Dam reoperation in an era of climate change

Article

<< Previous

Contents Vol 62(3)

doi:10.1071/MF10047

Advances in the Aquatic Sciences

	Search




	Advanced Search



	Journal Home

	About the Journal

	Editorial Board

	Contacts



	Content

	Online Early

	Current Issue

	Just Accepted

	All Issues

	Special Issues

	Sample Issue



	For Authors

	General Information

	Instructions to Authors

	Submit Article

	Open Access



	For Referees

	General Information

	Review Article

	Referee Guidelines

	Early Career Referee Mentoring



	For Subscribers

	Subscription Prices

	Customer Service

	Print Publication Dates

e-Alerts

Subscribe to our Email Alert or

feeds for the latest journal papers.

Connect with us

Dam reoperation in an era of climate change

R. J. Watts ^A , B. D. Richter ^B , J. J. Opperman ^C and K. H. Bowmer ^D

^A Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW 2640, Australia.
^B The Nature Conservancy, Crozet, Virginia, USA.
^C The Nature Conservancy and the Center for Watershed Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA.
^D Institute for Land, Water and Society, and School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Locked Bag 588, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia.
^E Corresponding author. Email: rwatts@csu.edu.au

Marine and Freshwater Research 62(3) 321-327 http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/MF10047
Submitted: 21 February 2010 Accepted: 10 October 2010 Published: 18 March 2011





	PDF (97 KB) $25



	Export Citation

Print

Abstract

Climate change is predicted to affect the future supply and demand for water resources. Current water-management practices may not adequately cope with the impacts of climate change on the reliability of water supply, flood risk, health, agriculture, energy generation and aquatic ecosystems. Water managers can adapt to climate variability by structural change, such as increasing the size or number of dams, building desalination plants and transferring water between catchments; however, a broader set of alternatives with multiple beneficial outcomes for society and the environment should be explored. We discuss how modifying dam operations, ‘dam reoperation’, can assist with adaptation to climate change and help restore ecosystems. The main operating purpose of a dam (e.g. flood management, hydropower or water supply) will influence dam reoperation strategies. Reoperation may require integration across sectors or involve multiple dams, enhancing benefits such as water supply or hydropower while simultaneously achieving ecosystem restoration. We provide examples of lessons learned during extreme scenarios (e.g. floods and droughts), where operational flexibility has been demonstrated. We contrast structural climate-change adaptation strategies (e.g. building new dams) and their resulting detrimental environmental outcomes with dam reoperation, which can maximise benefits for ecosystems and society.

Additional keywords: dams, environmental flows, flood control, flow restoration, flow variability, freshwater ecosystems, hydropower, water supply.

References

Allan, C., Watts, R. J., Commens, S., and Ryder, D. S. (2009). Using adaptive management to meet multiple goals for flows along the Mitta Mitta River in south-eastern Australia. In ‘Adaptive Environmental Management: A Practitioner’s Guide’. (Eds C. Allan and G. Stankey.) pp. 59–72. (Springer: Dordrecht, The Netherlands.)

Bates, B. C., Kundzewicz, Z. W., Wu, S., and Palutikof, J. P. (Eds) (2008). Climate change and water. Technical Paper of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC Secretariat, Geneva.

Bowmer, K. H. (2003). Look after the land and the rivers. In ‘Proceedings of the 28th International Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium, Wollongong, 10–14 November 2003’. (The Institute of Engineers, Australia.) Available at http://www.water.org.au/pubs/pub04_bowmer.htm [accessed 15 December 2009].

Bunn, S. E., and Arthington, A. H. (2002). Basic principles and ecological consequences of altered flow regimes for aquatic biodiversity. Environmental Management 30, 492–507.
| CrossRef | PubMed |

Christensen, N. S., Wood, A. W., Voisin, N., Lettenmaier, D. P., and Palmer, R. N. (2004). The effects of climate change on the hydrology and water resources of the Colorado River Basin. Climatic Change 62, 337–363.
| CrossRef |

Costanza, R., dArge, R., deGroot, R., Farber, S., Grasso, M., et al. (1997). The value of the world’s ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature 387, 253–260.
| CrossRef | CAS |

Department of the Environment Water, Heritage and the Arts (2008). Water for the future. Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Canberra, Australia. Available at http://www.environment.gov.au/water/publications/action/pubs/water-future.pdf [accessed 5 May 2009].

Dillon, P., Pavelic, P., Page, D., Beringen, H., and Ward, J. (2009). Managed aquifer recharge: an introduction. Waterlines Report Series, No. 13, National Water Commission, Canberra. Available at http://www.nwc.gov.au/resources/documents/Waterlines_MAR_completeREPLACE.pdf [accessed 15 December 2009].

