Spatial and temporal heterogeneity, or messiness, is a broadly desirable characteristic of river corridors and an indicator of many of the geomorphic processes that sustain fluvial ecosystems. However, quantifying geomorphic heterogeneity is complicated by a lack of consistent metrics, classification schemas for dividing the river corridor into the patches that form the basis for those metrics, and guidance on interpreting metrics. Drawing from both geomorphic and landscape ecology concepts, we offer ideas and guidance intended to help investigators, from researchers to restoration practitioners, more effectively and reliably use heterogeneity to describe river corridor processes and characteristics. We define geomorphic heterogeneity both spatially and temporally. Spatially, heterogeneity can be described by diversity, or the evenness and richness of geomorphic units, and spatial configuration, or the arrangement and shape of geomorphic units. Temporally, heterogeneity can be described by turnover rate, or the rate of change of geomorphic units. Interpretation of heterogeneity metrics depends integrally on the definition of the geomorphic unit schema on which metrics are based. Contextual information, such as measurements of process space (i.e., how much room a river has to move), disturbance frequency, and geomorphic trajectory, can also be key to interpreting measurements of heterogeneity. Geomorphic applications of heterogeneity require carefully defined geomorphic unit schemas that reflect processes and characteristics of interest, robust metrics of heterogeneity whose meaning is appropriate to the question at hand, and interpretation of those metrics based on the context of expected geomorphic processes and the disturbance regime.

In our writing, we voice stories of two Australian rivers to convey Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Interweaving academic literature, nature writing and creativity, we craft a story of reconnection that is transformative, action-oriented and potentially political. An open mind, place-intuition and the process of attending can deepen our river relationships, creating a sense of love and communicative connectedness. Paying deep attention, we notice meanings embedded in plain sight, within hearing range of rivers and watery places. Our relationships may be ‘in our faces’ such as the wind, or the air, water or bushes nearby. We communicate across binaries to experience the dissolution of imagined barriers. Feeling, hearing, writing and storytelling can support verbalising of experience, helping to bring to mind place-wisdom. It offers an everyday possibility for people now estranged from their riverine kin. The process uses a post human-centred, common worlds frame to consider the Anthropocene in regenerative ways. It is creative and liberating, and rivers are dying for people to take action by speaking out for and with our greater selves. In this learning journey, we synthesise learnings, hoping to inspire people everywhere to hear the call of rivers, to respond, take action and learn to love their rivers again.

In this paper a collaborative writing group explores how we, two rivers, express ourselves over time, place and space, our energies long interpreted as veins and arteries carrying the Country’s life affirming blood. Voiced as River: I, River, this position reflects a worldview in which interrelationship with living river is normal, and River Spirit is ever-present. It is a position underpinned by Indigenous narratives as riverine expressions of place-based love. At times the paper is also voiced as writing group or individuals, with voices being interchanged where required for smooth reading. We see this as part of the decolonising process, which feels liberating and healing amongst the writers. Each writer is equally valued as co-creator, contributor, narrator and story teller. The two Rivers, being Martuwarra Fitzroy River (Kimberley, Western Australia), and Unamen Shipu Romaine River (North Shore, Québec, Canada) illustrate a common condition of being, through heritage, life, change and possibility. Through stories and voices, the socio-scientific implications of colonisation and lost connections become clear, considering the interaction, the dialogue and the cultural synthesis of living water systems that have always incorporated all life forms into rivers of life. As a way of navigating towards wholeness, Aboriginal knowledge systems and narratives for healing are used to bring together findings of this intercultural river learning journey.

Floodplain restoration can enhance capacity for carbon sequestration by facilitating higher water tables, deposition of fine sediment, and increased input and residence time of organic matter. We measured floodplain soil organic carbon stocks in nine stream restoration projects across the western United States and compared them to nearby degraded and reference condition floodplains. Degraded floodplains had the lowest soil mean carbon stocks in the majority of floodplains measured (range 161-894 Mg C/ha), and reference stocks had the highest stocks (range 391-904 Mg C/ha) of those with statistically significant differences between the three categories. Across all sites measured, stream restoration sites, referred to as treatment sites, had stocks (range 203-1028 Mg C/ha) similar to degraded condition floodplains but the largest range. When modeled under degraded conditions, four out of nine of the treatment sites had significantly higher OC stocks than predicted. Climate and geologic variables are most influential in predicting carbon stocks, and floodplains in the interior western USA have the highest carbon stocks. As the demand for carbon sequestration increases due to climate change, ecologically responsible floodplain restoration provides a significant opportunity for carbon storage. However, despite the statistically significant relationships we observed in this dataset, the variations within the data in relation to degraded/treatment/reference categories illustrate the uncertainties in quantifying the effects of restoration on floodplain carbon stocks.

