A new approach to rapid,desktop-level,environmental flow assessments for rivers in South Africa |
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| Authors: | DA Hughes AY Desai AL Birkhead D Louw |
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| Institution: | 1. Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africad.hughes@ru.ac.za;3. IWR Water Resources (Pty) Ltd., Durban, South Africa;4. Streamflow Solutions CC, Gonubie, East London, South Africa;5. Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa;6. Rivers for Africa e-Flows Consulting (Pty) Ltd., Pretoria, South Africa |
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| Abstract: | AbstractAn approach is presented for desktop-level environmental flow requirement (EFR) determination that is aligned with the Habitat Flow–Stressor Response (HFSR) method which evolved in South Africa over recent years. The HFSR method integrates hydrological, hydraulic and ecological habitat data, involves ecological and hydraulic specialists and is data-intensive and time-consuming. The revised desktop method integrates hydrological information with estimates of channel hydraulic cross-sectional characteristics to generate habitat-type frequencies under changing flow conditions. This information is used with the expected natural habitat requirements to determine acceptable habitat availability under different levels of ecological protection, which is then used with the hydraulic data to define flow regime characteristics that meet the ecological objectives. The paper describes the model components, discusses the assumptions, data requirements and limitations and presents some example results. The revised desktop approach uses approaches that are aligned with the more complex methods and generates results that are similar. Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Guest editor M. AcremanCitation Hughes, D.A., Desai, A.Y., Birkhead, A.L., and Louw, D., 2014. A new approach to rapid, desktop-level, environmental flow assessments for rivers in South Africa. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59 (3–4), 673–687. |
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| Keywords: | environmental flow requirements hydrological regimes channel hydraulics habitat frequency |
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