Hydro-ecological tools and macroinvertebrate analysis to inform water resource management

Water companies need to assess how river flow is ecologically impacted by their activities, as environmental considerations are at the centre of water policy and a key driver for the funding cycle. Using hydro-ecological assessment tools, we can gather information about ecological communities within a water body and the resilience of those communities to current or future water abstraction (moving or removing water from a water body).

The article “A hydroecological model to assess the relative effects of groundwater abstraction and fine sediment pressures on riverine macro‐invertebrates” considers river macroinvertebrate population indices such as the Lotic invertebrate Index for Flow Evaluation (LIFE) to develop tools to judge the impact of abstraction on macroinvertebrates. The study is currently unique in that it uses quantitative relationships between ecology and flow alterations and applies them in a method that could inform regional water management decisions.

Existing groundwater models were used to simulate future conditions and to model different levels of abstraction, to predict the likely impact of abstraction (or the augmentation of river flow by discharges from water treatment works) on the ecological status of macroinvertebrate populations. The study shows the potential to provide regulators and water users with a powerful tool to assess the potential effects of different water resource options and to inform major decisions about water resource management.

When used with existing environmental flow indicators and supplementary environmental information, hydro-ecological tools can aid in identifying where abstraction and other river conditions should be mitigated to benefit the condition of the river. Regional hydro-ecological models can increase the certainty of regulatory decisions and for current and future abstraction licensing.

When setting long-term, sustainable environmental goals, water companies need hydro-ecological models that quantify the links between water resource pressures and ecology. Read an article here by Dr David Bradley about setting an Environmental Destination and how APEM Group are helping water companies to direct resources and invest in reliable, long-term solutions.

Further reading: 

Full source article: A hydroecological model to assess the relative effects of groundwater abstraction and fine sediment pressures on riverine macro‐invertebrates – Bradley – 2017 – River Research and Applications – Wiley Online Library