Academic literature on the topic 'River-lake connectivity'

As an important water control strategy in the 21st century, interconnected river system network has been widely implemented in all parts of China. However, the possible ecological response mechanism which can be decided by the structure of rivers and the river-lake connectivity is still in the exploratory stage at present, especially in karst areas where the ecosystem is particularly fragile. Taking the Huangguoshu Waterfall-Wangerhe reservoir connection engineering in Dabang River Basin of Guizhou Province as an example, this paper collects the basic data of hydrometeorology, vegetation coverage and river water quality in the Dabang River Basin in the past 20 years, and study and analysis the connectivity of water system and the ecological factors based on GIS which include meteorological, terrestrial habitat and water environment before and after the completion of the Link Project. The results show that the implementation of the project not only changes the connectivity pattern of river and lake systems, but also has a significant impact on the hydrometeorology, terrestrial habitat and water environment. The increase of connectivity leads to the decrease of regional rainfall, evaporation and temperature year by year, while the vegetation coverage and water temperature show an annual upward trend. In addition, the water quality of the receiving area is better after the implementation of the river-lake link project, which does not bring water pollution risk to the receiving area.

The connectivity of the stream network plays an important role in water-mediated transport and river environments, which are threatened by the rugged development process in China. In this study, based on graph theory, a connectivity evaluation index system was built, which includes the Edge Connectivity, Edge-Node rate, Connectivity Reliability, and Edge Weight. The new evaluation standard and calculation method of each index is presented. The river-lake system of Fenhu industrial park in Jiangsu China is simplified to an Edge-Node graph and evaluated by the index system as a case study. The results indicate that the river-lake system of the research area has low Edge Connectivity, a high Edge-Node rate, and high reliability in the current connectivity level. In addition, the Edge Weight index of several channels does not satisfy the standard of the Basic Edge Weight. To solve the connectivity problems, specific project plans include broadening the unqualified channel and building canals linked with the low-connectivity lakes. The results show that, after the planning, the connectivity of the stream network in Fenhu industrial park will increase, and the connectivity evaluation index system is useful in the study area.

Lake water salinization in arid areas is a common problem and should be controlled for the better use of freshwater of lakes and for the protection of the environment around lakes. It is well known that the increasing of hydraulic connectivity improves water quality, but for a lake, understanding how hydraulic connectivity changes its water quality in terms of spatial aspects is of great significance for the protection and utilization of different regions of the lake water body. In this paper, the impacts of three connectivity scenarios on the spatial-temporal salinity changes in Bosten Lake were modeled through the three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamic model, Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC). The constructed Bosten Lake EFDC model was calibrated for water level, temperature, and salinity with acceptable results. As for the Bosten Lake, three connectivity scenarios were selected: (1) the increasing of the discharge water amount into the lake from the Kaidu River, (2) the transferring of 1 million cubic meter freshwater to the southwestern part of the lake (the Huangshuigou region of the lake), and (3) the changing of the outflow position from the southwestern part of the lake (the Kongque river) to the southeastern of the lake (the Caohu region). Through the simulations, we found that the region of the lake mainly influenced by the three scenarios presented here were different, and of the three scenarios, scenario 3 was the best means of controlling the overall lake salinity. On the basis of the salinity distribution results gained from the simulations, decision-makers can choose the ways to mitigate the salinity of the lake according to which region they want to improve the most in terms of economic efficiency and preserve in terms of ecological balance.

The study aims at determining which spawning sites are contributing to yellow perch (Perca flavescens) juveniles’ recruitment in Lake Saint-Pierre (St. Lawrence River, Canada). We expect to highlight new management perspectives. Thus, we investigated both natal origin and connectivity processes for young of the year prior to their first winter. Otolith chemical composition was measured at larval and juvenile stages using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Five spawning sites were sampled and discriminated using a three-elemental model (manganese, barium, strontium). Results showed that (i) all within-lake sites contributed similarly to juvenile production and (ii) production results from both local recruitment and lake-wide connectivity processes. The study suggests fish management should include an overall evaluation of the lake-wide recruitment. Both local and widespread actions are required, depending on the level of connectivity in the lake, which plays a central role in shaping the spatial pattern of recruitment. Finally, otolith microchemistry proves to be an efficient tool for freshwater fish managers to evaluate both natal origin and connectivity in heterogeneous aquatic ecosystems.