In riparian forests, clear-cutting causes long-lasting changes in both riparian and aquatic biota. In this work, we examined if past clear-cutting events occurred at different times have imprints on riparian forests in a Mediterranean river in central Italy. We carried out a randomized, plot-based vegetation survey of riparian forests in systematically sampled 500 m-long sectors along the whole river, dividing the riparian zone into two internal and two external strips. From historical aerial photos, past clear-cutting events within plots were detected and classified in age classes: i) cut in the past 8 years (recent); ii) cut between 8 and 19 years ago (intermediate); iii) no signs of clear-cutting in the last 19 years (distant). We analyzed the responses of vegetation to clear-cutting and strip position. Alien species richness increased and woody species richness decreased in recently clear-cut areas compared to those with a distant clear-cutting event. Moreover, recently cut woods showed an increase in alien and synanthropic species. Intermediate clear-cut areas had higher levels of invasion by alien species compared to areas with distant cut. Riparian forests of internal strips are impacted by clear-cutting, but seem to recover in 8-19 years thanks to their natural resilience. Conversely, recent or intermediate clear-cutting events did not affect any of the investigated vegetation attributes in the external strips since such forests were already invaded by Robinia pseudoacacia after human disturbance. Our results confirm that clear-cutting events can have long-lasting effects on Mediterranean riparian forests, confirming the vulnerability of river ecosystems to clear-cutting and suggesting the need for more caution in management practices to improve the conservation status of riparian forests.

Riparian vegetation provides many noteworthy functions in river and floodplain systems including its influence on hydrodynamic processes. Traditional methods for predicting hydrodynamic characteristics in the presence of vegetation involve the application of static roughness ( ns) values, which neglect changes in roughness due to local flow characteristics. The objectives of this study were to: (1) implement numerical routines for simulating dynamic hydraulic roughness ( nd) in a two-dimensional (2D) hydrodynamic model; (2) evaluate the performance of two dynamic roughness approaches; and (3) compare vegetation parameters and hydrodynamic model results based on field-based and remote sensing acquisition methods. A coupled vegetation-hydraulic solver was developed for a 2D hydraulics model using two dynamic approaches, which required vegetation parameters to calculate spatially distributed, dynamic roughness coefficients. Vegetation parameters were determined by field survey and using airborne LiDAR data. Water surface elevations modeled using conventional and the proposed dynamic approaches produced similar profiles. The method demonstrates the suitability in modeling the system where there is no calibration data. Substantial spatial variations in both n and hydraulic parameters were observed when comparing the static and dynamic approaches. Thus, the method proposed here is beneficial for describing the hydraulic conditions for the area having huge variation of vegetation. The proposed methods have the potential to improve our ability to simulate the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of vegetated floodplain surfaces with an approach that is more physically-based and reproducible than conventional “look up” approaches. However, additional research is needed to quantify model performance with respect to spatially distributed flow properties and parameterization of vegetation characteristics.

As in many other countries, Peru has the Water Quality Standard (WQS) as the primary tool for managing and diagnosing water resources. An analysis variable by variable to define water quality as poor or good was applied by setting concentration limits. A second group of tools commonly used are Biotic Indexes based on tolerance of benthic macroinvertebrates to pollution, that reflect the impacts caused by a group of variables, even though they cannot identify which variables determine the viability of the ecosystem. This research proposes to include the Stable States approach to evaluate the ecological integrity in central Andes rivers to explore an alternative approach with the capacity to represent a broader number of factors through multivariate analysis. A ten-year database of biological and physical-chemical variables measured in five Andean rivers were evaluated. Our results suggest these rivers fluctuate into two seasonal stable states (wet and dry season), accounting for approximately 31% of the system variability. In the wet season, the equilibrium of the state was dominated by the highest levels of suspended solids, turbidity, coliform, phosphorus, and some metals. During the dry season, the key variables were dissolved oxygen, flow, physical habitat, and biotic and diversity indexes. Likewise, there seems to be a third alternative state influenced by human pressures because of variables that exceed the WQS. Regarding water quality, the concentrations of coliforms, phosphorus, and lead usually exceeded the limits in two stations, but not every year. The ecological condition was better represented by ABI index than EPT.

