Maintaining Biological

Connections in the

Delaware Basin

Su Fanok, Eric Olsen October 28th, 2013

© USGS National Water Census

“The microcosm can reflect the macrocosm because everything is

connected”(Virginia Tech, 2011)

CONNECTIONS

Species – Ecosystems - Processes

The Other Side of Connectivity(Fragmentation)

Strategic Opportunities

Species - Ecosystems - Processes

© Dewayne Fox

Species

MigratoryFish

The American Eel

CONNECTIONSLand:Water

Headwaters:BayFreshwater:Marine

© Dewayne Fox

Species

Freshwater Mussels

Margaritifera margaritifera © Joel Berglund Ethan Nedeau/HTTP://WWW:BIODRAWVERSITY.COM

A. Shad

Longnose Dace

Alewife

Slimy Sculpin

Tesselated Darter

Yellow Perch

© Ted Walke

CONNECTIONSWater Quality

(intact floodplains)Connected Rivers

(Host Fish)

Species

LouisiannaWaterthrush

Loiusianna Waterthrus

h

The Mid-Atlantic Flyway

The Mainstem Delaware

High Quality

Headwaters

Riparian Corridors

© Nicholas Tonelli © DRBC

© Don Falkner

CONNECTIONSLongitudinal Connections

(Headwaters:Bay)Lateral Connections:

(Riparian Corridors:Forests)

Systems &

Processes

Surface&

GroundwaterInteractions

© Winter et al.

Glacial Terrain

Mountain Regions

Riverine Valleys

“Surface water commonly is hydraulically connected to ground water, but the interactions are difficult to observe and measure”

CONNECTIONSLand:WaterBaseflows

Water Chemistry

Systems&

Processes

TheFreshwater

Network

Headwaters• Steep Slopes• Limited Photosynthesis• Allochthonous Inputs• Macro-Invertebrate diversity• Springs, seeps-cold temps

Transfer Zone• Gradient Decreases• Channel Widens• Algae, submerged veg• Limited grH2O -warmer temps

Depositional Zone• Energy supplied by upstream DOM• Drifting zooplankton & phytoplankton• Diverse floodplain• Omnivore fish species

CONNECTIONSHeadwaters:Major Rivers

Nutrient CyclingEnergy Dissipation

BiotaHabitats

The River Continuum Concept

Processes

FlowThe

MasterVariable

CONNECTIONSEcological Flows

(Drought FlowsSeasonal Low-Flows)

Water UseFlow Management

The goal is not to create optimal conditions for all species all of the time; rather, we want to create adequate conditions for all native species enough of the time

Processes

Water Quality

Atlantic Sturgeon spawn in the lower Delaware where there is

• High DO• Hard substrate• Fresh water

© Dewayne Fox

Sturgeon are “pinched”

between suitable habitat and

suitable water quality

CONNECTIONSWater Quality

Impact of Flow on Water Quality

Salt Front

Emerging Threat

ClimateChange

Resilience: Definition The capacity for renewal in a dynamic environment

- Gunderson 2000 The ability of a social or ecological system to absorb disturbances while retaining the same basic structure and ways of functioning

- IPCC 2007 Network Complexity – Number of size classes

Physical Diversity– Length of connected linear miles– Diversity of Temperatures– Diversity of Gradients

Ecological Condition– Lateral connectivity – naturalness of

floodplain– Unimpeded flow– Pervious /permeable watersheds

© Anderson and Olivero, The Nature Conservancy

Upstream: Downstream Connectivity

Summary

Targets•Species

•Ecosystems

•Processes

Threats•Habitat Conversion

•Altered Flows

•Water Quality Impacts

•Climate Change

Strategic Opportunities•Habitat Protection & Restoration

•Aquatic Organism Passage

•Freshwater Mussel Restoration, Reintroduction, Research

•Environmental Flow Management

•Building Resiliency

• What efforts are planned/underway addressing issues raised?

• What issues should we prioritize for further exploration and how can that be accomplished?

• What are the obstacles to advancing this work?

• Are there unrealized opportunities that we’re missing?

• Who are the key partners advancing this work?

© Nocolas Tonelli