Discerning population genetic structure is challenging for highly vagile open water animals, as contemporary gene flow may obscure historic phylogeographic patterns. We examined genetic variation among all 10 major river and reef spawning groups of walleye (Sander vitreus vitreus) in Lake Erie for evidence of isolation by distance, segregation by physiographic partitions, and natal site fidelity using 10 nuclear DNA microsatellite loci. Results revealed that although most spawning groups were distinguishable, relationships did not correspond with physiographic basins or distances among localities. Bayesian analyses showed connectivity among some southern shore spawning groups, which included the largest-sized groups. Significant genetic divergence was discerned among walleye spawning in the river systems of eastern Lake Erie, as well as in two sites in western Lake Erie, along with marked isolation from Lake St. Clair. Population structure of Lake Erie walleye thus appears to reflect the interaction of two different intrinsic factors: isolation due to natal site fidelity that maintains patterns of divergence, and connectivity due to individuals that stray from their natal sites to spawn.

Ability to quantify connectivity among spawning subpopulations and their relative contribution of recruits to the broader population is a critical fisheries management need. By combining microsatellite and age information from larval yellow perch (Perca flavescens) collected in the Lake St. Clair – Detroit River system (SC-DRS) and western Lake Erie with a hydrodynamic backtracking approach, we quantified subpopulation structure, connectivity, and contributions of recruits to the juvenile stage in western Lake Erie during 2006–2007. After finding weak (yet stable) genetic structure between the SC-DRS and two western Lake Erie subpopulations, microsatellites also revealed measurable recruitment of SC-DRS larvae to the juvenile stage in western Lake Erie (17%–21% during 2006–2007). Consideration of precollection larval dispersal trajectories, using hydrodynamic backtracking, increased estimated contributions to 65% in 2006 and 57% in 2007. Our findings highlight the value of complementing subpopulation discrimination methods with hydrodynamic predictions of larval dispersal by revealing the SC-DRS as a source of recruits to western Lake Erie and also showing that connectivity through larval dispersal can affect the structure and dynamics of large lake fish populations.

In this paper, Zhushan Bay watershed to the northwest of Lake Taihu was selected as the research area. Taking the developed river-lake connectivity and frequent exchange of pollutants into consideration, we put forward a calculation method of water environment carrying capacity (WECC) for river network based on multiple objectives of water quality reaching standard in river environment function zones and control sections, concentration profile constraint of sewage outlet. According to the proposed method, we calculated the watershed WECC, assigned to each control unit, and quantitatively analyzed the reductions and reduction rate of pollutants under the condition of total amount of each pollutant of control unit reach water quality standards. The results showed that: The pollution loads of each pollutant in Zhushan Bay watershed were greater than WECC. The reduction of COD, NH3-N, TN and TP is 834.4 tons, 226.1 tons, 724.8 tons and 108.9 tons, and the reduction rate of COD, NH3-N, TN and TP is 13.8%, 36.5%, 55.2% and 73.4%, respectively. This paper plays a guiding role in the research of total amount control of river network in Zhushan Bay watershed, and provides important references for total amount control of similar river-lake region.

A river lateral lake (Coqueiral Lake marginal to Paranapanema River in its mouth zone into Jurumirim Reservoir, São Paulo, Brazil) presented fragmentation into four small isolated bodies of water during a prolonged drought period, disrupting the link with the river. The aim of this work was to compare the temporal modifications on zooplankton community structure (total abundance, species richness, and diversity) in the four water bodies. Zooplankton samplings and abiotic factor measurements were made in two periods - during isolation phase of the lake in relation to river and after re-establishment of hydrologic connectivity. A concentration effect on zooplankton abundance was recorded with drought progression, but without significant modifications in species richness and diversity. When the river inundation pulse occurred, a reduction in total zooplankton density was observed due to the dilution effect and a significant increase in species richness and diversity was recorded. Lateral water influx from the river to the lacustrine environment acts as a temporary disturbance factor on the zooplankton community structure. Zooplankton species composition presented some modifications between the two periods. Zooplankton organism drift in water from the river to the lake, removal of individuals from the aquatic macrophytes, and eclosion of resting eggs from sediment are probable factors that can increase zooplankton species richness immediately after lateral pulse inundation with water by the river.

