Aquatic Habitats in Relation to River Flow in the Apalachicola River Floodplain, Florida.

摘要

Increasing demands for water in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin have resulted in conflicts among water user groups, the States of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, and various Federal agencies, particularly during periods of regional drought. A study of aquatic habitats in the floodplain in relation to river flow was conducted in the nontidal reach of the Apalachicola River in north Florida from 1992 to 1996. The study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Northwest Florida Water Management District, as part of a larger effort to identify freshwater needs throughout the region and develop a mechanism for basinwide water management. The primary results of this report are quantitative estimates of the amount of aquatic habitat in the floodplain in relation to river flow. The report also includes plates showing streams, lakes, and floodplain forests connected to the main river channel at selected flows; an analysis of long-term flow record in the Apalachicola River; a review of the literature regarding fishes in floodplains of the Apalachicola River and other rivers of the eastern United States; and examples showing how this report can be used to assess impacts of flow alterations on aquatic habitats and fishes.