Headwater streams can constitute up to 80% of river channel length and are vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures due to their high connectivity to adjacent land, large relative catchment size and low dilution capacity. In these environments unrestricted cattle access is a potential significant cause of water quality deterioration, resulting from increases in stream bank erosion, riparian damage and sediment deposition among others. Several studies have reported improvements in physico-chemical and hydromorphological conditions of streams following elimination of cattle access; few, however, have focussed on the ecological impacts of such management practices. Here, such impacts are assessed. We look at the short-term effects by comparing habitat condition, sediment deposition, and instream macroinvertebrate communities upstream and downstream of cattle access points prior to, and one year following exclusion via fencing. The long-term effects are also measured by reassessing a small stream catchment entirely fenced off from cattle access in 2008 under a concerted management effort. In the short term, cattle exclusion led to reduction in deposited sediment downstream of cattle access points and a related homogenisation of macroinvertebrate community structure between upstream and downstream sampling points. Increased abundances of specific indicator taxa ( Ancylus fluviatilis, Glossosomatidae and Elmidae) in the fenced catchment following 9 years of exclusion highlight the long-term ecological benefits of such mitigation practices. These findings highlight the importance of incentivised agri-environment schemes in reducing the negative impacts of cattle access to these vulnerable ecosystems.

Dams alter many aspects of riverine environments and can have broad effects on aquatic organisms and habitats both upstream and downstream. While dams and the associated reservoirs can provide many services to people (hydropower, recreation, flood control, navigation, etc.), they can negatively affect riverine ecosystems. In particular, hydropeaking dams affect downstream fish habitats by increasing variability in discharge and temperature. To assess the effects of Harris Dam on the Tallapoosa River, AL, operating under an adaptive management plan implemented in 2005, we sampled fish for community and diet analyses from four sites on the river: three in the regulated region downstream of the dam, and one unregulated site upstream. Fish were collected every other month using boat/barge electrofishing. We used Shannon’s H, nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), a multiresponse permutation procedure (MRPP), and indicator species analysis to quantify patterns in fish assemblage structure and determine how assemblages varied among sites. NMDS and MRPP indicated significant fish assemblage differences among sites with the tailrace fish assemblage being distinct from the other downstream sites, and sites becoming more similar to the upstream, unregulated site (relative to fish assemblages) with distance downstream of the tailrace. The tailrace fish assemblage included higher proportions of rheophilic species that may be better suited for variable and/or high flows. Altered fish assemblages demonstrated continued effects of Harris Dam on the downstream aquatic systems, particularly close to the dam. These effects may indicate further mitigation should be considered depending on conservation and management goals.

Global changes and local pressures related to the exploitation of water resources are significantly reducing streams' biodiversity and threatening their ecological balance. This trend concerns both the lowland rivers flowing in densely populated areas, and the alpine headwaters, where the effects of global change are dramatically evident and often accompanied by alterations in river hydro-morphology. In mountainous river stretches, regulation and morphological alterations such as bank reinforcement, water abstractions, dams, and weirs are increasing. In the Alps, protected areas and especially large National Parks constitute an effective strategy to face the loss of biodiversity, but little is known about their effectiveness regarding lotic environments. To examine the recent trend in aquatic communities in Alpine protected areas, we carried out biological samplings and hydro-morphological evaluation in twelve high-altitude streams within the oldest Italian National Park, the Gran Paradiso Park, located in the heart of the Western Alps, and we compared results with a previous survey performed in 2005, keeping the same experimental design. Our results detected minimal changes in the hydro-morphology of the studied watercourses. Biomonitoring indices associated with benthic communities likewise do not evidence significant differences. Concerning diatom flora, we found however in 2020 a greater uniformity in species composition compared to communities of 2005, and a slight turnover between species. In conclusion, our findings underline the effectiveness of protected areas for the conservation of running water environments because they limit hydro-morphological alterations thus increasing the resilience of aquatic communities to climate change.

