US river flows altered by land and water management

Credit: USGSThe amount of water flowing in streams and rivers has been significantly altered in nearly 90 percent of waters that were assessed in a new nationwide USGS study. Flow alterations are a primary contributor to degraded river ecosystems and loss of native species.

"This USGS assessment provides the most geographically extensive analysis to date of stream flow alteration," said Bill Werkheiser, USGS Associate Director for Water. "Findings show the pervasiveness of stream flow alteration resulting from land and water management, the significant impact of altered stream flow on aquatic organisms, and the importance of considering this factor for sustaining and restoring the health of the Nation's streams and ecosystems."

Nearly 15,000 oppose Montenegro plan to drown wild beauty

Moraca River, MontenegroThe Montenegro government was yesterday handed a 14,764 signature petition asking it to consider alternatives to its four dam plan for the country’s second most important and most scenic River. The plan for multiple dams on the Moraça River, which will inundate areas of the Montegnegro capital’s natural and cultural heritage and threatens flows into the Balkan’s largest lake and its fisheries and bird migration reserves, was drawn up 40 years ago.

New study shows rising water temperatures in US streams and rivers

New research by a team of ecologists and hydrologists shows that water temperatures are increasing in many streams and rivers throughout the United States. The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, documents that 20 major U.S. streams and rivers – including such prominent rivers as the Colorado, Potomac, Delaware, and Hudson – have shown statistically significant long-term warming.

By analyzing historical records from 40 sites located throughout the United States, the team found that annual mean water temperatures increased by 0.02-0.14°F (0.009-0.077°C) per year. Long-term increases in stream water temperatures were typically correlated with increases in air temperatures, and rates of warming were most rapid in urbanized areas.

Diesel spill contaminates Yellow River

Yellow River, ChinaChinese News Agency Xinhua has reported a diesel spill from a ruptured pipeline in northwestern China, seriously contaminating two rivers that finally flow into the Yellow River.

According to a local official, the Chishui and Weihe rivers were seriously contaminated after some 150 cubic meters of diesel leaked early Wednesday from a ruptured pipeline belonging to the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

Kenya's Tana River Delta under siege

Photo:Michael Laplace-Toulouse/BirdLifeThe Tana River Delta in Kenya's north coast is under unprecedented threat as corporations and foreign agencies scramble to exploit its riches for export crops, biofuels and minerals. NatureKenya (BirdLife Partner) – with support of RSPB (BirdLife in UK), Schweizer Vogelschutz SVS/BirdLife Schweiz (BirdLife in Switzerland) and DOF (BirdLife in Denmark) – are working with local communities to try and stop the proposed poorly planned developments which would result in tens of thousands of people losing their livelihoods.

Untold levels of oil sands pollution on the Athabasca

Photo:Eddie/WikimediaAfter an exhaustive study of air and water pollution along the Athabasca River and its tributaries from Fort McMurray to Lake Athabasca, researchers say pollution levels have increased as a direct result of nearby oil sands operations.

University of Alberta biological sciences professor David Schindler was part of the team that conducted a long term air and water study and found high levels of Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds. PACs are a group of organic contaminants containing several known carcinogens, mutagens, and teratogens. The highest levels of PAC's were found within 50 kilometres of two major oil sands up graders.

Carbon and oxygen in tree rings can reveal past climate information

Photo:Martin Male/WikimediaIsotope analysis provides accurate information

The analysis of carbon and oxygen isotopes embedded in tree rings may shed new light on past climate events in the Mackenzie Delta region of northern Canada. Scientists have long looked at the width of tree rings to estimate temperature levels of past years.Larger rings indicate more tree growth in a season, which translates into warmer summer temperatures.

Effort to drain Bhutan lake underlines costs and risks of climate change

Photo: Tashi Tshering / WWF BhutanThe first phase of an international project to reduce the risk to a Bhutan valley from the threatening bursting of a growing and increasingly unstable glacial lake is emphasising the huge costs of climate change adaptation in the Himalayas.

Thorthormi Tsho is a glacial lake perched precariously at 4428 metres above sea level in the remote Lunana area of northern Bhutan Rated as one of Bhutan's likeliest future catastrophes, a breach and outburst flood through Thorthormi Tsho's unstable moraine walls would most likely spill into the also vulnerable Raphsthreng Tsho 80 metres below, with the combined flood suddenly releasing up to 53 million cubic metres of water and debris into the upper catchment of the Po Chu river.