Doyle, M. W., Stanley, E. H., Havlick, D. G., Kaiser, M. J., Steinbach, G., et al. (2008). Aging infrastructure and ecosystem restoration. Science 319, 286–287.
| CrossRef | CAS | PubMed |

Geosciences Australia (2010). Broken Hill managed aquifer recharge. Australian Government, Geoscience Australia. Available at http://www.ga.gov.au/groundwater/capabilities/broken-hill-managed-aquifer-recharge-project.jsp [accessed 18 August 2010].

Hardwick, L., Maguire, J., and Foreman, M. (2001). Providing water to Murrumbidgee billabongs – maximising ecological value. In ‘Proceedings of the 3rd Australian Stream Management Conference, Brisbane, 27–29 August 2001’. (Eds I. Rutherfurd, F. Sheldon, G. Brierley and C. Kenyon.) pp. 277–284. (Cooperative Research Centre for Catchment Hydrology: Melbourne.)

Harman, C., and Stewardson, M. (2005). Optimizing dam release rules to meet environmental flow targets. River Research and Applications 21, 113–129.
| CrossRef |

Hirji, R., and Davis, R. (2009a). Environmental flows in water resources policies, plans, and projects: findings and recommendations. World Bank, Washington DC.

Hirji, R., and Davis, R. (2009b). Environmental flows in water resources policies, plans, and projects: case studies. World Bank, Washington DC.

Judd, B. S., and McKinney, D. C. (2006). Dam re-operation: influences on natural and productive river processes (Glen Canyon and Green River dams). Centre for Research in Water Resources online report 06–04. Available at http://www.crwr.utexas.edu/reports/pdf/2006/rtp06-04.pdf [accessed 12 February 2010].

Kelley, R. (1989). ‘Battling the Inland Sea: Floods, Public Policy, and the Sacramento Valley.’ (University of California Press: Berkeley, CA.)

Klijn, F., van Buuren, M., and van Rooij, S. A. M. (2004). Flood-risk management strategies for an uncertain future: living with Rhine River floods in the Netherlands? Ambio 33, 141–147.
| PubMed |

Kundzewicz, Z. W., Mata, L. J., Arnell, N. W., Doll, P., Jimenez, B., et al. (2008). The implications of projected climate change for freshwater resources and their management. Hydrological Sciences Journal 53, 3–10.

Lehner, B., Czisch, G., and Vassolo, S. (2005). The impact of global change on the hydropower potential of Europe: a model-based analysis. Energy Policy 33, 839–855.
| CrossRef |

Magilligan, F. J., and Nislow, K. H. (2005). Changes in hydrologic regime by dams. Geomorphology 71, 61–78.
| CrossRef |

Mathews, R., and Richter, B. D. (2007). Application of the indicators of hydrologic alteration software in environmental flow setting. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 43, 1400–1413.

Milly, P. C. D., Dunn, K. A., and Vecchia, A. V. (2005). Global patterns of trends in streamflow and water availability in a changing climate. Nature 438, 347–350.
| CrossRef | CAS | PubMed |

Milly, P. C. D., Betancourt, J., Falkenmark, M., Hirsch, R. M., Kundzewicz, Z. W., et al. (2008). Stationarity is dead: Whither water management? Science 319, 573–574.
| CrossRef | CAS | PubMed |

Molle, F. (2009). Water politics and river basin governance: repoliticizing approaches to river basin management. Water International 34, 62–70.
| CrossRef |

Murray–Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) (2006). Design and operation of Dartmouth Dam. Available at http://www2.mdbc.gov.au/rmw/river_murray_system/dartmouth_reservoir/design_and_operation_of_dartmouth_dam.html [accessed February 2010].

Murray Wetlands Working Group (Undated). ‘New South Wales Murray Wetlands Working Group.’ Available at http://www.mwwg.org.au/ [accessed 15 December 2009].

National Water Commission (NWC) (2009). ‘Australian Water Reform. 2nd Biennial Assessment of Progress in Implementation of the National Water Initiative. Chapter 1.’ Available at http://www.nwc.gov.au/resources/documents/2009_BA_chapter_1_water_planning.pdf [accessed 17 August 2010].

National Water Commission (NWC) (2010). Feasibility of implementing managed aquifer recharge (MAR) schemes for agricultural purposes, Australian Government National Water Commission. Available at http://www.nwc.gov.au/www/html/631-feasibility-of-implementing-mar-schemes-for-agricultural-purposes.asp?intSiteID=1 [accessed 18 August 2010].

