Pervasive changes in stream intermittency across the United States
Non-perennial streams are widespread, critical to ecosystems and society, and the subject of ongoing policy debate. Prior large-scale research on stream intermittency has been based on long-term averages, generally using annually aggregated data to characterize a highly variable process. As a result...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac14ec |
| _version_ | 1797747514245382144 |
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| author | Samuel C Zipper John C Hammond Margaret Shanafield Margaret Zimmer Thibault Datry C Nathan Jones Kendra E Kaiser Sarah E Godsey Ryan M Burrows Joanna R Blaszczak Michelle H Busch Adam N Price Kate S Boersma Adam S Ward Katie Costigan George H Allen Corey A Krabbenhoft Walter K Dodds Meryl C Mims Julian D Olden Stephanie K Kampf Amy J Burgin Daniel C Allen |
| author_facet | Samuel C Zipper John C Hammond Margaret Shanafield Margaret Zimmer Thibault Datry C Nathan Jones Kendra E Kaiser Sarah E Godsey Ryan M Burrows Joanna R Blaszczak Michelle H Busch Adam N Price Kate S Boersma Adam S Ward Katie Costigan George H Allen Corey A Krabbenhoft Walter K Dodds Meryl C Mims Julian D Olden Stephanie K Kampf Amy J Burgin Daniel C Allen |
| author_sort | Samuel C Zipper |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Non-perennial streams are widespread, critical to ecosystems and society, and the subject of ongoing policy debate. Prior large-scale research on stream intermittency has been based on long-term averages, generally using annually aggregated data to characterize a highly variable process. As a result, it is not well understood if, how, or why the hydrology of non-perennial streams is changing. Here, we investigate trends and drivers of three intermittency signatures that describe the duration, timing, and dry-down period of stream intermittency across the continental United States (CONUS). Half of gages exhibited a significant trend through time in at least one of the three intermittency signatures, and changes in no-flow duration were most pervasive (41% of gages). Changes in intermittency were substantial for many streams, and 7% of gages exhibited changes in annual no-flow duration exceeding 100 days during the study period. Distinct regional patterns of change were evident, with widespread drying in southern CONUS and wetting in northern CONUS. These patterns are correlated with changes in aridity, though drivers of spatiotemporal variability were diverse across the three intermittency signatures. While the no-flow timing and duration were strongly related to climate, dry-down period was most strongly related to watershed land use and physiography. Our results indicate that non-perennial conditions are increasing in prevalence over much of CONUS and binary classifications of ‘perennial’ and ‘non-perennial’ are not an accurate reflection of this change. Water management and policy should reflect the changing nature and diverse drivers of changing intermittency both today and in the future. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:52:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-40b70716658d4fc091d2f200ff74470a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:52:40Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-40b70716658d4fc091d2f200ff74470a2023-08-09T15:04:58ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262021-01-0116808403310.1088/1748-9326/ac14ecPervasive changes in stream intermittency across the United StatesSamuel C Zipper0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8735-5757John C Hammond1Margaret Shanafield2Margaret Zimmer3Thibault Datry4C Nathan Jones5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5804-0510Kendra E Kaiser6Sarah E Godsey7Ryan M Burrows8Joanna R Blaszczak9Michelle H Busch10https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4536-3000Adam N Price11https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7211-4758Kate S Boersma12Adam S Ward13Katie Costigan14George H Allen15https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8301-5301Corey A Krabbenhoft16https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2630-8287Walter K Dodds17Meryl C Mims18Julian D Olden19Stephanie K Kampf20Amy J Burgin21Daniel C Allen22Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas , Lawrence, KS 66044, United States of AmericaU.S. Geological Survey MD-DE-DC Water Science Center , Baltimore, MD 21228, United States of AmericaNational Centre for Groundwater Research and Training and College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University , Adelaide, AustraliaEarth and Planetary Sciences Department, University of California , Santa Cruz, CA 95064, United States of AmericaINRAE, UR Riverly , Villeurbanne, FranceDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama , Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, United States of AmericaDepartment of Geosciences, Boise State University , Boise, ID 83725, United States