Comparison of the interannual and interdecadal variability of heavy flood characteristics upstream and downstream from dams in inversed hydrologic regime: Case study of Matawin River (Québec,Canada)

Erected in 1930, the Matawin Dam caused an inversion of the hydrologic regime of the Matawin River: snow‐melt water in spring (April to June) is stored in the reservoir and then released in winter (January to March) to feed the hydroelectric generating stations built downstream on the Saint‐Maurice River. Thus, heavy floods occur upstream from the dam in spring but downstream in winter. We compared the interannual and interdecadal variability of the heavy flood characteristics (magnitude, duration, frequency and variability) both upstream (spring floods) and downstream (winter floods) from the dam during the 1934–1994 period. This comparison revealed that the principal change observed downstream from the dam translates into a strong increase in the duration (in days) of heavy floods. The average duration of these floods quintupled. This change in duration occurred around the mid‐1960s and thus led to a significant decrease in the magnitude, frequency and variability of heavy floods. It also altered the relationship between the climate indices and these fundamental characteristics (magnitude, frequency and duration). Downstream from the dam, the magnitude and frequency are positively correlated to the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO), whereas upstream they are negatively correlated to the same index. However, the AMO index is negatively correlated to the duration downstream from the dam, whereas upstream this characteristic is no longer significantly correlated to any climatic index. Two factors have been invoked to explain this change observed downstream from the dam.

• The cooling observed since the 1960s at the station located at the dam. However, this cooling was not observed on the scale of the entire watershed. This reduces its plausibility.
• The increase in hydroelectric power production in the watershed after nationalization of hydroelectric power in 1962. This increase would be explained by the expansion of the market for hydroelectric power (national and international markets). Before nationalization, the hydroelectric power produced in the watershed was intended only for regional industries.

Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrogeochemistry,Isotopic Composition and Water Age in the Hydrologic System of a Large Catchment within a Plain Humid Environment (Argentine Pampas): Quequén Grande River,Argentina

The Quequén Grande River (QGR) is a large catchment (10 000 km²) in the Pampa Plain in Argentina. From November 2004 to April 2013, a hydrochemical and stable isotopes monitoring program was conducted, which included three sampling stations of monthly composite precipitation, weekly samples in two sites along the river and several groundwater samples. A standard data interpretation was initially performed applying standard statistics, Piper diagrams and δ¹⁸O versus δ²H diagrams. The time evolution of the values of δ¹⁸O in precipitation and streamwater were also determined. The integration of hydrogeochemistry and stable isotopes data indicates the existence of three main components of streamflow: (i) baseflow characterized by electrical conductivity (EC) from 1200 to 1800 µs/cm and an isotope composition quite constant around δ¹⁸O ?5.3‰ and δ²H ?33.8‰. Water age for groundwater contribution is typically around 30 to 40 years using chlorofluorocarbons; (ii) direct runoff composed of channel interception and overland flow, which is of low EC in the order of 50 to 100 µs/cm, and a highly variable isotopic composition; and (iii) translatory flow (pre‐event water that is stored within the subsoil) with an intermediate EC and isotopic composition close to that of the weighted average composition of precipitation. The hydrochemical and stable isotopic data allow the differentiation between baseflow and direct runoff. In addition to this, chlorofluorocarbon dating is a useful tool in assessing the dominance of baseflow in a stream. The data lead to a conceptual model in which an intermediate flow system, with mean residence time (MRT) of around 35 years, discharges into the drainage network. A regional flow system (MRT > 50 years) discharges to the ocean. It is concluded that in this large plain catchment streamflow separation, only two components can be applied in: (i) short storm precipitation events having a high sampling frequency and (ii) during long dry periods when pre‐event soil water is not released. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in water resources: A review

Increasing public awareness, stricter measures and promulgation of new laws in the area of water resources have made the use of advanced technologies indispensable. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are an effective tool for storing, managing, and displaying spatial data often encountered in water resources management. The application of GIS in water resources is constantly on the rise. In order to stress the importance of GIS in water resources management, applications related to this area are addressed and evaluated for efficient future research and development. Fundamentals of GIS are summarized and the history of the GIS evolution in water resources is discussed. Current GIS applications are presented including surface hydrologic and groundwater modeling, water supply and sewer system modeling, stormwater and nonpoint source pollution modeling for urban and agricultural areas, and other related applications. Future research and development needs are presented, based on these reviews.     