Nilsson, C., Reidy, C. A., Dynesius, M., and Revenga, C. (2005). Fragmentation and flow regulation of the world’s large river systems. Science 308, 405–408.
| CrossRef | CAS | PubMed |

Opperman, J. J., Galloway, G. E., Fargione, J., Mount, J. F., Richter, B. D., et al. (2009). Sustainable floodplains through large-scale reconnection to rivers. Science 326, 1487–1488.
| CrossRef | CAS | PubMed |

Pahl-Wostl, C. (2007). Transitions toward adaptive management of water facing climate and global change. Water Resources Management 21, 49–62.
| CrossRef |

Palmer, M. A., Reidy Liermann, C. A., Nilsson, C., Flörke, M., Alcamo, J., et al. (2008). Climate change and the world’s river basins: anticipating management options. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 6, 81–89.
| CrossRef |

Pearsall, S. H., McCrodden, B. J., and Townsend, P. A. (2005). Adaptive management of flows in the lower Roanoke River, North Carolina, USA. Environmental Management 35, 353–367.
| CrossRef | PubMed |

Pittock, J., and Finlayson, M. (2011). Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin: freshwater ecosystem conservation options in an era of climate change. Marine and Freshwater Research 62, 232–243.
| CrossRef |

Pittock, J., and Hartmann, J. (2011). Taking a second look: climate change, periodic relicensing and improved management of dams. Marine and Freshwater Research 62, 312–320.
| CrossRef |

Poff, N. L., Allan, J. D., Bain, M. B., Karr, J. R., Prestegaard, K. L., et al. (1997). The natural flow regime: a paradigm for river conservation and restoration. BioScience 47, 769–784.
| CrossRef |

Postel, S., and Richter, B. (2003). ‘Rivers for Life: Managing Water for People and Nature.’ (Island Press: Washington, DC.)

Renofalt, B. M., Jansson, R., and Nilsson, C. (2010). Effects of hydropower generation and opportunities for environmental flow management in Swedish riverine ecosystems. Freshwater Biology 55, 49–67.
| CrossRef |

Richter, B. D., and Thomas, G. A. (2007). Restoring environmental flows by modifying dam operations. Ecology and Society 12. Available at http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol12/iss1/art12/ [accessed 3 June 2009].

Richter, B. D., Warner, A. T., Meyer, J. L., and Lutz, K. (2006). A collaborative and adaptive process for developing environmental flow recommendations. River Research and Applications 22, 297–318.
| CrossRef |

Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2009). Connecting biodiversity and climate change mitigation and adaptation: report of the second ad hoc technical expert group on biodiversity and climate change. Montreal, Technical Series No. 41. Available at https://www.cbd.int/doc/publications/cbd-ts-41-en.pdf [accessed 16 February 2010].

Silander, J., Vehviläinen, B., Niemi, J., Arosilta, A., Dubrovin, T., et al. (2006). Climate change adaptation for hydrology and water resources. FINADAPT working paper 6. Finnish Environment Institute Mimeographs 336, Helsinki, Finland.

Sommer, T., Harrell, B., Nobriga, M., Brown, R., Moyle, P., et al. (2001). California’s Yolo Bypass: evidence that flood control can be compatible with fisheries, wetlands, wildlife, and agriculture. Fisheries 26, 6–16.
| CrossRef |

South Florida Water Management District (2008). Aquifer storage and recovery program interim report. South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, FL, USA. Available at http://www.evergladesplan.org/pm/projects/project_docs/pdp_asr_combined/052808_asr_report/052808_asr_interim_rpt.pdf [accessed 13 January 2011].

Steinfeld, C., and Kingsford, R. T. (2008). Floodplain development and vegetation health on the Macquarie River floodplain of the Murray–Darling Basin. University of New South Wales, Sydney.

Tockner, K., and Stanford, J. A. (2002). Riverine floodplains: present state and future trends. Environmental Conservation 29, 308–330.
| CrossRef |

Viers, J. H., and Rheinheimer, D. E. (2011). Freshwater conservation options for a changing climate in California’s Sierra Nevada. Marine and Freshwater Research 62, 266–278.
| CrossRef |

Watts, R. J., Allan, C., Bowmer, K. H., Page, K. J., Ryder, D. S., et al. (2009). Pulsed flows: a review of environmental costs and benefits and best practice. Waterlines report no. 16. Australian Government National Water Commission. Available at http://www.nwc.gov.au/www/html/2376-pulsed-flows-no-16.asp?intSiteID=1 [accessed 18 August 2010].

Watts, R. J., Ryder, D. S., Allan, C., and Commens, S. (2010). Using river-scale experiments to inform variable flow releases from large dams: a case study of emergent adaptive management. Marine and Freshwater Research 61, 786–797.
| CrossRef | CAS |

World Commission on Dams (WCD) (2000). ‘Dams and Development: A New Framework for Decision-making.’ (Earthscan: London.)

Subscriber Login

	Username: Password:

Legal & Privacy | Contact Us | Help