disturbance progressively diminished with distance from the dam. Key aspects of the river's annual temperature cycle were largely restored to the pre‐dam condition within 100 river km downstream from the dam, which is closer than previous estimates. However, there was marked inter‐annual variation in the magnitude of thermal modification and ecological impact as a result of year to year changes in tributary flow and reservoir behaviour. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multi‐dimensional effects on Cladoceran (Crustacea,Anomopoda) assemblages in two cascade reservoirs in Southeast Brazil

The Cladocera assemblages in two cascade reservoirs located in the Paranapanema River in Brazil were studied during two consecutive years. Upstream Chavantes Reservoir is an accumulation system, with a long water retention time, high depth and oligo‐mesotrophic status. The downstream Salto Grande Reservoir is a small, run‐of‐river reservoir, with a short water retention time, shallow depth and meso‐eutrophic status. The goal of this study was to determine the inter‐ and intra‐reservoir limnological differences with emphasis on the Cladocerans assemblages. The following questions were posed: (i) what are the seasonal dynamics of the reservoir spatial structures; (ii) how dynamics, seasonally, is the reservoirs spatial structure; and (iii) are the reservoir independent systems? A total of 43 Cladoceran species were identified in this study. Ceriodaphnia silvestrii was the most abundant and frequent species found in Chavantes Reservoir, while C. cornuta was most abundant and frequent in Salto Grande Reservoir. The Cladoceran species richness differed significantly among sampling sites for both reservoirs. In terms of abundance, there was a significant variation among sampling sites and periods for both reservoirs. A cluster analysis indicated a higher similarity among the deeper compartments, and the intermediate river‐reservoir zones was grouped with the riverine sampling sites. For the smaller Salto Grande Reservoir, the entrance of a middle size tributary causes major changes in the system. A distinct environment was observed in the river mouth zone of another small tributary, representing a shallow environment with aquatic macrophyte stands. A canonical correlation analysis between environmental variables and Cladoceran abundance explained 75% of the data variability, and a complementary factorial analysis explained 65% of the variability. The spatial compartmentalization of the reservoirs, as well as the particular characteristics of the two study reservoirs, directly influenced the structure of the Cladoceran assemblages. The conditions of the lacustrine (dam) zone of the larger Chavantes Reservoir were reflected in the upstream zone of the smaller downstream Salto Grande Reservoir, highlighting the importance of plankton exportation in reservoir cascade systems. The comparative spatial–temporal analysis indicated conspicuous differences between the two reservoirs, reinforcing the necessity of considering tropical/subtropical reservoirs as complex, multi‐compartmental water systems.     

Spatial effects of reservoirs on fish assemblages in Great Plains streams in Kansas,USA

Reservoirs are important components of modern aquatic ecosystems that have negative impacts on native aquatic biota both up‐ and downstream. We used a landscape‐scale geographic information system (GIS) approach to quantify the spatial effects of 19 large reservoirs on upstream prairie fish assemblages at 219 sites in Kansas, USA. We hypothesized that fish assemblage structure would vary with increasing distance from a reservoir and that the abundance of reservoir fishes in upstream reaches would decline with distance from a reservoir. Ordination of sample sites showed variation in fish assemblage structure occurred primarily across river basins and with stream size. Variance partitioning of a canonical ordination revealed that the pure effect of reservoir distance explained a small but significant (6%; F = 4.90, P = 0.002) amount of variability in fish assemblage structure in upstream reaches. Moreover, reservoir species catch per unit of effort (CPUE) significantly declined with distance from a reservoir, but only in fourth‐ and fifth‐ order streams (r² = 0.32, P < 0.001 and r² = 0.49, P < 0.001, respectively). Finally, a multivariate regression model including measures of stream size, catchment area, river basin, and reservoir distance successfully predicted CPUE of reservoir species at sites upstream of Kansas reservoirs (R² = 0.45, P < 0.001). Overall, we found significant upstream effects of reservoirs on Kansas stream fish assemblages, which over time has led to a general homogenization of fish assemblages because of species introductions and extirpations. However, characteristic reservoir species are present throughout these systems and the importance of spatial proximity to reservoirs is probably dependent on the availability of suitable habitat (e.g. deep pools) in these tributary streams. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial and seasonal variations in δ13C AND δ15N of particulate organic matter in a dam‐controlled subtropical river