A multi‐tracers analysis of sources and transfers of particulate organic matter in a tropical reservoir (Petit Saut,French Guiana)

We measured the organic carbon (OC) content, the isotopic composition, the C/N ratios and the photosynthetic pigment composition of suspended matter, sediments, sediments traps and epiphytic and epilithic biofilms at the tropical Sinnamary River system (French Guiana). Our sampling included the mid‐stream reservoir lake (Petit Saut) and the estuary on the Atlantic coast. These tracers were complementary and allowed identifying different sources of particulate organic matter (POM) in the system. We found a δ¹³C–C/N signature of POM close to that of soils and litters collected in the surrounding forest, both for water column and sediment at the upstream station as well as for the sediment in a littoral zone of the reservoir, which thus indicated a terrestrial origin. Plankton communities at the centre of the reservoir were dominated by Chlorophyceae (chlorophyll a (Chl a), chlorophyll b (Chl b) and lutein) in the oxic epilimnion and by anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria, namely Chlorobiaceae (bacteriochlorophyll d (BChl d) and bacteriochlorophyll c (BChl c)) at and below the oxycline (6 m depth). In addition, this planktonic material was slightly ¹³C‐depleted due to a contribution of methanotrophic bacteria. Phytoplankton and bacterioplankton were the major source of settling material collected in the traps at all depths in the centre of the reservoir. In the traps, POM was subject to intense degradation, as revealed by C/N and isotopic data and by the presence of pheopigments. In the river downstream of the dam, Chl b, lutein, BChl c and d originating from the reservoir progressively decreased downstream as the result of mineralization. At the estuarine mouth, fucoxanthin showed the presence of diatoms and the δ¹³C‐C/N signature matched that of POM carried by the Amazonian coastal mobile mud belt. By analysing sedimentation rates in the reservoir and its outflow into the river, we were able to provide a first estimates of POM transfers in this system during the sampling period. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development of a mapping approach encompassing most fluvial processes: Lessons learned from the freedom space for rivers concept in Quebec (Canada)

The consensus around the need for a shift in river management approaches to include more natural processes is steadily growing amongst scientists, practitioners, and governmental agencies. The freedom space for rivers concept promotes the delineation of a single space that integrates multiple fluvial dynamics such as floods, lateral migration, channel avulsions, and riparian wetlands connectivity. The objective of this research is to assess the validity of the hydrogeomorphological approach to delineate the freedom space for an extensive sampling of river reaches, covering 167 km, in contrasting watersheds in Quebec (Canada). Comparative analysis was conducted on the relative importance of erosion and flood processes on the freedom space delineation for various fluvial types. Semiautomated tools based on light detection and ranging (LiDAR) digital elevation models were also tested on an additional 274 km of watercourses to facilitate freedom space mapping over extensive zones and for highly dynamics environments such as alluvial fans. In the studied reaches, flood and erosion processes occur respectively, on average, in a space equivalent to 2.6 and 20.6 channel widths. In unconfined landscapes, flood processes represent an area up to almost four times the area of erosion processes expected in a 50‐year period. In partly confined and confined environments, erosion processes are more likely to exceed flooding zone, and therefore need to be integrated in the mapping. This study helps better determine the conditions for which the full methodology of freedom space mapping is required or where semiautomated methods can be used. It provides useful guidelines for the implementation of the freedom space approach.     

A review of hydroecological results of the Northern River Basins Study,Canada. Part 2. Peace–Athabasca Delta

The Peace–Athabasca Delta (PAD) in northern Canada is one of the world's largest freshwater deltas. Concern developed over the ecological health of this system in the early 1970s following regulation of its main headwater tributary, the Peace River. Continued drying of the delta into the 1990s resulted in the initiation of two major science programs, the Northern River Basins Study and the Peace–Athabasca Delta Technical Studies. Recognizing the importance of water to restoring and maintaining biological productivity and diversity of the PAD, a series of studies was initiated to explain the reasons for the protracted drying and to design methods to restore flooding. These studies demonstrated that open‐water floods from the Peace River were unlikely to flood the ecologically sensitive perched basins within the PAD. Moreover they discovered that most large‐scale overbank flooding resulted from ice‐jams formed during spring break‐up. Increases in freeze‐up ice levels due to enhanced winter flows from the reservoir and a decrease in spring snowmelt runoff from downstream tributaries were suggested as being responsible for a decline in the frequency and severity of ice‐jam floods. Based on results from numerical modelling studies of ice‐jams, a flow augmentation strategy was designed to aid the formation of ice‐jams near the PAD. Results of a test trial based on this strategy are presented. An update is also provided about ecological studies conducted since the delta was recharged by floodwaters in 1996. Copyright © 2002 Environment Canada. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Revision of the needle-shaped Fragilaria species (Fragilariaceae,Bacillariophyta) in the Laurentian Great Lakes (United States of America,Canada)

