Review of the effects of in-stream pipeline crossing construction on aquatic ecosystems and examination of Canadian methodologies for impact assessment

Pipeline crossing construction alters river and stream channels, hence may have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems. This review examines the effects of crossing construction on fish and fish habitat in rivers and streams, and recommends an approach to monitoring and assessment of impacts associated with these activities. Pipeline crossing construction is shown to not only compromise the integrity of the physical and chemical nature of fish habitat, but also to affect biological habitat (e.g., benthic invertebrates and invertebrate drift), and fish behavior and physiology. Indicators of effect include: water quality (total suspended solids TSS), physical habitat (substrate particle size, channel morphology), benthic invertebrate community structure and drift (abundance, species composition, diversity, standing crop), and fish behavior and physiology (hierarchy, feeding, respiration rate, loss of equilibrium, blood hematocrit and leukocrit levels, heart rate and stroke volume). The Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) approach, which is often applied in Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM), is recommended as a basis for impact assessment, as is consideration of site-specific sensitivities, assessment of significance, and cumulative effects.     

Dams in the Amazon: Belo Monte and Brazil’s Hydroelectric Development of the Xingu River Basin

Hydroelectric dams represent major investments and major sources of environmental and social impacts. Powerful forces surround the decision-making process on public investments in the various options for the generation and conservation of electricity. Brazil’s proposed Belo Monte Dam (formerly Kararaô) and its upstream counterpart, the Altamira Dam (better known by its former name of Babaquara) are at the center of controversies on the decision-making process for major infrastructure projects in Amazonia. The Belo Monte Dam by itself would have a small reservoir area (440 km²) and large installed capacity (11, 181.3 MW), but the Altamira/Babaquara Dam that would regulate the flow of the Xingu River (thereby increasing power generation at Belo Monte) would flood a vast area (6140 km²). The great impact of dams provides a powerful reason for Brazil to reassess its current policies that allocate large amounts of energy in the country’s national grid to subsidized aluminum smelting for export. The case of Belo Monte and the five additional dams planned upstream (including the Altamira/Babaquara Dam) indicate the need for Brazil to reform its environmental assessment and licensing system to include the impacts of multiple interdependent projects.     

澜沧江梯级水坝库区沉积物重金属和营养盐污染特征及评价

为研究梯级水坝运行条件下沉积物中重金属和营养盐的污染状况,于2016年对澜沧江漫湾和大朝山梯级水坝库区表层沉积物中重金属(As、Cd、Cr、Cu、Pb和Zn)和营养盐(总有机碳TOC、总氮TN)的污染特征展开了调查,并采用潜在生态风险指数(RI)、有机指数(OI)、有机氮百分数(ONP)、TOC/TN和Pearson相关分析评价了梯级水坝库区沉积物污染状况及空间分布特征.结果表明,沿着库区河流纵向梯度,重金属和营养盐污染均表现为坝前静水区相对较高的空间分布格局.重金属潜在生态风险指数(RI)评价结果表明,上游漫湾库区重金属生态风险(I～III级)总体高于下游大朝山库区(I～II级);而营养盐污染程度则表现为下游大朝山库区高于上游漫湾库区的分布格局.两库区沉积物有机质主要由水库水体产生,漫湾库区坝前静水区雨季有机质来源主要为陆源.Pearson相关分析表明,沉积物重金属生态风险与营养盐污染的来源具有一定的空间差异性.梯级水坝工程对沉积物的重金属和营养盐污染具有显著的累积和拦截效应.     

乌江梯级筑坝对河流碳酸氢根的影响机制

梯级筑坝显著改变了河流碳的生物地球化学循环。为了了解梯级筑坝对河流HCO_3~-的影响,本文对乌江中上游梯级水库的HCO_3~-浓度、溶解无机碳同位素(δ~(13)CDIC)及相关的环境参数进行了长时间跨度的分析。乌江中上游梯级水库-河流体系HCO_3~-浓度为1 42154～3 38752μmol/L,平均值为2 36321μmol/L;δ~(13)CDIC为-1066‰～-452‰,平均值为-854‰;梯级筑坝导致河流具有下游HCO_3~-浓度升高的变化趋势。河流筑坝发电,易形成峡谷型深水水库。碳同位素证据和相关性分析表明,上层的光合作用和下层的呼吸作用成为控制发电水库碳循环的主要因素。这导致HCO_3~-浓度在水库剖面上呈现出由上层至下层逐渐增高的变化规律,再加上水库底层泄水的发电方式,最终导致梯级筑坝河流下游HCO_3~-浓度逐渐升高。本研究将加深梯级筑坝对河流碳循环影响机理的理解。     

关于生态补偿机制基本法律问题研究--以三江源国家级自然保护区生物多样性保护为例

本文以现代生态法文化观念为理论导引,在对传统生态法理论进行检视和对三江源区的生物多样性保护与生态裣机制进行尝试考评的基础上,以理论分析与实证调研相结合的方法,提出了具有建设性和可行性的法律对策。     

Minimizing opportunity costs to aquatic connectivity restoration while controlling an invasive species

