How Much water does a river need?
12 junio 2007Autor: Brian D. Ritcher
In this paper, we propose a new method for developing streamflow-based river management targets that incorporates the concepts of hydrologic variability and river ecosystem integrity. The method, referred to as the “Range of Variability Approach,” or RVA, begins with a comprehensive characterization of ecologically-relevant attributes of a flow regime and then translates these attributes into more simple, flow-based management targets. These targets are subsequently used as guidelines for designing a workable management system capable of attaining the desired flow conditions. The RVA will be most useful for setting preliminary or interim flow targets for river reaches with highly altered hydrologic regimes, i.e., where one or more annual streamflow characteristics frequently fall outside their historic range(s) of variability.
Extracto del documento utilizado en la revista freshwater Biology (1997) Volumen 37