scholarly journals Potential effects of four Flaming Gorge Dam hydropower operational scenarios on riparian vegetation of the Green River, Utah and Colorado

10.2172/90181 ◽  
1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.E. LaGory ◽  
R.A. Van Lonkhuyzen
Keyword(s):  
Riparian Vegetation ◽  
Green River ◽  
Flaming Gorge

scholarly journals Dam tailwaters compound the effects of reservoirs on the longitudinal transport of organic carbon in an arid river

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 6081-6114
Author(s):  
A. J. Ulseth ◽  
R. O. Hall Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Base Flow ◽  
Green River ◽  
Transport And Transformation ◽  
Stream Discharge ◽  
River Reservoir ◽  
Gorge Reservoir ◽  
Flaming Gorge ◽  
Early Snowmelt ◽  
Yampa River

Abstract. Reservoirs on rivers can disrupt organic carbon (OC) transport and transformation, but less is known how downstream river reaches directly below dams contribute to OC processing than reservoirs alone. We compared how reservoirs and their associated tailwaters affected OC quantity and quality by calculating particulate (P) OC and dissolved (D) OC fluxes, and measuring composition and bioavailability of DOC. We sampled the Yampa River near Maybell, Colorado, USA and the Green River above and below Fontenelle and Flaming Gorge reservoirs, and their respective tailwaters from early snowmelt to base flow hydrological conditions. In unregulated reaches (Yampa River, Green River above Fontenelle reservoir), DOC and POC concentrations increased with snowmelt discharge. POC and DOC concentrations also increased with stream discharge below Fontenelle reservoir, but there was no relationship between DOC and stream flow below Flaming Gorge reservoir. The annual load of POC was 3-fold lower below Fontenelle Reservoir and nearly 7-fold lower below Flaming Gorge reservoir, compared to their respective upstream sampling sites. DOC exported to downstream reaches from both reservoirs was less bioavailable, as measured with bioassays, than DOC upriver of the reservoirs. Lastly, tailwater reaches below the reservoirs generated OC, exporting 1.6–2.2 g C m−2 d−1 of OC to downstream ecosystems. Changes in total fluxes from upstream to downstream of reservoirs and their tailwaters do not represent the simultaneous transformation and production of OC, which may lead to the underestimation of the quantity of OC mineralized, transformed, or retained in coupled river-reservoir-tailwater ecosystems.

scholarly journals Effect of daily fluctuations from Flaming Gorge Dam in ice processes in the Green River.

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. Hayse ◽  
S. F. Daly ◽  
A. Tuthill ◽  
R. A. Valdez ◽  
B. Cowdell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Green River ◽  
Flaming Gorge

scholarly journals Effects of Flaming Gorge Dam hydropower operations on flow and stage in the Green River, Utah and Colorado

10.2172/87016 ◽  
1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.C.L. Yin ◽  
H.E. Cho ◽  
J.J. McCoy ◽  
S.C. Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Green River ◽  
Flaming Gorge

scholarly journals Dam tailwaters compound the effects of reservoirs on the longitudinal transport of organic carbon in an arid river

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 4345-4359 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Ulseth ◽  
R. O. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Base Flow ◽  
Green River ◽  
Transport And Transformation ◽  
Stream Discharge ◽  
Gorge Reservoir ◽  
Flaming Gorge ◽  
Early Snowmelt ◽  
Yampa River ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Reservoirs on rivers can disrupt organic carbon (OC) transport and transformation, but less is known how river reaches directly below dams contribute to OC processing. We compared how reservoirs and their associated tailwaters affected OC quantity and quality by calculating particulate OC (POC) and dissolved OC (DOC) fluxes, and measuring composition and bioavailability of DOC. We sampled the Yampa River near Maybell, Colorado, USA, and the Green River above and below Fontenelle and Flaming Gorge reservoirs as well as their respective tailwaters from early snowmelt to base flow hydrological conditions. In unregulated reaches (Yampa River, Green River above Fontenelle reservoir), DOC and POC concentrations increased with snowmelt discharge. POC and DOC concentrations also increased with stream discharge below Fontenelle reservoir, but there was no relationship between DOC and stream flow below Flaming Gorge reservoir. The annual load of POC was 3-fold lower below Fontenelle Reservoir and nearly 7-fold lower below Flaming Gorge reservoir, compared to their respective upstream sampling sites. DOC exported to downstream reaches from both reservoirs was less bioavailable, as measured with bioassays, than DOC upriver of the reservoirs. Lastly, tailwater reaches below the reservoirs generated OC, exporting potentially 1.6–2.2 g C m−2 d−1 of OC to downstream ecosystems. Therefore, the effect of impounding rivers on C fluxes is greater than the impact of the reservoirs alone given the additive effect of tailwater reaches below dams, which may produce and export comparable amounts of likely autochthonous carbon to downstream reaches.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document