A demonstration of the instream flow incremental methodology, Shenandoah River, Virginia
Dataset Identification:
Resource Abstract:
Current and projected demands on the water resources of the Shenandoah River have increased concerns for the potential effect
of these demands on the natural integrity of the Shenandoah River system. The Instream Flow Incremental Method (IFIM) process
attempts to integrate concepts of water-supply planning, analytical hydraulic engineering models, and empirically derived
habitat versus flow functions to address water-use and instream-flow issues and questions concerning life-stage specific effects
on selected species and the general well being of aquatic biological populations. The demonstration project also sets the
stage for the identification and compilation of the major instream-flow issues in the Shenandoah River Basin, development
of the required multidisciplinary technical team to conduct more detailed studies, and development of basin specific habitat
and flow requirements for fish species, species assemblages, and various water uses in the Shenandoah River Basin.This report
presents the results of an IFIM demonstration project, conducted on the main stem Shenandoah River in Virginia, during 1996
and 1997, using the Physical Habitat Simulation System (PHABSIM) model. Output from PHABSIM is used to address the general
flow requirements for water supply and recreation and habitat for selected life stages of several fish species.The model output
is only a small part of the information necessary for effective decision making and management of river resources. The information
by itself is usually insufficient for formulation of recommendations regarding instream-flow requirements. Additional information,
for example, can be obtained by analysis of habitat time-series data, habitat duration data, and habitat bottlenecks. Alternative-flow
analysis and habitat-duration curves are presented.
Citation
Title A demonstration of the instream flow incremental methodology, Shenandoah River, Virginia