Alteration of stream flow by artificial dams has been observed to be a significant factor for river water environmental changes. Therefore, understanding the biogeochemical processes occurring in the dam‐controlled rivers is important for water resource management. In this paper, δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N signatures of particulate organic matter (POM) in a dam‐controlled subtropical river, Beijiang River, in south China are reported for their spatial and seasonal distributions. POM affected by reservoirs is lighter in δ¹³C and heavier in δ¹⁵N relative to unaffected POM. In April, POM δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values show less spatial variation in the mainstem, and suggest relatively greater contributions of terrestrial organic matter (OM) to POM. This could be related to the onset of summer monsoon that caused an abrupt increase in terrestrial input to the river by the monsoon‐induced enhancement of rainfall and runoff. In August and December, however, POM isotopic values for the sites affected by the Feilaixia dam reservoir in the middle of the river show marked changes, suggesting aquatic plankton proliferation in the reservoir during the times. Upstream from the reservoirs, POM isotopes are seasonally less varied and suggest mainly terrestrial origin. However, the isotopic signals of aquatic plankton proliferation in the reservoir in August and December is imprinted on the POM isotopic compositions downstream the reservoir, indicating far‐reaching influences of the reservoir on the downstream water environment. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

ASSESSING THE CUMULATIVE IMPACTS OF HYDROPOWER REGULATION ON THE FLOW CHARACTERISTICS OF A LARGE ATLANTIC SALMON RIVER SYSTEM

We assessed the influence of hydropower on the flow characteristics of the river Tay, one of the UK's most heavily regulated catchments and important Atlantic salmon fisheries. Hydropower developments in the mid‐20th century preceded flow data collection, resulting in knowledge gaps over how far regulated flows deviate from natural and how ecosystem functioning might have been impacted. We used 29 unregulated catchments in and around the Tay to assess the relationships between hydroclimatic conditions, landscape structure and the overall flow regime, as well as the annual, monthly and daily flow metrics. This allowed the identification of flow characteristics by using an integrated suite of regression approaches (nonlinear, MLR and random forests) to assess likely impacts at 11 regulated sites. The results showed that the impacts of regulation are highly variable in both space and time. Headwater sub‐catchments are most heavily affected, and water imports or exports as part of hydropower schemes can increase or decrease annual runoff by up to 50%, respectively. On a monthly basis, regulation primarily increased summer low flows; winter high flows increased in catchments affected by water imports and reduced where there was a net water export. At larger catchment scales, impacts were relatively small, as unregulated tributaries re‐naturalize the flows and the effects of intra‐basin transfers balance. Non‐stationarity in climate and water use in the catchment dictates that adaptive management of flows may be necessary to protect ecosystems services. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

长江流域水体富营养化演化驱动机制及防控对策

富营养化已成为长江流域河流、湖泊与水库面临的共性问题,基于近10 a来长江流域水质状况、营养物质含量、水文泥沙过程、富营养化评价指数等数据及相关历史文献,分析了长江流域水体富营养化现状及演化趋势,以典型河流、水库与湖泊为例,剖析了长江流域水体富营养化驱动机制。结果表明:①长江流域水体富营养化程度为河流水库湖泊,上游四川盆地与中游江汉平原是长江流域富营养化湖泊与水库的主要聚集区。②近10 a来,中度富营养化湖泊比例从2009年的31.3%增加至2018年的42.7%,水库营养水平正从中营养向轻度富营养快速发展。③长江流域水体营养充足,受闸坝建设运行影响,流速减缓、流量偏枯,水体交换慢与河湖连通性差是河流、水库与湖泊富营养化的重要驱动力。为防控水体富营养化,建议监测重要控制断面氮磷浓度与通量,加强农田灌溉退水与水产养殖废水排放管理,开展流域水、沙、营养物质耦合输送调控。     