Abstract:A number of studies have pointed out that abiotic factors and recolonization dynamics appear to be more important than biotic interactions in structuring river–fish assemblages. In this paper, we studied the fish assemblages in 27 floodplain lakes, with perennial connection to the river, in the middle section of the Magdalena River (Colombia), to examine spatial pattern in freshwater fish diversity in relation to some environmental parameters. Our objective was to examine relationships between floodplain-lake fish communities and environmental variables associated with lake morphology, water chemistry and river–floodplain connectivity in a large river–floodplain ecosystem. During the study, a total of 18 237 fish were caught from 50 species (regional richness; 17 were migrants and 33 residents). In the present study, the most diverse order was Characiformes with 20 species, followed by Siluriformes, with 19 species. Characidae and Loricaridae were the richest families. The range of species richness (local richness) varied between five and 39 species. Similarity of local assemblages (using the presence–absence data) depends on the distance between lakes. A positive relationship was observed between the Ln of the total abundance of each species and the number of lakes where they were found. Out of all the environmental parameters taken in the lakes, only the size (Log Area) and relative perimeter length are significantly related to local assemblage species richness. It has not been possible to demonstrate that the connectivity (distance) from lakes to the main river can be considered a predictor of the local richness.

Gewässer werden traditionellerweise als abgeschlossene Ökosysteme gesehen, und insbeson¬dere das Zirkulieren von Wasser und Nährstoffen im Pelagial von Seen wird als Beispiel dafür angeführt. Allerdings wurden in der jüngeren Vergangenheit wichtige Verknüpfungen des Freiwasserkörpers von Gewässern aufgezeigt, die einerseits mit dem Benthal und andererseits mit dem Litoral, der terrestrischen Uferzone und ihrem Einzugsgebiet bestehen. Dadurch hat in den vergangen Jahren die horizontale und vertikale Konnektivität der Gewässerökosysteme erhöhtes wissenschaftliches Interesse auf sich gezogen, und damit auch die ökologischen Funktionen des Gewässergrunds (Benthal) und der Uferzonen (Litoral). Aus der neu beschriebenen Konnektivität innerhalb und zwischen diesen Lebensräumen ergeben sich weitreichende Konsequenzen für unser Bild von der Funktionalität der Gewässer. In der vorliegenden Habilitationsschrift wird am Beispiel von Fließgewässern und Seen des nordostdeutschen Flachlandes eine Reihe von internen und externen funktionalen Verknüpfungen in den horizontalen und vertikalen räumlichen Dimensionen aufgezeigt. Die zugrunde liegenden Untersuchungen umfassten zumeist sowohl abiotische als auch biologische Variablen, und umfassten thematisch, methodisch und hinsichtlich der Untersuchungsgewässer ein breites Spektrum. Dabei wurden in Labor- und Feldexperimenten sowie durch quantitative Feldmes¬sungen ökologischer Schlüsselprozesse wie Nährstoffretention, Kohlenstoffumsatz, extrazellu¬läre Enzymaktivität und Ressourcenweitergabe in Nahrungsnetzen (mittels Stabilisotopen¬methode) untersucht. In Bezug auf Fließgewässer wurden dadurch wesentliche Erkenntnisse hinsichtlich der Wirkung einer durch Konnekticität geprägten Hydromorphologie auf die die aquatische Biodiversität und die benthisch-pelagische Kopplung erbracht, die wiederum einen Schlüsselprozess darstellt für die Retention von in der fließenden Welle transportierten Stoffen, und damit letztlich für die Produktivität eines Flussabschnitts. Das Litoral von Seen wurde in Mitteleuropa jahrzehntelang kaum untersucht, so dass die durchgeführten Untersuchungen zur Gemeinschaftsstruktur, Habitatpräferenzen und Nahrungs¬netzverknüpfungen des eulitoralen Makrozoobenthos grundlegend neue Erkenntnisse