Quantifying Whitewater Recreation Opportunities in Cataract Canyon of the Colorado River,Utah: Aggregating Acceptable Flows and Hydrologic Data to Identify Boatable Days

The structural norm approach was combined with the Potential for Conflict Index to define recreation streamflow needs for the Colorado River in Utah and Colorado. An online survey was completed by 128 commercial and non‐commercial boaters, who evaluated a range of flows for whitewater boating. For the Cataract Canyon reach, respondents rated the quality of their recreation experience of specific flows, describing the quality of boating opportunities across the full range of historical streamflows. Ranges for both acceptable and optimum flows were defined, as well as thresholds for unacceptable flows. These ranges were then evaluated against historical hydrologic records to quantify the timing, frequency, and duration of days when defined whitewater flows exist across different year types (i.e. average boatable days). Results indicated that on average, a total of 257 boatable days existed in dry years, and 353 total boatable days occurred in dry‐typical years. In wet and wet‐typical years, 362 and 365 total boatable days respectively, occurred on average. Results of the boatable days' analysis indicated that over the 23‐year period of record, whitewater boating opportunities occurred nearly every day of the year in all but the driest year types. Results from this study provide resource managers with information which can be used in the development of annual operating plans for the Colorado River Basin and help managers understand how changes in flow impact the quality of recreational opportunities. This application demonstrates the value of analysing boatable days on any river where recreation management is a priority. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Importance of Shallow‐Low Velocity Habitats to Juvenile Fish in the Middle Mississippi River

Habitat management is a crucial aspect of fisheries management. Without knowledge of habitat associations, fisheries scientists are unable to effectively make habitat conservation or restoration recommendations. This becomes especially prominent when trying to manage commercially harvested populations and protect threatened or endangered species. To determine juvenile fishes habitat associations in the Middle Mississippi River, we analysed mini‐trawl catch data of six common juvenile fish species: blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus), channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), channel shiner (Notropis wickliffi), freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens), paddlefish (Polyodon spathula), and shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus). Overall, we conducted 2251 mini‐trawl sampling efforts between 2002 and 2013, resulting in the capture of 23,742 target specimens. Catch per unit effort was evaluated by structural habitat (i.e. velocity, depth, and substrate). Overall, these data suggest that juvenile fish species are more prevalent in shallow water and slower velocities. Ultimately the information garnered during this evaluation should be incorporated when considering habitat modifications, especially those modifications that impact the availability of shallow‐low velocity habitats. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Benchmarking Fluvial Dynamics for Process‐Based River Restoration: the Upper Rhine River (1816–2014)

Multi‐temporal analysis of river‐floodplain processes is a key tool for the identification of reference conditions or benchmarks and for the evaluation of deviations or deficits as a basis for process‐based river restoration in large modified rivers. This study developed a methodology for benchmarking fluvial processes at river segment level, focusing on those interrelations between morphodynamics (aggradation, erosion, channel shift) and vegetation succession (initial, colonization, transition) that condition habitat structure. Habitat maps of the free‐flowing Upper Rhine River downstream from Iffezheim dam (France–Germany border) were intersected with a geographic information system‐based approach. Patches showing trajectories of anthropization, changeless, progression and regression allowed for the identification of natural and human‐induced processes over almost 200 years. Before channelization, the riverine system was characterized by a shifting habitat mosaic with natural heterogeneity, high degree of surface water connectivity and equilibrium between progression and regression processes. On the other hand, the following 175 years of human interventions led to severe biogeomorphologic deficits evidenced by loss of natural processes and habitat heterogeneity, hydrological disconnection between the river and its floodplain and imbalance of progression versus regression dynamics. The main driving forces of change are found in hydromorphological impacts (channelization, regulation and hydropower plant construction). Regression processes are now almost absent and have to be the objective of process‐based river restoration measures for the studied river‐floodplain system. A sustainable view on water management and river restoration should aim at a more resilient riverine system by balancing the recovery of natural processes with societal needs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