We investigated several common, needle-shaped diatoms to better characterize the taxonomy of the genus Fragilaria in the Laurentian Great Lakes. We conducted diatom morphometric analysis facilitated by SEM and LM imaging on samples collected as a part of the USEPA’s long-term biological monitoring program. We resolved several decades-long taxonomic problems in the Great Lakes. The results indicated that previous records of species formerly belonging to the genus Synedra, such as S. (Fragilaria) ostenfeldii, S. (Fragilaria) radians, and S. filiformis, should be corrected as these species likely do not occur in the Great Lakes. Valve morphology confirmed the presence of four previously undescribed species: Fragilaria andreseniana sp. nov., Fragilaria stoermeriana sp. nov., Fragilaria limnetica sp. nov., and Fragilaria michiganensis sp. nov. The morphology of several other Fragilaria taxa in the Great Lakes was examined, including a teratologic taxon (Fragilaria sp. 1), Fragilaria crotonensis, Fragilaria grunowii, and a taxon showing morphological affinity to Fragilaria lemanensis (reported here as Fragilaria cf. lemanensis). The spatial and seasonal distributions of these needle-shaped taxa were also analyzed and discussed.     

Impact of Drought on Diatom Communities and the Consequences for the use of Diatom Index Values in the River Maureillas (Pyrénées‐Orientales,France)

In the context of climate change, with an increase in the incidence of seasonally dry streambeds, we examined the impact of drought, and its duration, on the structure of diatom communities and the consequences of this on diatom index values (Biological Diatom Index; Specific Polluosensitivity Index) in the Mediterranean river Maureillas. The effects of several durations of droughts or low flow events (1, 2 and 4 weeks) on diatom‐dominated biofilms were studied by removing pebbles from the river and comparing the growing communities after rewetting with those of control biofilms (pebbles left in the streambed) and with those of newly formed biofilms (cleaned‐up pebbles). Sampling was performed six times during the 28‐day rewetting phase. We determined the specific composition of diatom communities, the mortality rate after rewetting, and the Biological Diatom Index and Specific Polluosensitivity Index scores for each sample, distinguishing between potentially living diatoms (full frustules with chloroplasts) and dead diatoms (empty frustules). Our results showed a notable and durable impact of even short drought on diatom communities. The different trajectories of biofilm communities observed between the types of pebbles showed the importance of the biofilm history for the community structure. This should be taken into account to improve the sampling practices used for monitoring. We also observed a stable mortality rate whatever the drought duration was. Diatom index values were stable despite the observed impact of treatment on diatom communities. These results emphasize the reliability of the diatom index to evaluate biological quality according to European requirements. In addition, the distinction of empty and full frustules did not induce significant differences, but it may reduce biases in interpretation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Examining 20th century water quality and ecological changes in the Lake of the Woods, Ontario, Canada: A paleolimnological investigation

Comparisons between diatom assemblages preserved in modern and pre-industrial sediments were made to provide a lake-wide paleolimnological assessment of environmental change in 17 sites located throughout the Ontario portion of the Lake of the Woods (LoW). Diatom changes were consistent across all sites, although the magnitude of these changes varied along a trophic gradient (i.e., main channel sites versus isolated bays). The most notable taxonomic shift was towards a higher relative abundance of small, centric Cyclotella taxa and other planktonic, pennate diatoms (e.g., Asterionella formosa, Fragilaria crotonensis) in the modern sediments, with corresponding lower relative abundances of heavily silicified Aulacoseira taxa and small benthic Fragilaria taxa. To aid in determining whether changes in nutrients can explain the diatom trends, weighted-averaging partial-least-squares (WA-PLS) techniques were used to develop a diatom-based inference model to reconstruct changes in total phosphorus (TP) concentrations. Diatom-inferrred TP (DI-TP) reconstructions revealed that 88% of the sites showed either no change or a slight, but not significant decline in DI-TP since pre-industrial times. Diatom-based inferences suggest that TP concentrations at many sites in the Ontario portion of the LoW were moderately elevated in nutrients prior to any major human disturbances (i.e., pre-1850). Results suggest that substantial increases in temperature over the last few decades, and the associated changes to ice cover and water column properties, have likely exacerbated the effects of existing stressors on the system and were key factors influencing a lake-wide restructuring of the diatom communities over the past ca. 150 years.     