erbrach¬ten, die auch unmittelbar in Ansätze zur ökologischen Bewertung von Seeufern gemäß EG-Wasserrahmenrichtlinie eingehen. Es konnte somit gezeigt werden, dass die Intensität sowohl die internen als auch der externen ökologischen Konnektivität durch die Hydrologie und Morphologie der Gewässer sowie durch die Verfügbarkeit von Nährstoffen wesentlich beeinflusst wird, die auf diese Weise vielfach die ökologische Funktionalität der Gewässer prägen. Dabei trägt die vertikale oder horizontale Konnektivität zur Stabilisierung der beteiligten Ökosysteme bei, indem sie den Austausch ermöglicht von Pflanzennährstoffen, von Biomasse sowie von migrierenden Organismen, wodurch Phasen des Ressourcenmangels überbrückt werden. Diese Ergebnisse können im Rahmen der Bewirtschaftung von Gewässern dahingehend genutzt werden, dass die Gewährleistung horizontaler und vertikaler Konnektivität in der Regel mit räumlich komplexeren, diverseren, zeitlich und strukturell resilienteren sowie leistungsfähi¬geren Ökosystemen einhergeht, die somit intensiver und sicherer nachhaltig genutzt werden können. Die Nutzung einer kleinen Auswahl von Ökosystemleistungen der Flüsse und Seen durch den Menschen hat oftmals zu einer starken Reduktion der ökologischen Konnektivität, und in der Folge zu starken Verlusten bei anderen Ökosystemleistungen geführt. Die Ergebnisse der dargestellten Forschungen zeigen auch, dass die Entwicklung und Implementierung von Strategien zum integrierten Management von komplexen sozial-ökologischen Systemen wesentlich unterstützt werden kann, wenn die horizontale und vertikale Konnektivität gezielt entwickelt wird.
Surface waters are seen traditionally as closed ecosystems, and the recirculation of water and nutrients in the pelagic zone of lakes is cited as an example fort his. However, recently important linkages have been demonstrated between the pelagic zone on one side, and the benthic and the littoral zones, the terrestrial shore area and the catchment on the other side. Therby, the horizontal and vertical connectivity of aquatic ecosystems has attracted intense scientific interest, and together with this the ecological functions of the bottom zone (benthic zone) and of the shore zone (littoral zone), too. From this newly described connectivity far-reaching consequences arise for our picture of the functionality of surface waters. In this habilitation thesis a number of internal and external functional linkages are depicted in the horizontal and vertical spatial dimensions, as exemplified by running waters and lakes of the north-east German lowlands. The underlying studies mostly comprised both abiotic and biotic variables, and a broad range of topics, methods and studied surface waters. Thereby, experiments in the lab and the field, as well as quantitative field measurements were used to investigate ecological key processes as nutrient retention, carbon dynamics, extracellular enzyme activity, and resource transfer in food webs (using stabile isotope technique). In respect to running waters this resulted in substantial insights into the effects of a hydromorphology exhibiting intense connectivity on aquatic biodiversity and benthic-pelagic coupling, which represents a key process for the retention of transported matter, and thus for the productivity of a river section. The littoral zone of lakes has hardly been studied in Central Europe for several decades. Thus, the results on community structure, habitat preference and food web linkages of eulittoral macrozoobenthos enabled fundamentally new insights, which can directly be used within approaches for the ecological assessment of lake shores according to the EU Water Framework Directive. Research results show that the development and implementation of strategies for an integrated management of complex social-ecological systems may be substantially underpinned by targeted development of horizontal and vertical connectivity.