Despite the growing number of dam removals, very few have been studied to understand their impacts on stream fish communities. An even smaller proportion of dam removal studies focus on the impacts of low-head dam removals, although they are the most common type of dam. Instead, the majority of removal studies focus on the impacts of larger dams. In this study, two previously impounded Illinois rivers were monitored to assess the impacts of low-head dam removal on the functional assemblage of stream fishes. Study sites were sampled each fall from 2012-2015 (pre-dam removal) and 2018-2020 (post-dam removal) in three habitat types: downstream of the dam, impounded areas, and runs of rivers. Fishes were aggregated into habitat and reproductive guilds, relating community changes to habitat, environmental metrics, and stream quality. Prior to removal, the slackwater guild was the most prevalent habitat guild throughout both rivers, while nest builders and benthic spawners were the most abundant reproductive guilds. During the two years following removal, habitat conditions and fish assemblages improved throughout both rivers, with improvements in QHEI, IBI, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen, as well as a shift to more evenly distributed representation of habitat and reproductive guilds. The improvements in environmental metrics and overall stream quality, particularly in the formerly impounded habitats, indicate diminished habitat homogeneity, and a shift towards natural habitat diversity. This habitat diversification likely led to the restoration of a range of potential niches, thereby increasing the array of guild types inhabiting these rivers, while simultaneously preventing single-guild dominance.

Widespread hydrologic alterations have simplified in-stream habitats in rivers globally, driving population declines and local extirpations of many native fishes. Here, we examine how rapid geomorphic change in a historically degraded desert river has influenced habitat diversification and ecosystem persistence. In 2010, a large reach of the degraded and simplified lower San Rafael River (SRR), Utah, was impacted by the formation of a valley plug and began to shift from a homogenous, single-thread channel to a complex, multi-threaded riverscape. We combined field measurements and drone-collected imagery to document habitat changes due to the valley plug. Our results demonstrate that in 2021, the valley plug reach was more diverse than any other stream reach along the SRR, containing 641% more diverse habitat (e.g., pools, riffles, backwaters) than what was measured in 2015. The plug reach also retained water for periods beyond what was expected during seasonal drying, with the total extent of inundation within the riverscape increasing by over 2,800%. Since the formation of the valley plug, riparian habitat has increased by 230% and channel networks have expanded to more than 50 distinct channels throughout the zone of influence. Our results provide evidence of successful self-restoration in a formerly highly degraded reach of desert river, and encourage new methods of desert river restoration. We aim to inform the use of large-scale, disruptive restoration actions like intentional channel occlusions, with the goal of mitigating the impacts of simplification and increasing habitat persistence in the face of exacerbated aridity in the desert Southwest.

A novel aerial tracer particle distribution system has been developed. This system is mounted on an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and flown upstream from where surface velocimetry measurements are conducted. This enables surface velocimetry techniques to be applied in rivers and channels lacking sufficient natural tracer particles or surface features. Lack of tracers is a common problem during low flows, in lowland rivers, or in artificial channels. This is particularly problematic for analysis conducted using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) techniques where dense tracer particles are required. Techniques for colouring tracer particles with biodegradable dye have also been developed, along with methods for extracting them from Red Green Blue (RGB) imagery in the Hue Saturation Value (HSV) colour space. The use of coloured tracer particles enables flow measurements in situations where sunglint, surface waves, moving shadows, or dappled lighting on riverbeds can interfere with and corrupt results using surface velocimetry techniques. These developments further expand the situations where surface velocimetry can be applied, as well as improving the accuracy of the results.