海河流域洪水资源利用潜力研究

洪水具有水害和水利双重特性,在不同的历史阶段洪水资源利用的表现形式是不完全相同的。从广义和狭义两方面指出了洪水资源利用的内涵。根据海河流域所具有的河系分散、降水区域分布不均匀、洪水相对集中等特点,通过水库、蓄滞洪区、河系连通等工程措施和洪水调度中与水量调度、污染物调度、沙量调度相结合的非工程措施以及洪水资源利用量等方面综合分析,得出了流域洪水资源利用的潜力。指出开展海河流域洪水资源利用的必要性、可行性,并从流域管理角度提出了保障洪水资源利用的具体措施。     

基于流域要素空间关系的水污染溯源研究

为快速准确地实现水质监测断面水质超标时的河流水污染溯源,提出整合现有流域要素,构建水污染溯源的流域要素空间关系模型。该模型以划分为4个等级的河段和汇水单元为基础,建立汇水单元层级与上下游河段的编码关系;再将全流域要素与汇水单元建立空间关联关系,构建5个流域要素空间关系子系统模型;最后各子系统模型集聚组成一个相互协作的流域要素空间关系网络。以敖江流域实时水质监测断面为污染溯源触发点,将各个流域要素空间关系子系统模型直接应用于水污染溯源过程,结果表明,建立的关系模型在实际应用中能最大限度地提供污染源空间分布和结构信息,有效地识别和筛选研究区域的水污染引发源,快速缩小未知污染源搜查范围,提高了水污染溯源搜寻过程的效率和精度。     

美国基西米河生态修复工程的经验

美国佛罗里达州基西米河1962～1971年的河道渠化工程，将本来蜿蜒的天然河流变成了几段近似直线的人工运河，提高了河道的排洪能力，但同时也对河流生态环境造成了严重的负面影响。为了恢复河流原有的生态面貌，进行了一系列的生态修复试验，包括改变上游水库的运用方式，塑造具有季节性变化的来流条件；修建拦河坝，人为抬高水位以恢复两岸的湿地；回填被渠化的河道，恢复其自然蜿蜒状态。基西米的经验告诉我们，在利用渠化工程行洪时，不可忽视其对生态影响；通过恢复河道的自然水文水力条件进而重建其生态环境是有效措施。     

Patterns of Lake Balkhash water level changes and their climatic correlates during 1992–2010 period

The variation in Lake Balkhash water levels during the period from 1992 to 2010 and their relationship with climate dynamics were investigated in this study, using satellite altimetry data and meteorological records from climate stations located in the lake catchment basin. The altimetry‐derived water level demonstrated a general water level increase, reaching a mean value of 8.1 cm year^?1 in July 2005, with a maximum value of 342.52 m. The increased Lake Balkhash water level was accompanied by an overall upward trend in precipitation and temperature in the catchment basin during the study period. A strong increase in the winter and spring temperature was the main contributor to the general upward temperature trend, whereas a significant change of summer and autumn precipitation was the major contributor to the annual precipitation trend. Neither precipitation nor temperature increased uniformly across the entire lake drainage basin. The study results identified the most pronounced climate change occurring in the mountainous part (>2000 m above sea level) of the basin, in the upper reaches of the Ili river, which is the main water inflow to the lake. Statistical analysis indicated the Lake Balkhash water level is strongly correlated with both precipitation and temperature. The correlations were investigated for three altitudinal strata (<1000 m, 1000–2000 m, >2000 m) corresponding to the lower, middle and upper reaches of the Ili river. The best correlations were obtained for the upper reaches of the Ili river, indicating a changing snow cover and glacier equilibrium are the main factors controlling the water level trends in Lake Balkhash.     