Romanian Parliament puts Danube Delta at risk

Photo:Acaro/WikimediaAt the beginning of November 2009 the Romanian Parliament cancelled a draft law that would have protected the irreplaceable natural environment of the Danube Delta.

The Danube Delta is one of the world's largest wetlands, home to an extraordinary array of wildlife and to over 320 bird species, such as Vulnerable Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus and Endangered Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis.

Government plans will fail UK's threatened rivers

River action campaigners met with environment minister Huw Irranca-Davies by the Thames ahead of the publication of controversial plans for the UK’s waterways.

Earlier this year a report revealed that three quarters of rivers in England and Wales are failing European targets on environmental quality. But in the majority of cases the Environment Agency’s official plans – due to be published next month - fail to set out action to tackle the problems such as pollution from fertilisers and over abstraction, which threaten river wildlife.

Common seasonal pattern among bacterial communities in Arctic rivers

Discovery identifies aquatic bacteria as possible markers for monitoring Arctic climate change

New research on bacterial communities throughout six large Arctic river ecosystems reveals predictable temporal patterns, suggesting that scientists could use these communities as markers for monitoring climate change in the polar regions. The study, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition, shows that bacterial communities in the six rivers shifted synchronously over time, correlating with seasonal shifts in hydrology and biogeochemistry.

"Actively managing collapse" of Mississippi river delta ecosystem

Photo:NASAEnvironmental Defence Fund and National Wildlife Federation "fervently" support the state of Louisiana's initiative announced this afternoon to seek the intervention of the U.S. Commerce Secretary to stop the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from mismanaging the Mississippi River Delta Ecosystem.

"The Corps is actively managing the collapse of the Mississippi River Delta Ecosystem, and Congress has not authorised that purpose," said Environmental Defence Fund General Counsel Jim Tripp, who serves on the Louisiana Governor's Commission on Coastal Restoration and Conservation.

Microbe may provide key to combating giant salvinia

Giant salvinia.Photo:Eric Guinther/WikimediaLouisiana Tech researchers say 'natural herbicide' could control destructive biomass

A team of researchers at Louisiana Tech University has found that a naturally occurring microorganism acts as a natural herbicide against giant salvinia. Giant salvinia is a noxious and invasive aquatic weed that can block all sunlight penetration into bodies of water, altering entire ecosystems. Under ideal conditions, it's been reported that giant salvinia can double in size every three days.

Volatile gas could turn Rwandan lake into a freshwater time bomb

Photo: Themalau/Wikimedia CommonsRIT professor organises workshop in Rwanda to grapple with the problem of Lake Kivu

A dangerous level of carbon dioxide and methane gas haunts Lake Kivu, the freshwater lake system bordering Rwanda and the Republic of Congo. Scientists can't say for sure if the volatile mixture at the bottom of the lake will remain still for another 1,000 years or someday explode without warning. In a region prone to volcanic and seismic activity, the fragility of Lake Kivu is a serious matter. Compounding the precarious situation is the presence of approximately 2 million people, many of them refugees, living along the north end of the lake.

Water diversions killing salmon and steelhead

Chinook Salmon. Photo:Zureks/WikimediaThe Centre for Biological Diversity, Northern California River Watch, and Coast Action Group have sent notice of intent to sue California’s State Water Resources Control Board for authorising water diversions that harm federally protected salmon and steelhead trout in the Russian River and Gualala River watersheds. The water board is violating the Endangered Species Act by permitting water diversions in Mendocino and Sonoma counties, primarily for vineyards, that adversely affect salmon.

Warmer means windier on world's biggest lake

Photo: Charles Dawley/WikimediaRising water temperatures are kicking up more powerful winds on Lake Superior, with consequences for currents, biological cycles, pollution and more on the world's largest lake and its smaller brethren.

Since 1985, surface water temperatures measured by lake buoys have climbed 1.2 degrees per decade, about 15 per cent faster than the air above the lake and twice as fast as warming over nearby land.

Widespread contamination of fish in U.S. lakes and reservoirs

Salt Lake. Photo:Bobjgalindo/WikimediaA new EPA study shows concentrations of toxic chemicals in fish tissue from lakes and reservoirs in nearly all 50 U.S. states. For the first time, EPA is able to estimate the percentage of lakes and reservoirs nationwide that have fish containing potentially harmful levels of chemicals such as mercury and PCBs.