Hydropeaking operation leads to fluctuations in wetted area between base and peak flow and increases discharge-related hydraulic forces (e.g., flow velocity). These processes promote macroinvertebrate drift and stranding, often affecting benthic abundance and biomass. Our field experimental study – conducted in three hydropeaking-regulated Swiss rivers – aimed to quantify (i) the short-term effects of the combined increase in flow amplitude and up-ramping rate based on macroinvertebrate drift and stranding, as well as (ii) long-term effects based on the established community composition. Hydropeaking led to increased macroinvertebrate drift compared to base flow and to unaffected residual flow reaches. Moreover, stranding of macroinvertebrates was positively related to drift, especially during the up-ramping phase. Flow velocity and up-ramping rate were identified as major determinants for macroinvertebrate drift, while flow ratio and down-ramping rate for stranding. Particularly high sensitivity towards HP was found for Limnephilidae, whereas Heptageniidae seemed to be resistant in respect to short and long-term hydropeaking effects. In the long-term, hydropeaking did not considerably reduce benthic density of most taxa, especially of some highly resistant and resilient taxa such as Chironomidae and Baetidae, which dominated the community composition even though they showed comparably high drift and stranding responses. Therefore, we argue that high passive drift and/or stranding, especially of individual-rich taxa, does not necessarily indicate strong hydropeaking sensitivity. Finally, our results demonstrate the necessity to consider the differences in river-specific morphological complexity and hydropeaking intensity, since these factors strongly influence the community composition and short-term drift and stranding response of macroinvertebrates to hydropower pressure.

‘Fluvial’, excerpt from ‘Dorset Waterbodies’, a new landscape ecopoem by Helen Moore

Place identity is the emotional connection between people and a place. It is significant for local development and people’s satisfaction and happiness in where they reside. The physical environment is one of the most important factors affecting people’s emotions toward a place. In order to clarify the theoretical analytical framework of the process from village space morphology to place identity, this study takes the area of Aihui along the Heilongjiang River, China, as an example. The research was conducted regarding two aspects: First, we analyzed the space morphology of the villages in the Aihui district and interpreted their locality. On this basis, we conducted a survey of villagers’ subjective perceptions of the village space and their place identity through in-depth interviews. From the collected interview texts, we extracted, verified, and analyzed the role of morphological constituents in the construction of place identity. Finally, a comprehensive framework was established. The features of space morphology are the projections of locality in physical space. People use morphological constituents to construct an image of the village and scenes of local life; morphological constituents with local characteristics can help enhance people’s place identity.

Blue sucker ( Cycleptus elongatus) occurs in the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico drainages of North America and is negatively affected by habitat fragmentation and flow regime alteration caused by dams. During fish assemblage surveys in August of 2022, we collected five specimens of juvenile blue sucker (312-428 mm total length) in the Angelina River upstream of Sam Rayburn Reservoir in east Texas (46,335-hectare surface area) where the occurrence of the species was previously unconfirmed. Given this unexpected finding, we (1) analyzed blue sucker mesohabitat associations to compare habitats we sampled with reports in the literature, and (2) reviewed blue sucker occurrence in state, national, and global databases across historical (1950-1980) and contemporary (1981-2022) periods to assess occurrence across gradients of habitat fragmentation and streamflow regulation. The blue sucker population in the Angelina River upstream of Sam Rayburn Reservoir was previously unconfirmed but is within the native range of the species. Mesohabitats occupied by blue sucker were consistent with literature reports, including fast velocity, shallow depth, and coarse substrates. The low degree of regulation (19% of natural runoff stored by upstream reservoirs) and a high degree of habitat connectivity (287 rkm of mainstem habitat) for the Angelina River upstream of Sam Rayburn Reservoir matched range-wide patterns of persistence within relatively intact (unfragmented and unregulated) or remnant (fragmented but unregulated) riverscapes. Our review reveals that blue sucker populations might persist (1) in remnant river fragments where local habitat templates are appropriate and (2) where effects of habitat fragmentation and flow regulation are not coupled.

One of the negative effects of hydropower on river environment includes rapid changes in flow and habitat conditions. Any sudden flow change could force fish to move towards a refuge area in a short period of time, causing serious disturbances in the life cycle of the fish. A probability-based multiscale model was developed to quantify the impact of hydropeaking on habitat suitability for two fish species. The model used habitat preference curves, river flow and depth to develop the suitability maps. The suitability index maps reveal that habitat suitability deteriorates as flow increases in this part of the river. The probability model showed that, on average, suitability indices are higher for adult grayling than juvenile trout in hydropeaking events in the studied area. In addition, the life stages of fish determine their response to the sudden flow change. The method developed shows the potential to be used in river management and the evaluation of hydropeaking impacts in river systems affected by hydropower.