Overcoming the dichotomy of implementing societal flood risk management while conserving instream fish habitat – A long-term study from a highly modified urban river

Angelopoulos, N. V.; Harvey, J. P.; Bolland, J. D.; Nunn, A. D.; Noble, R. A.A.; Smith, M. A.; Taylor, M. J.; Masters, J. E.G.; Moxon, J.; Cowx, I. G.

Abstract

Flood Risk Management (FRM) is often essential to reduce the risk of flooding to properties and infrastructure in urban landscapes, but typically degrades the habitats required by many aquatic animals for foraging, refuge and reproduction. This conflict between flood risk management and biodiversity is driven by conflicting directives, such as the EU Floods and Water Framework Directives, and has led to a requirement for synergistic solutions for FRM that integrate river restoration actions. Unfortunately, ecological monitoring and appraisal of combined FRM and river restoration works is inadequate. This paper uses a case study from the River Don in Northern England to evaluate the effects of the FRM and subsequent river restoration works on instream habitat and the associated fish assemblage over an 8-year period.

Flood risk management created a homogeneous channel but did not negatively affect fish species composition or densities, specifically brown trout. Densities of adult brown trout were comparable pre and post-FRM, while densities of juvenile bullhead and brown trout increased dramatically post FRM. River restoration works created a heterogeneous channel but did not significantly improve species composition or brown trout density. Species composition post-river restoration works returned to that similar to pre-FRM over a short-term period, but with improved numbers of juvenile bullhead. Although habitat complexity increased after river restoration works, long-term changes in species composition and densities were marginal, probably because the river reset habitat complexity within the time framework of the study.

Citation

Angelopoulos, N. V., Harvey, J. P., Bolland, J. D., Nunn, A. D., Noble, R. A., Smith, M. A., …Cowx, I. G. (2018). Overcoming the dichotomy of implementing societal flood risk management while conserving instream fish habitat – A long-term study from a highly modified urban river. Journal of environmental management, 224, 69-76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.07.030

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 4, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Jul 20, 2018
• Publication Date: Oct 15, 2018
• Deposit Date: Jul 20, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 21, 2019
• Print ISSN: 0301-4797
• Electronic ISSN: 1095-8630
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 224
• Pages: 69-76
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.07.030
• Keywords: Urban river; Climate change; River rehabilitation; Policy; Fisheries; EU directives
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/938135
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479718307825?via%3Dihub
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Overcoming the dichotomy of implementing societal flood risk management while conserving instream fish habitat – A long-term study from a highly modified urban river; Journal Title: Journal of Environmental Management; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.07.030; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.