新形势下做好长江入河排污口管理的思考

从长江流域水质现状、入河污染物排放基本情况及国家关于长江经济带绿色发展的总体要求出发,分析了长江水资源保护面临的形势;从长江入河排污口区划、审批、监管及基础工作方面,对入河排污口管理现状进行了简要总结,并对存在的问题进行了梳理。基于长江入河排污口管理面临的形势,提出了长江委强化长江入河排污口管理的总体思路和重点工作,可以为新形势下做好长江入河排污口管理提供参考。     

对口丁坝双岸整治对黄河下游河道冲淤的影响

选取低含沙水沙系列、枯水多沙水沙系列以及规划设计的未来50 a水沙系列,利用黄河下游一维水沙数学模型,模拟计算了对口丁坝双岸治理方案下黄河下游河道在3种水沙系列条件下的冲淤状况。结果表明,游荡性河段采用对口丁坝方案整治后,输沙能力得到了提高,该河段多输送的泥沙一半以上输送到利津以下,其余部分淤积在高村—利津河段,其中淤积以高村—艾山河段为主,艾山—利津河段的冲淤情况与现状相比变化不大。     

变化环境下河流健康评价研究进展

全球以温度升高为主要特征的气候变化耦合人类活动影响,造成了全球性变化环境背景下大范围的水资源危机、水环境污染和水生态退化问题,威胁河流健康,已成为当今世界各国急需解决的难题。针对变化环境背景,分别从河流健康的概念和内涵、河流健康评价的内容、方法及应用等方面,评述近年来国内外河流健康评价的研究进展。将河流健康定义为,特定时期一定的社会公众价值体系下,在保障河流自身基本生存需求的前提下,能够持续地为人类社会提供高效合理的生态服务功能,并实现服务功能综合价值最大化。在前人研究基础上,指出变化环境下河流健康评价研究存在的主要问题,如河流健康概念及内涵仍存在争议,河流健康变化的驱动机制尚不明确,河流健康评价的理论及方法有待完善,河流健康评价实践滞后及评价结果未能有效指导河流管理等。提出变化环境下河流健康评价的发展趋势:以流域为基本空间尺度结合多时间尺度开展河流健康评价与调控研究,因地制宜开展河流健康评价指标体系及评价标准研究,开展基于3S等技术的河流健康评价研究,建立长期且全面的河流健康监测网络,科学界定河流健康的"基准点",以及开展河流健康评价与水资源调控的集成研究等。     

中国冲积大河的河型分布与成因

结合遥感影像、野外调查和水沙数据,以冲积大河为研究对象,分析中国大河的河型分布及成因。中国大河的冲积河段以弯曲与辫状河型为主,局部河段为分汊与网状河型。综合考虑河型分布的一般性和特殊性,认为相对输沙率(来沙量与输沙能力之比)、相对河岸侵蚀切应力(近岸水流切应力与河岸临界抗冲切应力之比)和河谷地形控制(如节点和宽度)是决定河型成因的3个最主要的因素。     

拆坝对河流生态系统的影响及评估方法综述

为研究拆坝对河流生态系统造成的影响,从短期和长期两个时间尺度综合分析了河流水文情势、地形地貌、岸边带植物、鱼类和底栖动物等关键生态因子对拆坝的响应,并总结了目前拆坝对生态系统影响的两种主要评估方法。认为根据实际拆坝情况进行评估和基于数值模型进行预测两种评估方法中,实地观测是最直接、最有说服力的研究方法,但受成本和一些不可控因素限制;数值模拟具有速度快、费用低、无比尺影响等优点,可对拆坝影响进行预测,为管理者提供参考,但精度和准确性有待提高。指出后续研究中应综合考虑拆坝过程中各生态因子间的耦合效应,需对不同拆坝时机和分阶段拆坝方式对河流生态系统的影响进行深入研究。     

河流水质评价综述

随着我国对水环境、水资源保护和供水安全的日益重视,河流水质评价的重要地位也逐渐凸显出来。该文从河流水质评价的研究背景入手,对国内外研究进展、国内外研究现状的比较、评价方法的简介和优缺点、权重的选取及分析、指标的权重折减等几方面进行了系统地述评。在此基础上,指出水质评价今后应优化的方向,除了定性定量评价水质之外,在评价方法上,应将各评价方法的优缺点进行整合,相互借鉴改进,使评价结果更合理;此外,在选择评价方法时,应选择与我国河流以及研究对象相适应的方法,切忌一味学习国外方式方法。