"These results reinforce Administrator Jackson's strong call for revitalised protection of our nation's waterways and long-overdue action to protect the American people," said Peter S. Silva, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Water."EPA is aggressively tackling the issues the report highlights. Before the results were even finalised, the agency initiated efforts to further reduce toxic mercury pollution and strengthen enforcement of the Clean Water Act – all part of a renewed effort to protect the nation's health and environment."

The data showed mercury concentrations in game fish exceeding EPA's recommended levels at 49 per cent of lakes and reservoirs nationwide, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in game fish at levels of potential concern at 17 per cent of lakes and reservoirs. These findings are based on a comprehensive national study using more data on levels of contamination in fish tissue than any previous study.

Burning fossil fuels, primarily coal, accounts for nearly half of mercury air emissions caused by human activity in the U.S., and those emissions are a significant contributor to mercury in water bodies. From 1990 through 2005, emissions of mercury into the air decreased by 58 per cent. EPA is committed to developing a new rule to substantially reduce mercury emissions from power plants, and the Obama Administration is actively supporting a new international agreement that will reduce mercury emissions worldwide.

The study also confirms the widespread occurrence of PCBs and dioxins in fish, illustrating the need for federal, state and local government to continue efforts to reduce the presence of these harmful chemicals in our lakes and reservoirs and ensure that fish advisory information is readily available.

It is important that women of child-bearing age and children continue to follow the advice of EPA and the Food and Drug Administration on fish consumption as it relates to mercury. This study is also a strong message to state and local governments to redouble their efforts in looking for opportunities to reduce mercury discharges, as well as developing fish advisories, especially to reach those in sensitive and vulnerable populations.

Results from the four-year National Study of Chemical Residues in Lake Fish Tissue show that mercury and PCBs are widely distributed in U.S. lakes and reservoirs. Mercury and PCBs were detected in all of the fish samples collected from the nationally representative sample of 500 lakes and reservoirs in the study. Because these findings apply to fish caught in lakes and reservoirs, it is particularly important for recreational and subsistence fishers to follow their state and local fish advisories.

EPA is conducting other statistically based national aquatic surveys that include assessment of fish contamination, such as the National Rivers and Streams Assessment and the National Coastal Assessment. Sampling for the National Rivers and Streams Assessment is underway, and results from this two-year study are expected to be available in 2011. Collection of fish samples for the National Coastal Assessment will begin in 2010.

Airborne nitrogen shifts aquatic nutrient limitation in pristine lakes

Scientist Jim Elser (Arizona State University) is sampling Green Lake 5, located at the Niwot Ridge Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) site in the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Like other lakes in the Front Range, this lake receives elevated inputs of atmospheric N deposition due to transport of polluted air from urbanized areas and from high intensity agricultural operations. Photo: James Elser/ASUThe impact of airborne nitrogen released from the burning of fossil fuels and wide-spread use of fertilisers in agriculture is much greater that previously recognised and even extends to remote alpine lakes, according to a study published Nov. 6 in the journal Science.

Examining nitrogen deposition in alpine and subalpine lakes in Colorado, Sweden and Norway, James Elser, a limnologist in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University, and his colleagues found that, on average, nitrogen levels in lakes were elevated, even those isolated from urban and agricultural centres.

The article "Shifts in lake N:P stoichiometry and nutrient limitation driven by atmospheric nitrogen deposition" presents experimental data from more than 90 lakes. The researchers' collaboration also revealed that nitrogen-rich air pollution has already altered the lakes' fundamental ecology.

"This is because plant plankton or phytoplankton, like all plants, need nitrogen and phosphorus for growth," Elser says. "Inputs from pollution in the atmosphere appear to shift the supplies of nitrogen relative to other elements, like phosphorus."

The increase in the availability of nitrogen means that growing phytoplankton in lakes receiving elevated nitrogen deposition are now limited by how much phosphorus they can acquire. Elser says that this is important because "we know that phosphorus-limited phytoplankton is poor food – basically 'junk food' for animal plankton, which in turn are food for fish."

"Such a shift could potentially affect biodiversity," he adds. "However, we don't really know, because, unlike in terrestrial systems, the impacts of nitrogen deposition on aquatic systems have not been widely studied."

Elser's collaborators include researchers Tom Andersen and Dag Hessen from the University of Oslo; Jill Baron of the United States Geological Survey and Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory at Colorado State University; Ann-Kristin Bergström and Mats Jansson with Umeå University, Sweden; and Koren Nydick of the Mountain Studies Institute in Colorado, in addition to members of his own group in ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Marcia Kyle and Laura Steger.

