HEC-EFM and GeoEFMTools for restoration planningTools for restoration planning

John Hickey, HEC

Outline

Concepts:  Let’s think about…

• Ecosystems associated with rivers and wetlands• Human influences• Hydrographs• Hydrographs

Intro for Ecosystem Functions Model

• How does EFM allow users to investigate hydrographs?

Outline

Concepts:  Let’s think about…

• Ecosystems associated with rivers and wetlands• Human influences• Hydrographs• Hydrographs

Intro for Ecosystem Functions Model

• How does EFM allow users to investigate hydrographs?

Hydrology and Ecology

Chinook Salmon

hatch young rearing and out to ocean spawning eggs in gravel

seed

eggs

Northern 

CottonwoodTrees

northern migration breeding hatching southern migration

dormant germination seedling development dormantseed

dispersal

Pintail feeding/fattening

OW

l

FLO Natural

Regulated

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Model for a Southwestern River Ecosystem

Outline

Concepts:  Let’s think about…

• Ecosystems associated with rivers and wetlands• Human influences• Hydrographs• Hydrographs

Intro for Ecosystem Functions Model

• How does EFM allow users to investigate hydrographs?

Water Quality2 mussels

4 mussels

Water Development in United States

Ratio of water consumed relative to annual average surface flow

Global Water Consumption

Shiklomanov 1996

The History of Global Dam Development

Proportion of U.S. Species at Risk

Source: Precious Heritage (TNC 2000)

Outline

Concepts:  Let’s think about…

• Ecosystems associated with rivers and wetlands• Human influences• Hydrographs• Hydrographs

Intro for Ecosystem Functions Model

• How does EFM allow users to investigate hydrographs?

Connections between Flow and Ecology

Postel and Richter, 2003.

Getting into EFM…

Key points so far

g

• Ecosystems evolve in concert with hydrologic patterns• Humans alter natural hydrologic patterns• If understood connections between ecology and hydrology can be• If understood, connections between ecology and hydrology can be used to help guide water and ecosystem management 

f d lIntro for Ecosystem Functions Model

• How does EFM allow users to look at hydrographs?

Ecosystem Functions Model (EFM) Process

EcologyHydrology

Statistics

Statistical Results:  Eco‐performance measures for each 

ater scenariowater scenario

Hydraulics

SpatialSpatial Results: 

Maps and areas for each water scenario

HEC‐EFM

• Analyze up to ~37,000 flow regimes at once

• User‐defined stats link hydro and ecology

• Geo queries add spatial aspects to  p prelationships

Helps determine ecoHelps determine eco‐responses to changes in river and wetland 

flow regimes…

EFM Math: Splittail Spawning

Beginning of Season End of 

SeasonSeasonDuration Interval

Duration IntervalDuration Interval

The maximum of the minimums is the highest flow in the season 

Advance 1 Day

Minimums define the flow levels that support      egg incubation…

Advance 1 Day

that supports egg incubation.

Minimum Value in Interval

Minimum Value in Interval

Flow

gg

IntervalMinimum Value in Interval

Feature has been used for fish spawning and 

Datevegetation drowning…

1997

HEC‐EFM• Uses daily time series of flow and stage

• Computes statistics that• Computes statistics that are eco‐relevant (as defined by users)

• Compare management• Compare management scenarios for multiple eco‐relationships

Statistical results investigated spatially with hydraulic models and GIS…

HEC‐EFM ‐ from Statistical to Spatial…• Statistical results are input to hydraulic models to develop:

• Water surface profiles

• Depth and velocity grids• Depth and velocity grids

• Inundation boundary maps

• Shear stress…

Splittail Spawning:Gaged ConditionsNatural ConditionsChannel Habitat

(not suitable)(not suitable)

25

EFM SJ River Rch 9(2d) 3rd River = San Joaquin Reach = 2d Index Cross Sect

Legend

WS 10yr

WS IIC1

WS 5

5

10

15

20

Ele

vatio

n (ft

)