Controlling invasive species is critical for conservation but can have unintended consequences for native species and divert resources away from other efforts. This dilemma occurs on a grand scale in the North American Great Lakes, where dams and culverts block tributary access to habitat of desirable fish species and are a lynchpin of long‐standing efforts to limit ecological damage inflicted by the invasive, parasitic sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus). Habitat restoration and sea‐lamprey control create conflicting goals for managing aging infrastructure. We used optimization to minimize opportunity costs of habitat gains for 37 desirable migratory fishes that arose from restricting sea lamprey access (0–25% increase) when selecting barriers for removal under a limited budget (US$1–105 million). Imposing limits on sea lamprey habitat reduced gains in tributary access for desirable species by 15–50% relative to an unconstrained scenario. Additional investment to offset the effect of limiting sea‐lamprey access resulted in high opportunity costs for 30 of 37 species (e.g., an additional US$20–80 million for lake sturgeon [Acipenser fulvescens]) and often required ≥5% increase in sea‐lamprey access to identify barrier‐removal solutions adhering to the budget and limiting access. Narrowly distributed species exhibited the highest opportunity costs but benefited more at less cost when small increases in sea‐lamprey access were allowed. Our results illustrate the value of optimization in limiting opportunity costs when balancing invasion control against restoration benefits for diverse desirable species. Such trade‐off analyses are essential to the restoration of connectivity within fragmented rivers without unleashing invaders.     

基于底栖动物群落特征的再生水回用河道环境质量评价

为更加全面地分析污水处理厂再生水回用于城市河道的生态安全性并评价其生境状态,该研究在宁波市某再生水回用河道的生态修复段进行了水质监测和底栖动物采样调查,通过计算Wright指数和综合水质标识指数对研究河段水质状况进行了分级评价。结果表明,再生水输入河道生态修复段后,河道常规水质指标稳定达到水环境功能区目标,Wright指数与其他自然水体相比也无明显差异。底栖动物指数与常规水质指标相结合的评价方法,可为再生水回用于景观河道的生态效应提供更为全面、合理的评价依据。     

Phosphorus species and fractionation--why sewage derived phosphorus is a problem

Phosphorus (P) inputs to sewage treatment works (STW) come from a variety of sources and filtration of treated wastewater prior to discharge into receiving waters is a common practice. This means P in treated wastewaters may be present in forms that are potentially more bioavailable and mobile. We conducted a 2-year study to determine P species up and downstream of two STW outfalls into two tributaries of the River Thames. Downstream of the outfalls, P concentrations in both rivers were frequently greater by an order of magnitude for all species of P. A high proportion of total P (TP) in the downstream waters was determined as dissolved, which was largely comprised of soluble reactive P (SRP) - considered as the most bioavailable P species. Furthermore no significant difference in SRP was found in receiving waters passed through 0.45 and 0.10 μm filters. This means that P from STWs occurs in <0.1 μm fraction size, which will not readily settle to the channel bed and is more easily assimilated by biota. This distinguishes STW inputs from agricultural runoff where a high proportion of P occurs as particulate P which is both less bioavailable and more likely to settle to the channel bed. This implies that STWs derived P is likely to have a greater adverse impact on the receiving river than agricultural runoff.     

LONG‐TERM CHANGES IN REGIONAL HYDROLOGIC REGIME FOLLOWING IMPOUNDMENT IN A HUMID‐CLIMATE WATERSHED1

ABSTRACT: We analyzed the type of hydrologic adjustments resulting from flow regulation across a range of dam types, distributed throughout the Connecticut River watershed, using two approaches: (1) the Index of Hydrologic Alteration (IHA) and (2) log‐Pearson Type III flood frequency analysis. We applied these analyses to seven rivers that have extensive pre‐and post‐disturbance flow records and to six rivers that have only long post‐regulation flow records. Lastly, we analyzed six unregulated streams to establish the regional natural flow regime and to test whether it has changed significantly over time in the context of an increase in forest cover from less than 20 percent historically to greater than 80 percent at present. We found significant hydrologic adjustments associated with both impoundments and land use change. On average, maximum peak flows decrease by 32 percent in impounded rivers, but the effect decreases with increasing flow duration. One‐day minimum low flows increase following regulation, except for the hydro‐electric facility on the mainstem. Hydrograph reversals occur more commonly now on the mainstem, but the tributary flood control structures experience diminished reversals. Major shifts in flood frequency occur with the largest effect occurring downstream of tributary flood control impoundments and less so downstream of the mainstem's hydroelectric facility. These overall results indicate that the hydrologic impacts of dams in humid environments can be as significant as those for large, multiple‐purpose reservoirs in more arid environments.     

SHOULD DAMS BE MODIFIED FOR THE PROBABLE MAXIMUM FLOOD?1

ABSTRACT: The probable maximum flood (PMF) currently serves as the design standard for many U.S. dams. Floods used for design have increased and currently thousands of dams in the U.S. would be overtopped and possibly fail using the latest calculated PMF at each dam site. Some researchers have suggested that modifying dams to accommodate the PMF could be wasteful. Objections to using the PMF for dam modification include: (1) larger spillway capacity may increase annual downstream flood losses, (2) benefit‐cost ratios may be low, (3) construction accidents associated with dam modification may cause fatalities, and (4) the dollar amount spent to save lives by making dams safer is often very high. Based on these objections, a procedure is presented for evaluating the effectiveness of a proposed dam modification. A change in spillway design policy is recommended. Accepting the status quo at a dam that cannot accommodate the PMF may be the best course of action.