Hessen, a well-known limnologist, and Elser have had a long-standing collaborative relationship, looking not only at nitrogen deposition, as in this study, but also zooplankton nutrition and a broad range of stoichiometric studies. Elser met Bergström at a conference at Umeå University and discovered that she had performed similar experiments in Sweden.

"By combining these studies we were able to achieve a more global picture of how nitrogen was impacting a broad range of lakes and come to firmer conclusions about effects of deposition," Elser notes.

Elser and Hessen hope to expand on these findings and have a pending grant proposal with the Norwegian government. In addition, Elser says he hopes to perform similar studies in China "where atmospheric nitrogen pollution is extremely high," but, as yet, unstudied.

New figures reveal biggest threats to rivers in England and Wales

Over use of fertilisers, demand for drinking water and poor town planning are putting our river wildlife in danger, new figures reveal.

Anglers, conservationists and river enthusiasts have called on the Government to take action after a new survey exposed the top three threats to waterways in England and Wales.

Earlier this year the RSPB, the WWF, the Angling Trust and the Association of Rivers Trusts joined forces to form the Our Rivers campaign. Feedback from the campaign’s many supporters across the UK in the six months since it launched indicate that the three biggest threats to rivers are: Chemical and sediment pollution from agriculture, over abstraction by water companies, and run-off water from urban areas.

The results follow two alarming stories which have gained public attention in recent weeks - an Environment Agency report which revealed that three quarters of rivers in England and Wales are failing European targets, followed just days later by a major cyanide pollution incident on the River Trent which caused the death of thousands of fish and left local residents, anglers and conservationists fuming.

The new survey findings will heap extra pressure on the Government to take action as they prepare legally binding plans outlining how they will care for the country’s rivers and meet European water quality targets by 2015. Unfortunately, the drafts that have been circulated suggest little new action to tackle pollution from agriculture or urban areas while abstraction pressures could take decades to deal with under the current proposals.

“The information gathered from local people and groups in the first six months of this campaign has been extremely useful, and we are urging the Government to take notice,” said RSPB conservation director Mark Avery.

“Our army of supporters have used their local knowledge to identify the biggest threats to rivers in England and Wales. This makes for alarming reading, but the silver-lining is that our experts know the solutions to these problems – all we need now is for them to be properly implemented.”

Tom Le Quesne, Senior Policy Advisor at the WWF said, “It’s been great to see the campaign picking up pace in the six months since it was launched – there are clearly a lot of people out there who care passionately about their local rivers and the fish, birds and mammals that rely on them for their survival.

“We hope to present a united voice and tell the Government that when it unveils its final plans for rivers in December, they must be tough, robust and do the job properly. We won’t stand for a political fudge on this issue – our precious river wildlife cannot survive if we carry on treating our waterways the way we currently do.”

Mark Lloyd, chief executive of the Angling Trust, said, “The millions who go fishing on rivers every year are usually the first to notice when fisheries and insect life decline.

“Often these problems on our rivers are cumulative - many species and fisheries are experiencing a slow death by a thousand cuts. Most of our rivers receive heavy loads of sediment, fertilisers and pesticides, suffer low summer flows and then get hit with intermittent sewage and other pollutants from urban drainage. Our members want to see action plans which are actually implemented to deal with these problems.”

Some Canadian rivers at risk of drying up

The Mackenzie River. Photo: Martin MaleSome Canadian rivers are at risk of drying up as impacts of climate change intersect with growing water demand from the country's cities, industries and agriculture, a new WWF report has found.

Canada's Rivers at Risk: Environmental Flows and Canada's Freshwater Future uses a scientific approach that focuses on the importance of water flow to examine the health of 10 Canadian rivers and reveals that some are dangerously close to drying up. It concludes that Canadiaqns must value their fresh water differently and take immediate action to protect it.

Among the rivers at risk is the mighty Mackenzie, one of the world's longest free flowing rivers but one which also rises where climate change impacts are most pronounced. To complicate the river's future, climate change also contributes to another looming threat - increased interest in low carbon hydropower development along the river. Growing water withdrawals from industries such as oil sands development also pose threats.

A more encouraging picture comes from the Nipigon in Ontario, once stifled by dams and power development consuming all but three metres of its 95 metre drop from source to Lake Superior in the Great Lakes. Now the dams are operated to restore flows to more natural conditions, and fish populations are showing strong signs of recovery.

Using sophisticated flow analysis that looks at the timing of flows and the water needs of river ecosystems yields much more valid assessments of river health than just counting up overall quantities of water, said Tony Maas, Director of Fresh Water for WWF-Canada.

