Modeling Habitat Availability as a Function of Flow Rate for the Pecos River, New Mexico

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Research Article| February 01, 2006 Modeling Habitat Availability as a Function of Flow Rate for the Pecos River, New Mexico JESSE D. ROBERTS; JESSE D. ROBERTS 1Soil and Sediment Transport Group, Sandia National Laboratories, Carlsbad, NM 88220 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar SCOTT C. JAMES; SCOTT C. JAMES 2Geohydrology Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar RICHARD A. JEPSEN RICHARD A. JEPSEN 3Mechanical Environments, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information JESSE D. ROBERTS 1Soil and Sediment Transport Group, Sandia National Laboratories, Carlsbad, NM 88220 SCOTT C. JAMES 2Geohydrology Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185 RICHARD A. JEPSEN 3Mechanical Environments, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185 Publisher: Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1558-9161 Print ISSN: 1078-7275 © 2006 Association of Engineering Geologists Environmental & Engineering Geoscience (2006) 12 (2): 103–113. https://doi.org/10.2113/12.2.103 Article history First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation JESSE D. ROBERTS, SCOTT C. JAMES, RICHARD A. JEPSEN; Modeling Habitat Availability as a Function of Flow Rate for the Pecos River, New Mexico. Environmental & Engineering Geoscience 2006;; 12 (2): 103–113. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/12.2.103 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyEnvironmental & Engineering Geoscience Search Advanced Search Abstract This study examines the relationship between Pecos River flow rates and in-stream water depth and velocity. Recent studies of the threatened Pecos Bluntnose Shiner Minnow (PBSM) suggest that water depth and water velocity are key parameters in defining minnow habitat preference. However, river flows that provide sufficient preferred habitat to support this species have yet to be determined. This article discusses available biologic data defining PBSM preferred habitat and develops a predictive model that relates river flows to available depths and velocities across the Pecos River. A novel technique is developed to visualize “habitat-availability curves,” which establish available PBSM habitat as a continuous function of river flow according to whether the water depth is less than 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, or 18 in. (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 31, or 46 cm) or for threshold velocity values of 0.10, 0.30, 0.50, 0.70, 0.90, 1.1, 1.3, and 1.5 ft/second (3.0, 9.1, 15, 21, 27, 34, 40, and 46 cm/sec). This model is supported and validated with data collected at 11 permanent transects on weekly to monthly bases for more than 1 year. The data and modeling results demonstrate the potential to optimize river flows that present the PBSM with the most habitat using the least flow. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.