L'hydrologie continentale s'intéresse à tous les aspects du cycle de l'eau des terres émergées et représente les flux de masse d'eau qui sont échangées. Que ce soit dans le sous-sol, au sein des lacs ou dans le brassage continu des torrents, l'eau et les processus hydrologiques associés entretiennent un lien direct avec la dynamique atmosphérique et la variabilité climatique. La représentation, à l'échelle globale, de ces processus hydrologiques s'appuie sur des techniques de modélisation qui, au CNRM, passent par un système couplé composé du modèle de surface ISBA et du modèle de routage en rivière CTRIP. Ces dernières années, les progrès réalisés sur les paramétrisations existantes et la représentation des nouveaux processus dans ISBA comme dans CTRIP ont abouti à une nette amélioration des performances de ce système pour des applications hydrologiques régionales ou globales couplées avec un modèle de climat. Dans la continuité de ces efforts, l'objectif principal de cette thèse est de développer une paramétrisation dynamique des lacs pour intégrer leur bilan de masse dans le modèle global CTRIP à 1/12°. Par ailleurs, le modèle développé, MLake, propose un diagnostic sur le marnage des lacs afin de permettre le suivi du niveau d'eau basé sur des mesures satellitaires. Bénéficiant d'un réseau de mesures dense et de forçages climatiques à haute résolution, le bassin versant du Rhône a été choisi pour évaluer localement MLake sur la période 1960-2016. Les résultats sur trois stations de jaugeages montrent une progression nette des performances de CTRIP dans la simulation des débits du Rhône aboutissant à un lissage des hydrographes qui se caractérise par un écrêtement des débits de crues et un soutien à l'étiage. Par ailleurs, la confrontation du diagnostic sur les niveaux d'eau du Léman avec des mesures locales révèle une capacité du modèle à suivre les cycle annuels et inter-annuels du marnage. Une deuxième évaluation s'est ensuite portée à l'échelle globale pour confirmer le comportement du modèle dans des conditions hydroclimatiques contrastées. Cette évaluation confirme la capacité du modèle à simuler des débits réalistes mais révèle la perturbation importante du cycle hydrologique naturel par l'anthropisation. Enfin les résultats préliminaires d'une simulation globale démontre l'intérêt d'utiliser MLake avec une amélioration systématique des scores dans les zones de grande densité lacustre. Ainsi, 45% des stations évaluées, principalement dans les régions arctiques, présentent une amélioration des scores statistiques. Enfin, cette étude engage une réflexion sur les perspectives d'améliorations du modèle, notamment la mise en place d'une bathymétrie de lac à l'échelle globale, en vue d'un couplage avec un modèle de climat et de l'utilisation des données de la future mission spatiale SWOT
The water cycle encompasses the main processes related to mass fluxes that influence the atmosphere and climate variability. More specifically, continental hydrology refers to the water transfer occurring at the land surface and sub-surface. Modelling is one of the main methods used for the representation of these processes at regional to global scales. The land surface model system used in this thesis is composed of the ISBA land surface model coupled to the river routing model TRIP that combines the CNRM’s latest developments for use in stand-alone hydrological applications or coupled to a climate model. This PhD is focused on the development and evaluation of lake mass-balance dynamics and water level diagnostics using a new non-calibrated model called MLake which has been incorporated into the 1/12° version of the CTRIP model. Simulated river flows forced by high resolution hydrometeorological forcings are evaluated for the Rhone river basin against in situ observations coming from three river gauges over the period 1960-2016. Results reveal the positive contribution of MLake in simulating Rhone discharge and in representing the lake buffer effects on peak discharge. Moreover, the evaluation of the simulated and observed water level variations show the ability of MLake to reproduce the natural seasonal and interannual cycles. Based on the same framework, a final evaluation was conducted in order to assess the value of the non-calibrated MLake model for global hydrological applications. The results confirmed the capability of the model to simulate realistic river discharges worldwide. At 45% of the river gauge stations, which are mostly located within regions of high lake density, the new model resulted in improved simulated river discharge. The results also highlighted the strong effect of anthropization on the alterations of river dynamics, and the need for a global representation of human-impacted flows in the model. This study has lead to several future perspectives, such as the incorporation of a parametrization of lake hypsometry for use at global scale. The implementation of such developments will improve the representation of vertical water dynamics and facilitate both the coupling of MLake within the CNRM earth system model framework and the future spatial mission SWOT for improved future global hydrological and water resource projections

