Impact of environmental dewatering of Lower Granite and Little Goose reservoirs on benthic invertebrates and macrophytes.

摘要

An investigation into the effects of dewatering on the benthic fauna in Lower Granite and Little Goose reservoirs was undertaken. Benthos in both the soft bottom regions of the reservoirs as well as those inhabiting the rock rip-rap along the shoreline were studied. These organisms provide an important food resource for both migrating salmonids and resident fish species; thus, impacts of contemplated dewatering schemes require evaluation. The results of these studies indicate that there were no significant, long-term impacts to the soft bottom benthos as a result of dewatering in Little Goose Reservoir. In fact, higher numbers of some taxa indicate that there may have been a washout of these organisms from Lower Granite Reservoir with subsequent deposition in the upper reaches of Little Goose Reservoir. This should be accompanied by a coincident decrease in these organisms in Lower Granite Reservoir. However, we did not have pre-dewatering samples from Lower Granite Reservoir with which we could compare post-filling samples to determine if the dewatering resulted in lower benthic populations.