WS 5yr

WS 3yr

WS IIB1

WS IIC3

WS 1.5yr

WS IIE1

WS IA3a

WS IA3b

WS AvgAug

WS IA5

Ground

Levee

500 1000 1500 2000

0

Station (ft)

Levee

Bank Sta

EFM Applications and Relationships…

• Farmington River, CT…………..Floodplain forest, shrubs, buttonbush

• Sandy River Delta, OR…………….Chinook salmon

• Bill Williams River AZ Cottonwood willow saltcedar• Bill Williams River, AZ...............Cottonwood, willow, saltcedar

• Mississippi River, MO...............Waterfowl, bluegill, plants

• Truckee River, NV…………………..Mayflies and cottonwood

• Ashuelot Rivers, NH……………….Mussels, host fish

• Savannah River, GA/SC.............Shad, bass, shoals lily

• Sacramento/San Joaquin CA Splittail geomorph LWD• Sacramento/San Joaquin, CA...Splittail, geomorph, LWD

EFM Application – Cottonwood   Bill Willi Ri AZ

VeVe

Colorado R

.C

olorado R. VeVe

Colorado R

.C

olorado R.

Bill Williams River, AZ

PhoenixPhoenixGila R.Gila R.

Salt R.Salt R.

erde R.

erde R.

PhoenixPhoenixGila R.Gila R.

Salt R.Salt R.

erde R.

erde R.

YumaYuma TucsonTucsonYumaYuma TucsonTucson

DA = 5200 sq. mi.

EFM Math ‐ CottonwoodsBeginning of Season

End of Season

Actual Recession > EFM Threshold Recession: Seedlings germinating on this day would not be able to survive…

Choose previous day: Seedlings germinating on this day would survive rest of recessionActual Recession

Advance 1 Day backwards through the season

Advance 1 Day backwards through the season

Stage

Actual Recession

Advance 1 Day backwards through the season

EFM Threshold Recession

Ad 1 D EFM Threshold Recession

Actual RecessionActual Recession

EFM Threshold Recession

Actual Recession

EFM Threshold Recession

# of Days

EFM Threshold Recession

# of Days

EFM Threshold Recession

Advance 1 Day backwards through the season

Date

# of Days

EFM Threshold Recession

# of Days# of Days Feature has been used for cottonwood, willow, and 

saltcedar seedlingsaltcedar seedling recruitment…

2006

Bill Williams River: Mixed Riparian SpeciesRiparian Species

Spatial Analysis of HEC EFM ResultsHEC‐EFM Results 

Cottonwood

Correlating to Field Data

Preliminary Patch Correlations

Si l t d Species CorrelationSimulated v.

ObservedPatches

pCottonwood 0.77Willow 0.81Tamarisk 0.82Tamarisk 0.82

Floodplain Vegetation Farmington River, CTg ,

Field Work: Vegetation Survey 

• Survey vegetation and elevation data along floodplain transectsalong floodplain transects

• Monitor channel water levels with pressure transducer

h fl d d d f h l h• How much flooding is needed for healthy floodplain ecosystem? 

Tree results: Duration of flooding

20 

50 

vv

Floodplain Vegetation 

Floodplain Forest Mixed Shrubs Buttonbush  Open Water ( )

Inundated 20 days per year

(no veg)

Inundated 50 days per year

Inundated 200 

Inundated 300 days per year 

days per year

ButtonbushMixed ShrubSilver MapleSilver MapleEFM Math: Floodplain Vegetation

Beginning  of Season

End of Season

1 Day DurationAdvance 1 Day User Defined %Silver Maple‐Driest (20‐day inundation)

low

Silver Maple‐Median (50‐day inundation)

F

Mixed Shrub‐Driest         (200‐day inundation)

= 365 days

Buttonbush                        Driest                    (300‐day inundation)

199901/01 12/31… …

Each year is considered and then ranked…Season Season Season Season Season

Flow

Time

… …

199919981997 2000 2001Time

Seasonal ResultsButtonbush XML Output

DSS Output

Flow Silver Maple‐driest (20‐d inundation)

