Ecological Limits of Hydrologic Alteration in Wisconsin Streams

Groundwater withdrawal can significantly affect the flow regime of streams and rivers, but it is difficult to predict how hydrologic changes affect stream biological communities. Models that relate flow alteration to biological response are needed to assess whether proposed high-capacity wells will have a significant adverse impact on surface water resources.

Objectives

1. Delineate high-resolution watershed boundaries and assemble a database of stream and watershed characteristics for Wisconsin’s 1 :24,000-scale hydrography.
2. Develop hydrologic models that relate climate and landscape characteristics to temporal and spatial variation in stream flows across Wisconsin.
3. Develop statistical models that relate modeled hydrologic indicators to the measured occurrence and abundance of fish species in Wisconsin streams.
4. Develop a process for using fish-flow relationships to determine whether flow alterations will have a significant adverse impact on surface water resources.