"Looking at environmental flows forces us to look at the scale that matters most when it comes to fresh water - the watershed," Maas said. "When we do, we find that growing more food, generating more electricity, quenching the thirst of expanding cities, and fuelling industry, are taking their toll on the nation's rivers and converging with the adverse impacts of climate change.

"Even seemingly remote northern waters like the Mackenzie are at risk. As temperatures rise, and industrial water withdrawals and interest in hydropower increase, we must start planning now to protect river flows to ensure water security for the communities and economies that depend on them."

The report recommends a much stronger role in Canadian water stewardship for Canada's Federal government.

"The Mackenzie River is emerging as a national priority for freshwater conservation and the federal government can play a much stronger leadership role in protecting the waters of this vast watershed by facilitating implementation of the Mackenzie River Transboundary Water Agreement," said Maas. This will ensure increasingly intensive development in upstream jurisdictions does not impair the health of the river, and the communities, downstream. "

To avoid irreparable damage, there must be a long-term plan to keep rivers flowing for people and nature. This includes strong federal leadership to address climate change - both at the UN Climate Conference this December, as well as in implementing a credible, national action plan to reduce emissions and put strategies into place for adapting to a changing freshwater future across Canada.

"These issues are of a scope and scale that require national leadership on fresh water in Canada now," said Gerald Butts, President and CEO, WWF-Canada. "Water is our most important national resource. Our responsibility is to steward it wisely to ensure that future Canadians can benefit from it as we do today."

Assessments of threats to Canadian rivers

Skeena River - supports Canada's second largest wild salmon fishery (worth $110 million annually). Proposed development of mines, coal bed methane fields, oil and gas pipelines, and run-of-river hydropower projects could significantly affect the Skeena's natural flow and potentially compromise the watershed's incredible biodiversity and ecosystem functions.

Mackenzie River - is one of the world's longest free flowing rivers and plays an important role in regulating ocean circulation and climate. The Mackenzie watershed has experienced greater temperature increases than anywhere else in Canada which further impacts flows, and growing interest in hydropower development is an emerging threat.

Fraser River - contributes to 80 per cent of the province's economic output and produces more salmon than any other river on earth. Its fishing industry is worth over $300 million annually. Major dams on the Fraser's tributaries, drainage for flood control, and withdrawals for agriculture and urban use have compromised flow within the watershed.

Athabasca River - provides the greatest direct inflow of water to the world's largest boreal freshwater delta - the Peace-Athabasca Delta. Together, the river and the delta support over 30 species of fish and more than a million migratory birds each year. Water withdrawals for industry amount to more water than is used by the city of Toronto each year. The amount of water taken for development is projected to increase by at least 200 per cent by 2015.

Nipigon River - was once a turbulent river but now its flows are highly regulated. Only three meters of its original 95-metre vertical drop remains unharnessed by dams. However, it is a great example of what is possible in terms of restoring river health - even in the face of significant threats. Operation of hydropower dams on the river have been improved to restore flows to more natural conditions, and the ecosystem and fish populations are showing strong signs of recovery.

South Saskatchewan River - is Canada's most threatened river. Hundreds of dams exist throughout its watershed and 70% of the flow is withdrawn for agricultural and urban use. The water scarcity typical of the region's arid climate is expected to intensify under climate change, which experts describe as an emerging water crisis.

Grand River - is one of the most regulated rivers in Canada - more than 100 dams and control structures along the Grand and its tributaries have significantly altered the river's natural flow regime. Increased demand for water to supply growing cities is a growing threat.

St. Lawrence River - drains water from the world's largest freshwater ecosystem, the Great Lakes. Its natural flow has been drastically altered and is currently in a declining state due to numerous hydropower dams and the infrastructure developed to create the St. Lawrence Seaway, which is one of the world's busiest shipping corridors.

Saint John River - is the longest river in Atlantic Canada. Hydropower dams on the river have dramatically altered river flows and contributed to the decline of the Atlantic salmon population that is now endangered. Downstream from the dams, river flows can fluctuate by as much as 91% over a 24-hour period; at times flows are reduced to the point that the riverbed almost dries up.

Ottawa River - is severely fragmented by hydropower dams in both the Quebec and Ontario portions of its watershed, the Ottawa is one of the most regulated river systems in Canada. Its natural flow regimes have been dramatically altered, compromising habitat and the diversity and distribution of the river's fish and shoreline vegetation.