<em>Abstract</em>.—The Yangtze (Changjiang) River floodplain is one of the most important ecosystems in China, as well as in the world, but is seriously threatened by multiple factors. Thus, it is crucial and urgent to rehabilitate the river floodplain. This paper reviews ecological studies conducted on the Yangtze River floodplain and presents suggestions for conservation and rehabilitation. First, the Yangtze River system is briefly introduced. Formed 23 million years ago, the Yangtze River is ca. 6,300 km in length with a mean annual runoff of 9.6 × 10¹¹ m³. Thousands of floodplain lakes are distributed along the mid-lower Yangtze River, and the total area remains 15,770 km² at present. Such a river-lake complex ecosystem holds a unique and diverse biota, with ca. 400 hydrophytes and hygrophytes, ca. 170 mollusks, ca. 200 fishes, ca. 400 water birds, and endangered dolphins and porpoises. Second, main threats to the Yangtze River floodplain ecosystem are identified: (1) habitat loss, including river channelization, sharp shrinkage of lake area (ca. 10,000 km² since the 1950s), degradation of lakeshore zones, and sand overmining; (2) alternations of hydrological regimes, including construction of ca. 47,000 reservoirs in the whole basin and disconnection of most floodplain lakes from the main stem; (3) water pollution, including eutrophication, heavy metals, and organic pollutants; and (4) overexploitation of biological resources, including overfishing and intensive pen culture. Third, effects of river–lake disconnection on lake ecosystems are summarized on the basis of our studies in the past 20 years. It was found that (1) disconnection is one of the main causes of lake eutrophication; (2) species diversity, biomass, and production of macrophytes and macrobenthos reach maxima at some levels of intermediate river connectivity; (3) disconnection greatly reduces fish species richness of each habitat guild, and natural fish larvae is severely depleted; and (4) disconnection simplifies macroinvertebrate food web structure, and the trophic basis of the simplified food web is more heavily dependent on detritus in disconnected lakes. Last, conservation strategies are proposed. Since the Yangtze River floodplain is a huge integrated system, the biodiversity conservation must be conducted on the whole basin scale. By establishing species–area models of fishes, the minimum protected area of Yangtze-connected lakes is estimated to be ca. 14,400 km². It means that at least 8,900 km² of disconnected lakes should be reconnected with the Yangtze main stem, and ecohydrological operation of dams and sluices is the feasible approach. Based upon our preliminary studies on environmental flow requirements, the following measures are suggested: (1) lower water levels during spring to improve germination of macrophytes, and control rising rates of water levels during spring–summer to ensure development of macrophytes; and (2) open sluice gates to restore migration routes for juveniles migrating into lakes during April–September and for adults migrating back to the Yangtze main stem during November–December.

<em>Abstract</em>.—Paddlefish <em>Polyodon spathula </em>vanished from areas of the upper Tombigbee River basin in Mississippi and Alabama during the 1950s, long before channelization and damming associated with construction of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway (TTW) were completed in 1984. This study was undertaken to assess distribution and population dynamics of any remaining stock. Paddlefish were not captured in upstream impoundments, but an unexploited remnant population was located in the downstream impoundment: Demopolis Lake, Alabama. Paddlefish in Demopolis Lake were characterized by a population density of 2.6 fish/ha, high growth rate relative to more northern populations, and natural annual mortality rate (<em>A </em>= 0.406) similar to other southern populations. Two wintering habitats (cutoff bendways) were heavily utilized by paddlefish. Large males primarily inhabited the more lotic bendway while females and small males were more common in the more lentic bendway, indicating differential importance of habitats among demographic groups. The restricted distribution of TTW paddlefish and demographic differences between habitats suggest that areas heavily utilized by paddlefish should be protected from further degradation. Sedimentation has resulted in reductions of bendway depth and reduced connectivity of backwaters, reducing availability of suitable paddlefish habitat. Restoring connectivity of bendways through dredging could reverse this trend and provide other benefits to fisheries.

<em>Abstract</em>.—While processes of depositional filling and ecological succession in natural lakes have been well described, these concepts are relatively new and seldom applied to reservoirs, especially at the landscape scale. However, ecological time has been sufficient to allow us to see successional processes in many reservoir systems. Illustrative of such processes, Lake Texoma is a 36,000-ha reservoir located in southern Oklahoma and northern Texas, and patterns of depositional filling and subsequent processes are apparent in the up-lake ends (there are two large-river tributaries) of this system. Completed in 1944, Lake Texoma has a drainage area of more than100,000 km2, most of which is highly erodable agricultural lands. We used historic aerial photographs, geographic information systems technology, and field measurements to examine a variety of surface and habitat features and analyzed experimental gill-net samples using ordination techniques to characterize the fish communities in portions of the reservoir most affected by sedimentation. Extensive sedimentation and accretion of sediments above water level has effectively resulted in surface area reduction, cove isolation, fragmentation of lacustrine habitats, morphometric changes, and establishment of terrestrial vegetation on newly deposited lands. Most notably, sedimentation has led to the development of linear bars of deposition above normal pool elevation that have blocked mouths of coves, bisected large areas of the reservoir, and fragmented several pools. In our study site alone, 332 ha (surface area) of reservoir has experienced accretion of land above the water level. Reservoir fragments had lower shoreline development values (mean = 2.21) than comparable control sites (mean = 3.39). Depositional shorelines associated with sedimentation exhibited lower gradients than nondepositional shorelines (mean = 2.0% versus 4.2%, respectively), and habitat heterogeneity was lower along depositional shorelines than along nondepositional shorelines. Fish communities in isolated reservoir fragments appeared to be distinct from fish communities in nonfragmented habitats. This change in community structure may be driven by an appreciable reduction of pelagic species from fragmented sites, as these sites have limited or no connectivity to the main body of the reservoir. With respect to the newly deposited lands, ecological succession of vegetation followed a progression from mud flats to dense, nearly monotypic stands of black willow Salix nigra forests within a few years. These habitat changes had strong implications to the fish communities as well as to adjacent terrestrial wildlife communities and will likely pose many challenges, and perhaps opportunities, for natural resource managers.

