A collaborative and adaptive process for developing environmental flow recommendations

摘要: Many river restoration projects are focusing on restoring environmental flow regimes to improve ecosystem health in rivers that have been developed for water supply, hydropower generation, flood control, navigation, and other purposes. In efforts prevent future ecological damage, supply planners some parts of the world beginning address needs ecosystems proactively by reserving portion flows support. These restorative protective actions require development scientifically credible estimates needs. This paper describes an adaptive, inter-disciplinary, science-based process developing recommendations. It has designed use a variety management activities, including projects, can be tailored according available time resources determining The five-step includes: (1) orientation meeting; (2) literature review summary existing knowledge about flow-dependent biota processes concern; (3) workshop develop objectives initial recommendations, identify key information gaps; (4) implementation recommendations trial basis test hypotheses reduce uncertainties; (5) monitoring system response conducting further research as warranted. A range recommended low each month, high pulses throughout year, floods with targeted inter-annual frequencies. We describe application this Savannah River, which resultant were incorporated into comprehensive basin planning conducted Corps Engineers, used initiate adaptive Thurmond Dam. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.