The Influence of Logjams on Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides) Concentrations on the Lower Roanoke River,a Large Sand‐Bed River

This study examines the relation between logjams and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) on the alluvial sand‐bed lower Roanoke River. Disparate data sets from previous bank erosion, fisheries, and large wood studies were used to compare the distribution of largemouth bass with logjam frequency. Logjams are related to the frequency of bank mass wasting increasing from near an upstream dam to the middle reach of the study segment and then decreasing as the river approaches sea level. The highest concentration of largemouth bass and logjams was in the middle reach (110 fish per hour and 21 jams per km). Another measure of largemouth bass distribution, fish biomass density (g h^?1), had a similar trend with logjams and was a better predictor of fish distribution versus logjams (R² = 0.6 and 0.8 and p = 0.08 and 0.02 for fish per hour and g h^?1 versus logjam, respectively). We theorize that the preference for adult bass to congregate near logjams indicates the use of the jams as feeding areas. The results of a principal component analysis indicate that fish biomass concentration is much more related to logjam frequency than channel geometry (width, depth, and bank height), bed grain size, bank erosion, or turbidity. The results of this research support recent studies on in‐channel wood and fisheries: Logjams appear to be important for maintaining, or increasing, both largemouth bass numbers and total biomass of fish in large eastern North American rivers. Persistent logjams, important as habitat, exist where relatively undisturbed river reaches allow for bank erosion inputs of wood and available anchoring locations. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.     

Periphyton in the Clear and Colored Water Masses of the St. Lawrence River (Quebec,Canada): A 20-Year Overview

Periphyton was collected on navigational buoys in the Montreal island sector of the St. Lawrence River during 1994–95 to compare biomass and species composition in the transparent “green” waters originating from the Great Lakes with those found in the colored, more turbid “brown” waters coming from the Ottawa River. Periphyton biomass (chlorophyll a, ash free dry mass, density and biovolume) was depressed in brown waters and differences in species composition were observed at the class (i.e., diatoms more important in brown waters) and species level (i.e., Melosira varians more abundant in brown waters). Comparison of 1994 and 1995 with 1982 and 1973 data supported the observed differences in biomass between brown and green waters, yet showed no major temporal shifts in periphyton species composition despite reductions in phosphorus loadings to the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River during that 20-yr period. Biomass (density and biovolume) of Cladophora and relative abundance of chlorophytes appeared much higher in 1982 than recorded in 1994 and 1995. Cladophora influences diatom community composition by providing a substratum for epiphytes and thus represents a key species controlling the structure of periphyton assemblages. Future monitoring efforts in the St. Lawrence River should focus on this species and include a standardization of sampling and enumeration methods.     

Machine-learning modeling of hourly potential thermal refuge area: A case study from the Sainte-Marguerite River (Quebec,Canada)

To understand the temporal and spatial variability of thermal refuges, this study focused on modeling potential thermal refuge area (PTRA) at a sub-daily time-step in two tributary confluences of the Sainte-Marguerite River (Canada) during the summers of 2020 and 2021. Aquatic ectotherm species, such as Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), seek these refuges to avoid heat stress during high summer river temperatures. To investigate the temporal variability of these PTRA, we employed inverse weighted distance interpolation to delineate the hourly area available at both confluences. We then analyzed the impact of the atypical low flow conditions of summer 2021 on the diel cycle of PTRA extremes using the coefficient of variation and the generalized additive model (GAM). Finally, we used four supervised machine-learning regression models and three to five hydrometeorological predictors to estimate hourly PTRA availability: multivariate adaptive splines regression (MARS), GAM, support vector machine regression (SVM), and random forest regression (RF). The results showed that tree-based and kernel-based regression models, RF and SVM, outperformed GAM and MARS. RF had the highest accuracy at both sites, with a relative root mean square error and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (Nash) of 13% and 93%, respectively. Our study discovered that under warm conditions in August 2021, small perennial tributary inflows in combination with low mainstem discharge could create high and constant PTRA at confluences, potentially providing vital thermal refuges for cold-water taxa. These refuges may be especially important at the local level, within a specific stretch or section of the river. Given the decreasing availability of thermal refuges for salmonids, it is crucial to monitor stream temperatures at small spatial and temporal scales using data-driven techniques in order to understand stream temperature heterogeneity at tributary confluences.     