of AmericaDepartment of Geosciences, Idaho State University , Pocatello, ID 83209, United States of AmericaSchool of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Burnley Campus , Richmond 3121 Victoria, AustraliaDepartment of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada , Reno, NV 89557, United States of AmericaEcology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program, Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma , Norman, OK 73072, United States of AmericaEarth and Planetary Sciences Department, University of California , Santa Cruz, CA 95064, United States of AmericaDepartment of Biology, University of San Diego , San Diego, CA 92110, United States of AmericaO’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University , Bloomington, IN 47405, United States of AmericaSchool of Geosciences, University of Louisiana , Lafayette, LA 70503, United States of AmericaDepartment of Geography, Texas A&M University , College Station, TX 77843, United States of AmericaCollege of Arts and Sciences and Research and Education in Energy, Environment and Water (RENEW) Institute, University at Buffalo , Buffalo, NY 14228, United States of AmericaDivision of Biology, Kansas State University , Manhattan, KS 66506, United States of AmericaDepartment of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, 926 West Campus Dr , Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States of AmericaSchool of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington , Seattle, WA 98105, United States of AmericaDepartment of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University , Fort Collins, CO 80523, United States of AmericaKansas Biological Survey and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas , Lawrence, KS 66047, United States of AmericaDepartment of Biology, University of Oklahoma , Norman, OK 73019, United States of AmericaNon-perennial streams are widespread, critical to ecosystems and society, and the subject of ongoing policy debate. Prior large-scale research on stream intermittency has been based on long-term averages, generally using annually aggregated data to characterize a highly variable process. As a result, it is not well understood if, how, or why the hydrology of non-perennial streams is changing. Here, we investigate trends and drivers of three intermittency signatures that describe the duration, timing, and dry-down period of stream intermittency across the continental United States (CONUS). Half of gages exhibited a significant trend through time in at least one of the three intermittency signatures, and changes in no-flow duration were most pervasive (41% of gages). Changes in intermittency were substantial for many streams, and 7% of gages exhibited changes in annual no-flow duration exceeding 100 days during the study period. Distinct regional patterns of change were evident, with widespread drying in southern CONUS and wetting in northern CONUS. These patterns are correlated with changes in aridity, though drivers of spatiotemporal variability were diverse across the three intermittency signatures. While the no-flow timing and duration were strongly related to climate, dry-down period was most strongly related to watershed land use and physiography. Our results indicate that non-perennial conditions are increasing in prevalence over much of CONUS and binary classifications of ‘perennial’ and ‘non-perennial’ are not an accurate reflection of this change. Water management and policy should reflect the changing nature and diverse drivers of changing intermittency both today and in the future.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac14ecnon-perennial streamsclimate changeland useriverstreamflowephemeral |
| spellingShingle | Samuel C Zipper John C Hammond Margaret Shanafield Margaret Zimmer Thibault Datry C Nathan Jones Kendra E Kaiser Sarah E Godsey Ryan M Burrows Joanna R Blaszczak Michelle H Busch Adam N Price Kate S Boersma Adam S Ward Katie Costigan George H Allen Corey A Krabbenhoft Walter K Dodds Meryl C Mims Julian D Olden Stephanie K Kampf Amy J Burgin Daniel C Allen Pervasive changes in stream intermittency across the United States Environmental Research Letters non-perennial streams climate change land use river streamflow ephemeral |
| title | Pervasive changes in stream intermittency across the United States |
| title_full | Pervasive changes in stream intermittency across the United States |
| title_fullStr | Pervasive changes in stream intermittency across the United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pervasive changes in stream intermittency across the United States |
| title_short | Pervasive changes in stream intermittency across the United States |
| title_sort | pervasive changes in stream intermittency across the united states |
| topic | non-perennial streams climate change land use river streamflow ephemeral |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac14ec |
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