The influence of dams on ecohydrological conditions in the Sao Francisco River Basin, Brazil

摘要

The increasing demand for water for multiple uses in the watershed of the Sao Francisco Rivermakes the knowledge of the hydrological characteristics an important instrument so that the use of its resources are optimized with less environmental impact. The analysis of changes in the lower Sao Francisco River resulting from the successive introduction of dams along the passages and their environmental effects are extremely important when seeking the revival of this waterway. The objective of this study was to determine changes in flow regime in the periods before and after the construction of the Xingo reservoir on the Sao Francisco River and relate these changes with some ecological implications. For this, we used the method of hydrologic alteration indicators (IHA) and the method of the Environment Flow Components (EFCs). There was a reduction of -31%, -21% and -35% respectively for average, minimum and maximum flow when comparing the studied periods. (C) 2019 European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.