Planktonic indicators of water quality: A case study in the Amacuzac River Basin (State of Morelos,Mexico)

Planktonic organisms are good indicators of water quality but are rarely used in Mexican riverine studies in spite of the high level of contamination in these lotic waters. In this study, we focused on the plankton of the river Amacuzac in Mexico and a large saline waterbody, Lake Tequisquitengo, which is located in the Amacuzac river basin. We collected samples at three sites in the River Amacuzac and one at Lake Tequisquitengo from May 2015 to March–April of 2016. We analysed the physicochemical variables, coliform bacteria, and biological oxygen demand levels. We also quantified phytoplankton and zooplankton. Our results indicate that the study sites are mesotrophic with high densities of diatoms and cyanobacteria. Among the zooplankton, the dominant organisms were rotifers. The constancy of planktonic taxa was high in the lake but low in the river. The Descy index ranged from 2.9 to 4.5 in the river and from 4.0 to 5.0 in the lake. The saprobic index shows that the system is β‐mesosaprobic. The species diversity was higher in the river than in the lake. Our study shows that plankton can efficiently be used to evaluate the water quality in rivers and lakes.     

Variations in the Aquatic Vegetation of the Welland River (Ontario,Canada) Above and Below an Industrial Waste Discharge

The zonation of aquatic macrophytes, particularly Typha and Sagittaria sp. and associated periphyton communities, were investigated in relation to industrial point source discharges to the Welland River, Ontario. Severe reductions of macrophyte species densities and macrophyte and periphyton diversity were found immediately below the outfalls with distinct recovery zones in the downstream part. Normal macrophyte and periphyton density and diversity occurred at sites approximately 1.6 km below the outfall.     

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the regulated River Alta: effects of altered water temperature on parr growth

The chief objective of this study was to analyse the effects of altered water temperature, due to the hydropower regulation of the River Alta, on growth of Atlantic salmon parr. The river was developed for hydroelectric purposes in 1987. A 110 m high concrete dam was built in the main river 49 km upstream from the outlet to the sea. The outlet of the power station is located 2.5 km downstream from the dam. The annual regime of water temperature has been altered downstream from the power station because of the regulation. It has decreased 1–2° C during June, July and the first half of August, while it has increased up to 3° C during late summer. During winter, water temperature has increased from 0° C to about 0.3–0.4° C. Atlantic salmon is the predominant fish species in the river. They can penetrate 46 km from the sea, up to the outlet of the power station. In this paper I have studied the relationship between growth of juvenile Atlantic salmon and water temperature in the upper part of the river. At similar temperatures, the growth rate of salmon parr in the River Alta is higher in early summer than later in the growing season. In early summer the salmon grew faster than the maximum rate predicted by a recently published model. Therefore, I adjusted the model to describe growth rates of salmon in early summer (ice break to mid‐August), using data derived prior to the hydropower development (1981–1986). The new model proved effective at describing growth rates of fish in early summer following the hydropower development (1987–1996). After development, growth rates decreased during early summer, but increased correspondingly later in the season. There was close agreement between these growth changes and the altered annual regime of river temperature. Overall, only minor changes in annual growth rates have been observed after the hydropower development. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Land‐use effects on water quality of a first‐order stream in the Ozark Highlands,mid‐southern United States