Regulated rivers in the United Kingdom

This paper identifies the principal regulated rivers in Britain and summarizes their physical and ecological characteristics. Virtually all major rivers in the United Kingdom are shown to be regulated directly or indirectly by mainstream impoundments, interbasin transfers, pumped storage reservoirs, or groundwater abstractions. Flow records for sixty per cent of all gauging stations are significantly affected by flow manipulations. Three phases in the development of river regulation are identified: firstly, the development of direct supply and compensation reservoirs from 1840; secondly, the development of large dams and large-scale interbasin water transfers from 1890; and thirdly, the modern era of multipurpose river regulation that began in 1965. Any assessment of the environmental effects of river regulation must consider the spatial variation of natural river systems throughout the U.K., climatic changes, and the cumulative effect of river regulation and other impacts over an historic timescale. Today, the rivers of the U.K. are shown to have an underlying character that reflects the marked climatic, geologic, and topographic differences between the upland north and west, and lowland south and east; differences in part that relate to their different histories during the Pleistocene. However, many rivers show the effects of human impacts that began about 5000 years ago. Most rivers have experienced changes since about 1930 consequent upon afforestaton, land drainage, and channelization. These, together with short-term climatic changes, make defining ecological impacts of river regulation problematic. Pollution has had the most dramatic effects. Nevertheless, it is suggested that new concepts of environmentally sound river regulation could lead to the restoration and even enhancement of rivers in the United Kingdom.     

River regulation influences the composition and distribution of inland frog communities

Frogs are widespread through inland rivers and floodplains and are an important component of floodplain food chains. Despite this, studies of frog communities in inland river systems are limited and the impacts of river regulation on frog communities have received very little attention. Surveys for frogs, tadpoles and egg masses along with assessment of vegetation, hydrology and water chemistry were conducted along 10 km reaches of three creek systems in the Lachlan River catchment, a major regulated river in Australia's Murray–Darling Basin. A total of 23 sample sites were surveyed at locations above and below in‐stream weirs as well as adjacent floodplain depressions. The hydrological regimes of sample sites were classified according to the length of time that they were known to hold water (water permanence). The sample sites fell into two distinct categories, 14 were classified as permanent and occurred upstream of weirs while nine were classified as temporary and were located downstream of weirs and in depressions adjacent to the weir pool. Permanent sample sites had a significantly higher percentage of dead standing timber and were deeper with less aquatic vegetation cover than temporary sample sites. Seven frog species were identified; there were no significant differences in species richness between permanent and the temporary waterbodies but the composition of frog assemblages differed significantly between them. This suggests that alteration to the hydrology of inland creek systems can lead to changes in the distribution frog species, with some becoming more common due to increases in the availably of permanent waterbodies while others decline due to reductions in the availability of seasonally flooded waterbodies. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

长江健康评估与保护实践

长江属于大河水系,生物多样性丰富,其健康状态不仅影响流域经济社会可持续发展,也受到国内外广泛关注。综合国内外河流健康评估理论和实践,讨论适合长江特点的健康评估方法和标准;通过水功能区达标率和鱼类多样性2个指标分析长江水环境和水生态近10多年来的变化情况;最后,总结近几年长江大保护系列行动后长江健康进展情况。分析结果表明:长江健康评估可以根据管理需要划分不同时空尺度;根据资料完整性可以采用单指标或者多指标综合评价方法;随着长江系列保护行动的实施,长江河流型水质持续改善,湖库水质和生物多样性开始稳定,人类过度干扰江湖现象得到遏制,但湖库水质改善和生物多样性恢复还需要长期进行。     

Water use (and abuse) and its effects on the crater‐lakes of Valle de Santiago,Mexico

Most Mexicans live in the arid and semiarid regions that represent two‐thirds of the Mexican territory, where water is scarce. Natural, as well as human, causes are favouring the degradation of Mexican lakes. There is a clear need to develop and implement sustainable water‐use programmes at a catchment scale. However, the accelerated degradation rate of the Mexican lakes means that there will not be enough time to perform whole‐basin evaluations to establish sustainable water‐use programmes before the lakes dry up. The case of the Valle de Santiago crater‐lakes clearly illustrates the declining trend that Mexican inland aquatic resources follow. Vegetation clearance, overgrazing, abatement of phreatic waters and salinization have induced severe erosion and overall desertification (land degradation) in the basin for what, it seems, a long time (i.e. prehispanic times). In this way, human activities could be provoking at least the following negative consequences: a hotter and drier local climate, water scarcity, dust storms and soil salinization. The aquatic (surface and groundwater) resources of the Valle de Santiago basin have been seriously threatened. Two of the four crater‐lakes have already dried up and phreatic mantle abatement reaches up to 2.5 m per year. In spite of these facts, no sustainable water‐use programme has been established yet. The future scenery of this Mexican basin looks alarmingly like many other basins in the central and northern Mexican territories.