Stream-Aquifer Interactions

Alternative stable states and hydrological regime shifts in a large intermittent river

Non-perennial rivers and streams make up over half the global river network and are becoming more widespread. Transitions from perennial to non-perennial flow are a threshold-type change that can lead to alternative stable states in aquatic …

Identifying Regime Shifts in the Arkansas River Near Larned, Kansas

Characterizing the drivers of flow in non-perennial streams is increasingly important for understanding the effects of variable flow regimes on local communities and ecosystems. Regime shift theory has been used to explain changes in other hydrologic …

Quantifying Streamflow Depletion from Groundwater Pumping: A Practical Review of Past and Emerging Approaches for Water Management

Groundwater pumping can cause reductions in streamflow (“streamflow depletion”) that must be quantified for conjunctive management of groundwater and surface water resources. However, streamflow depletion cannot be measured directly and is …

Advancing environmental flows approaches to streamflow depletion management

Groundwater use can reduce streamflow by reducing groundwater flows into streams and/or increasing losses from the stream into the aquifer (‘streamflow depletion’). Streamflow depletion can impact aquatic ecosystems through changes in the …

Too Many Streams and Not Enough Time or Money? Analytical Depletion Functions for Streamflow Depletion Estimates

Groundwater pumping can cause streamflow depletion by reducing groundwater discharge to streams and/or inducing surface water infiltration. Analytical and numerical models are two standard methods used to predict streamflow depletion. Numerical …

Characterizing Streamflow Intermittency and Subsurface Heterogeneity in the Middle Arkansas River Basin

Non-perennial streams are widespread but understudied relative to their perennial counterparts. In this study, we investigated the flow and intermittency regimes for the Arkansas River near Larned using historical streamflow, groundwater level, and …

Comparing streamflow depletion estimation approaches in a heavily-stressed, conjunctively-managed aquifer

Estimating reductions in streamflow caused by groundwater pumping (‘streamflow depletion’) is critical for conjunctive groundwater-surface water management. Streamflow depletion can be quantified using analytical models, which have low data …

Significant Baseflow Reduction in the Sao Francisco River Basin

Water scarcity is a key challenge to global development. In Brazil, the Sao Francisco River Basin (SFB) has experienced water scarcity problems because of decreasing streamflow and increasing demands from multiple sectors. However, the drivers of …

Streamflow depletion from groundwater pumping in contrasting hydrogeological landscapes: Evaluation and sensitivity of a new management tool

Groundwater pumping can reduce streamflow by reducing groundwater discharge and/or inducing streamflow infiltration, which together are referred to as streamflow depletion. Recently, analytical depletion functions (ADFs) have been suggested as rapid …

Zero or not? Causes and consequences of zero-flow stream gage readings

Streamflow observations can be used to understand, predict, and contextualize hydrologic, ecological, and biogeochemical processes and conditions in streams. Stream gages are point measurements along rivers where streamflow is measured, and are often …