Urban and agricultural land uses can alter the natural hydrologic conditions of streams and rivers and often degrade water quality. In the Ozark Highlands of the mid‐southern United States, the climate, topography, soil properties, karst limestone geology, agricultural practices and rapid urbanization make water quality of particular concern due to the increased potential for water quality degradation by contaminant leaching to groundwater and runoff to surface waters. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of season (i.e. dry/cool and wet/warm) and riparian land use (i.e. urban, grazed pasture, ungrazed pasture, wetland, cultivated agriculture and grassland) on surface water quality in a first‐order stream within a diverse agricultural watershed in the Ozark Highlands. Water samples were collected twice a month within each land use during base‐flow conditions from October 2006 through October 2007. Samples were also collected periodically during storm‐flow conditions from October 2006 through December 2007. The greatest in‐stream pH was adjacent to the grazed pasture. In‐stream NO₃‐N concentrations were greatest adjacent to the cultivated agriculture and grassland during the dry/cool season (i.e. October 2006 to March 2007) and averaged 2.67 mg L^?1. In‐stream soluble reactive P (SRP) concentrations were greatest adjacent to the grassland during the wet/warm season (i.e. April 2007 to October 2007) and averaged 0.81 mg L^?1. Concentrations of SRP, K, Mg and Zn were greater during storm‐ than base‐flow conditions and in‐stream As concentrations frequently exceeded 0.01 mg L^?1. Discharge and in‐stream NH₄‐N concentrations were unaffected by land use or season and averaged 0.003 m³ s^?1 and 0.10 mg L^?1, respectively, across all land uses and seasons. Results of this study clearly demonstrate the significant effect of adjacent land use on in‐stream water quality of a first‐order stream in a diverse agricultural watershed and highlight the importance of managing upstream land use in order to regulate downstream water quality. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Using Microfossil Remains in Lake Sediments to Examine the Invasion of Eubosmina coregoni (Cladocera,Bosminidae) in Lake of the Woods,Ontario, Canada

Many nonindigenous species (NIS) present in the Laurentian Great Lakes are expanding their ranges to inland lakes and streams. This study used cladoceran microfossils to examine the invasion history of Eubosmina coregoni, the first known nonindigenous zooplankter to invade Lake of the Woods (LOW), Ontario, Canada. Sediment cores from 16 sites in LOW were used to analyze broad-scale presence/absence of E. coregoni prior to human development (bottom sediment samples) in comparison with present-day distribution (top sediment samples). E. coregoni had the highest relative abundance in the northern and eastern regions of LOW and the abundance of all cladoceran remains was low in the southern region of the lake. A long core (time core) from Clearwater Bay provided a more detailed historical account of E. coregoni's abundance in the northern region of LOW, indicating that E. coregoni was first detected in the lake in the early 1990s, approximately 25 years after it was discovered in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Results obtained in this study have illuminated temporal and spatial patterns of colonization of this inland water body. Study of the early invasion dynamics of NIS in these inland lakes may aid in the prevention of future invasions of taxa that have already altered the food web dynamics in the Laurentian Great Lakes.     

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.     

Potential effects of a major navigation project (Paraguay–Paraná Hidrovía) on inundation in the Pantanal floodplains

The Pantanal wetland of Brazil, a vast complex of seasonally inundated floodplains along the Paraguay River, is renowned for its outstanding biological resources. A proposed navigation project known as the Paraguay–Paraná Waterway (or Hidrovía) would deepen the Paraguay River channel to facilitate year‐round navigation through the Pantanal. The possibility of decreases in river levels (stage) has aroused concerns in relation to the potential environmental impacts, however the poor understanding of the hydrological relationships between rivers and floodplains has hampered evaluation of these impacts. The present study evaluates the potential impact of river modifications on adjacent floodplains by examining the relationship between the Paraguay River stage and the extent of floodplain inundation. Satellite observations of flooded area (from passive microwave emission; monthly data for 1979–1987) are plotted against river stage from several stations throughout the region to show the stage–inundation relationships for eight subregions along the Paraguay River. Scenarios in which the Paraguay River stage is decreased from the 20th and 80th percentile values reveal large potential impacts on inundation. For stage decreases of 0.10 and 0.25 m, the total flooded area is reduced by 1430 and 3830 km² at low‐water, and by 2410 and 5790 km² at high‐water, respectively. The floodplains of the two northernmost subregions appear to be most susceptible to reductions in flooding, losing more than half of their flooded area with a 0.25‐m decrease in the low‐water stage. The ecological impacts of these reductions in flooded area may be particularly severe at low water, when the few areas that typically remain flooded throughout the dry season serve as important refuges for aquatic animals. These results underscore the need for better understanding of the hydrology of the integrated river floodplain systems in the Pantanal before river channel modifications are carried out. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.