Life Sciences Commons^™

The Ecological Significance Of Emerging Deltas In Regulated Rivers, Malia A. Volke, Michael L. Scott, W. Carter Johnson, Mark Dixon

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Sedimentary deltas forming in the world’s regulated rivers are a glaring gap in our knowledge of dammed riverine ecosystems. Basic ecological information is needed to inform the current debate about whether deltas should be retained and managed to gain ecosystem services lost under reservoirs or whether they should be partially removed to improve flow conveyance and to resupply sediment-starved reaches below dams. An examination of nine deltas on the heavily regulated upper and middle Missouri River showed the following: The sizes, dynamics, and biotic communities vary widely across deltas; riparian forest has established on portions of most deltas; the current …