Environmental Flows for the Huron River System (2014)
- Zhenyue Duan, MS Environmental Informatics
- Chuck McDowell, MS Conservation Ecology
- V.M. Summer Roberts, MS Conservation Ecology
- Yu-Chen Wang, MS Environmental Informatics
- Xin Xu, MS Conservation Ecology
Decisions are being made every day by water managers on the Huron River system that are based on slivers of information available to them. Dam operators, county commissioners, state natural resource and permitting staff, fly fishers and the fish they seek all are affected by stream flows. The Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC) is seeking an environmental flows plan for the river system that engages key partners and leads to restoration of a more natural flow regime.
The hydrologic regime of a river is a critical component of the system's ecology. Hydrologic alteration in the Huron River system drives impairments such as hyper-eutrophication, suspended sediment, increased stream temperatures, and even dewatering. As such, it is viewed as one of the top two threats to the Huron River system's integrity. In a highly regulated river like the Huron, restoration of key elements of the natural hydrologic regime can mitigate some of the impacts of flow regulation and restore function.
Establishing environmental flows requires a look at the ecology of the system, understanding the current management of the river and reviewing local, state and federal policies that govern that management. Ultimately, water resource managers on the Huron River system need to be better prepared and able to address existing hydrologic threats and respond to their exacerbation from climate change. Furthermore, efforts toward establishing environmental flows in the Huron will have implications for watersheds throughout Michigan and, potentially, the Great Lakes basin.
The Huron River and its reservoirs are very popular for water-based recreation, both active and passive forms, in southeastern Michigan. The watershed contains two-thirds of all public recreation land in this part of the Lower Peninsula. Naturally, recreational interests (lake association, boaters, anglers, and so on) play an important role in conversations about environmental flows and balancing competing interests.
HRWC Staff are available to discuss examples of projects that may be helpful such as the NOAA/Sea Grant-funded "Integrative Assessment to Restore a Natural Flow Regime in the Clinton River Watershed," HRWC's "Making Climate-Resilient Communities through a Watershed Approach," and The Nature Conservancy's "Ecologically Sustainable Water Management" process.
- Ability to conduct independent research including one-on-one interviews, literature review and gap assessment
- Analytical skills, including watershed hydrology modeling and GIS Arc10
- Familiarity with water law (e.g., Lake Level Control Act, Michigan Drain Code, Clean Water Act)
- Aquatic ecology/fisheries/hydrology
- Public speaking skills
- Conflict management skills
Students will be exposed to key players in regional, state and national fresh water resource protection through this project. Potential partners include The Nature Conservancy, Michigan Chapter and the Global Freshwater Program; the Michigan Sea Grant; NOAA/GLERL; the Michigan Department of Natural Resources; the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality; USGS; environmental engineering and planning consultants; the Michigan Stream Team; and many local and county units of government and public entities.
Students will strengthen their presentation skills by creating a well-developed presentation to State-level staff and policymakers with recommendations for policy changes. Additional venues will be identified with the students and their advisor for public speaking to various types of audiences. They will gain experience in identifying funding opportunities and developing grant proposals.
Students will contribute to a significant piece of watershed management through this project in at least one way. The students will collect information that will help form the basis for determining flow-based Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) in Michigan. To date, the MDEQ has not developed TMDLs that explicitly identify altered flows as the impairment to river ecology as several other states and regions of the US EPA have done already.
- HRWC: contribution of staff time for regular input and on-going support to the master's team
- Potential grant funding developed by HRWC staff and students
- Comprehensive environmental flows plan in a river system
- Hydrologic model characterizing the natural flow regime for the Huron River
- General knowledge of the watershed's residents and project stakeholders of the benefits of restoring a more natural flow regime in the Huron River
- Recommendations to the watershed's communities and major public land owners in ways to mitigate impact of the altered flow regime
- Recommendations to HRWC and others on restoration projects they could undertake
- Recommendations to the county water resources and drain commissioners on how courtordered regulations might be altered to attempt to restore a more natural flow regime
- Recommendations to state DEQ and local municipalities for hydrology-based TMDL implementation
- Presentations to a variety of stakeholder to share outcomes and recommendations