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Evaluating Effect of Climate Change on River Flows in the Clinch River Basin: A new project by the U.S. Geological Survey is evaluating the potential cascading effects to river flows and quality aquatic habitat due to changes in climate within an ecologically important area of the Appalachian LCC. A greater understanding of likely flow changes within the Virginia portion of the Clinch River Basin will allow managers to better respond to alterations and degradation of physical habitat. Information and results from this study will also provide managers with methods to be applied throughout the Appalachian LCC region. (Photo by Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries)

Riparian Prioritization and Status Assessment for Climate Change Resilience of Coldwater Stream Habitats within the Appalachian and Northeastern Regions: Among a host of other critical ecosystem functions, intact riparian forests can help to reduce vulnerability of coldwater stream habitats to warming regional temperatures. Restoring and conserving these forests can therefore be an important part of regional and landscape-scale conservation plans, but managers need science and decision-support tools to help determine when these actions will be most effective. To help fill this need, we developed the Riparian Prioritization for Climate Change Resilience (RPCCR) web-based decision support tool to quickly and easily identify, based on current riparian cover and predicted vulnerability to air temperature warming, sites that are priority candidates for riparian restoration and conservation.

Riparian Restoration to Promote Climate Change Resilience in Eastern U.S. Streams: Provision of shade via riparian restoration is a well-established management adaptation strategy to mitigate against temperature increases in streams. Effective use of this strategy depends upon accurately identifying vulnerable, unforested riparian areas in priority coldwater stream habitats. An innovative riparian planting and restoration decision support tool is now available to the conservation community. This user-friendly tool allows managers and decision-makers to rapidly identify and prioritize areas along the banks of rivers, streams, and lakes for restoration, making these ecosystems more resilient to disturbance and future changes in climate.

Summary of Q3 2012 TOT Reviews: This file contains the combined technical comments of TOT members.

Abstract and Progress Report for Q3 2012: Abstract and progress report from the Vendor for the Ecological Flows Project.

2nd Quarter, 2013 TOT Comments: Review of Quarterly Report by Technical Oversight Team

Ecological Flows 2nd Quarter Report, 2013: Report from Vendors of the Aquatic Ecologic Flows Project.

Aquatic Ecological Flows Phase 1 Report: The 1st phase of the Aquatic Ecological Flows project involved reviewing existing tools and gathering available data within the project area on hydrologic and ecological flow model(s) that would be suitable for the region. This Report details that work.

Stream Impacts from Water Withdrawals Phase 1 Report: The 1st phase of this research project involved reviewing existing tools and gathering available data within the project area on hydrologic and ecological flow model(s) that would be suitable for the region.

Stream Impacts from Water Withdrawals in the Marcellus Shale Region: The Appalachian LCC provided a grant to Cornell University Environmental Engineers to study how the region’s surface freshwater supply – and the health of natural systems delivering this resource – have been impacted and may be altered in the coming years under increasing water withdrawals.

Interior Low Plateau subregion climate change vulnerability species assessments: These results are a compilation of climate change vulnerability assessments in the western portion of the LCC, covering the area from Western Kentucky, northeastern Alabama and western Tennessee west to southern Indiana and southeastern Illinois. Results included are from Bruno et al. (Cumberland Piedmont Network of the National Park Service; and Walk et al. 2011 (illinois). It also includes the results from species assessed as part of the current study (Sneddon et al. 2015).

Central Appalachian subregion climate change vulnerability species assessments Excel Spreadsheet: These results are a compilation of climate change vulnerability assessments in the northern-most portion of the LCC, covering the area from New York south to West Virginia and Virginia, west to Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. Results included are Byers and Norris 2011 (West Virginia); Furedi et al. 2011 (Pennsylvania), Ring et al. 2013 (New Jersey), Schlesinger et al. 2011 (New York); Virginia Division of Natural Heritage 2010 (Virginia). It also includes the results from species assessed as part of the current study (Sneddon et al. 2015).

Cumberland - Southern Appalachian Climate Change Vulnerability Species Assessments: These results are a compilation of climate change vulnerability assessments in the southeastern portion of the LCC, covering the area from southern West Virginia, south to Alabama, west to eastern Kentucky and Tennessee. Hyperlinks to additional information are separated into two additional spreadsheets, one for aquatic and subterranean, and another for terrestrial species.

Interior Low Plateau Climate Change Vulnerability Species Assessments: These results are a compilation of climate change vulnerability assessments in the western portion of the LCC, covering the area from Western Kentucky, northeastern Alabama and western Tennessee west to southern Indiana and southeastern Illinois.

Central Appalachian Climate Change Vulnerability Species Assessments: These results are a compilation of climate change vulnerability assessments in the northern-most portion of the LCC, covering the area from New York south to West Virginia and Virginia, west to Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio.

Stream Baseflow Index: Average annual stream baseflow index at 1 kilometer resolution throughout the Appalachian LCC region.

Aquatic Species Richness by County: Distribution of aquatic species at the county scale throughout the Appalachian LCC region.

Aquatic Species Richness: Distribution of aquatic species richness by 20 kilometers grids throughout the Appalachian LCC region. At this scale, the hotspots of aquatic species richness are in southern Indiana (the Mitchell Plain) and central Kentucky (Mammoth Cave).

Final Report: A Stream Classification for the Appalachian LCC: A classification system and map was developed for stream and river systems in the Appalachian LCC region, encompassing parts of 17 states. The product is intended to complement state-based stream classifications by unifying them into a single consistent system that represents the region’s natural flowing aquatic habitats. The results can be used to understand ecological flow relationships and inform conservation planning for aquatic biodiversity in the region.

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