The Southeast Coast Network (SECN) Wadeable Stream Habitat Monitoring Protocol collects data to give park resource managers insight into the status of and trends in stream and near-channel habitat conditions (McDonald et al. 2018a). Wadeable stream monitoring is currently implemented at the five SECN inland parks with wadeable streams. These parks include Horseshoe Bend National Military Park (HOBE), Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (KEMO), Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park (OCMU), Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CHAT), and Congaree National Park (CONG). Streams at Congaree National Park chosen for monitoring were specifically targeted for management interest (e.g., upstream development and land use change, visitor use of streams as canoe trails, and potential social walking trail erosion) or to provide a context for similar-sized stream(s) within the park or network (McDonald and Starkey 2018a). The objectives of the SECN wadeable stream habitat monitoring protocol are to: Determine status of upstream watershed characteristics (basin morphology) and trends in land cover that may affect stream habitat, Determine the status of and trends in benthic and near-channel habitat in selected wadeable stream reaches (e.g., bed sediment, geomorphic channel units, and large woody debris), Determine the status of and trends in cross-sectional morphology, longitudinal gradient, and sinuosity of selected wadeable stream reaches. Between June 11 and 14, 2018, data were collected at Congaree National Park to characterize the in-stream and near-channel habitat within stream reaches on Cedar Creek (CONG001, CONG002, and CONG003) and McKenzie Creek (CONG004). These data, along with the analysis of remotely sensed geographic information system (GIS) data, are presented in this report to describe and compare the watershed-, reach-, and transect-scale characteristics of these four stream reaches to each other and to selected similar-sized stream reaches at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, and Chattahoochee National Recreation Area. Surveyed stream reaches at Congaree NP were compared to those previously surveyed in other parks in order to provide regional context and aid in interpretation of results. edar Creek’s watershed (CONG001, CONG002, and CONG003) drains nearly 200 square kilometers (77.22 square miles [mi2]) of the Congaree River Valley Terrace complex and upper Coastal Plain to the north of the park (Shelley 2007a, 2007b). Cedar Creek’s watershed has low slope and is covered mainly by forests and grasslands. Cedar Creek is designated an “Outstanding Resource Water” by the state of South Carolina (S.C. Code Regs. 61–68 [2014] and S.C. Code Regs. 61–69 [2012]) from the boundary of the park downstream to Wise Lake. Cedar Creek ‘upstream’ (CONG001) is located just downstream (south) of the park’s Bannister Bridge canoe landing, which is located off Old Bluff Road and south of the confluence with Meyers Creek. Cedar Creek ‘middle’ and Cedar Creek ‘downstream’ (CONG002 and CONG003, respectively) are located downstream of Cedar Creek ‘upstream’ where Cedar Creek flows into the relatively flat backswamp of the Congaree River flood plain. Based on the geomorphic and land cover characteristics of the watershed, monitored reaches on Cedar Creek are likely to flood often and drain slowly. Flooding is more likely at Cedar Creek ‘middle’ and Cedar Creek ‘downstream’ than at Cedar Creek ‘upstream.’ This is due to the higher (relative to CONG001) connectivity between the channels of the lower reaches and their out-of-channel areas. Based on bed sediment characteristics, the heterogeneity of geomorphic channel units (GCUs) within each reach, and the abundance of large woody debris (LWD), in-stream habitat within each of the surveyed reaches on Cedar Creek (CONG001–003) was classified as ‘fair to good.’ Although, there is extensive evidence of animal activity...