Silver Maple‐median (50‐d inundation)Mixed Shrub‐driest (200‐d inundation)Buttonbush driest (300 inundation)

50%100% 0%

Buttonbush‐driest (300‐ inundation)

Statistical results reported in EFM interface and used i i h d li d l50%

Percent Equaled or Exceeded

100% 0% in river hydraulic models for mapping…

HEC‐EFM – From Statistical to Spatial…

Gaged Simulated Vegetation Communities

Open Water

Buttonbush

Mixed Shrubs

Floodplain Forest (Med)Floodplain Forest (Med)

Floodplain Forest (Driest)

Comparing Flow Regimes:                     Gaged and NaturalGaged and Natural

Gaged Natural

Comparing Flow Regimes: Gaged and NatGaged Natural

Gaged NaturalRelationships in EFM

Gaged(acres)

Natural (acres) ∆ acreage

Open Water 196 184 ‐12

Buttonbush 79 20 ‐59

Mixed Shrubs 113 147 33

Floodplain Forest 762 842 80

GeoEFM – Partnering HEC‐ESRIToolbar for Arc 9 3Toolbar for Arc 9.3

…set up and manage project

GeoEFM – Habitat Area

…compute/tabulate habitat areas for different management or

restoration scenarios

…corridors, distribution, interaction

GeoEFM – Habitat Connectivity

2

125

6

7

10

1

3

9

4

1411

13

8

Ecosystem Functions Model (EFM) Process

EcologyHydrology

Statistics

Statistical Results:  Eco‐performance measures for each 

ater scenario

EFM

water scenario

Hydraulics

SpatialSpatial Results: 

Maps and areas for each water scenario Relationships

Gaged(acres)

SYE (acres)

Open Water 196 184

Geo

EFM

Open Water 196 184

Buttonbush 79 20

Mixed Shrubs 113 147

Floodplain Forest 762 842

HEC‐EFMReservoir Operations

SummaryHydrology Economics

River HydraulicsSediment

Ecosystem Function

Water Quality

• “Flow Regimes” = water management and/or ecosystem restoration scenarios

• “Relationships” = connections between hydrology and ecology

• EFM is generic…can be used to test many different types of Relationships

• EFM is powerful…can be used to test many different Flow Regimes

• Statistical output (direction of eco‐change and magnitude of eco‐change)

• Spatial output via hydraulic models (habitat areas and habitat connectivity) 

For more information…

• www.hec.usace.army.mil/software/hec‐efm/

/ / /• www.hec.usace.army.mil/software/hec‐efm‐plotter/

• www.hec.usace.army.mil/software/hec‐geoefm/ (…coming soon)

EFM references

Shafroth et al.  2010.  Ecosystem effects of environmental flows: modelling and experimental floods in a dryland river.  Freshwater Biology ‐ January 2010.

USACE.  2009.  HEC‐EFM ‐ Ecosystem Functions Model ‐ Quick Start Guide ‐ Version 2.0.  Hydrologic Engineering Center, Davis, CA.

Hautzinger, Hickey, and Walker.  2008.  How Much Water Do Stream‐Dependent Species Need? Southwest Hydrology ‐ July/August 2008.

Hickey.  2007.  Models and Software for Supporting Ecologically Sustainable Water Management.  Water Resources IMPACT ‐ July 2007.

USACE.  2006.  Environmental Assessment update for the Savannah River Drought Contingency Plan. Savannah District.

USACE.  2004.  The Ecosystem Functions Model: A Tool for Restoration Planning.  ERDC/TN SMART‐04‐4.

USACE and Reclamation Board, State of California.  2002.  Ecosystem FunctionsModel ‐ Technical Studies Documentation, Appendix G. Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers Basin Comprehensive Study, Sacramento, CA. http://www.compstudy.net/reports.htmlq p y, , p // p y / p

Jones and Stokes.  2000.  Final functional relationships for the Ecosystem Functions Model, Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins Comprehensive Study, Sacramento, CA.