Use of Two-Dimensional Hydraulic Models to Simulate Physical Conditions for Fish Habitat

Habitat restoration on the Upper Mississippi over the last 20 years has included actions such as island construction, water level management, and secondary channel alterations.  Tributary restoration and fish passage may be added to the action list in the future.  Planning for these actions often relies on the use of two-dimensional hydraulic models to inform the decision making process. 

Criteria describing the effects of physical changes on habitat and biota are evolving to be more specific and ecologically based.  As this evolution proceeds, the need to simulate not just hydraulics, but also water quality, geomorphology, and the response of biota becomes apparent. Recent advances in two-dimensional modeling, specifically with the continued development of the Adaptive Hydraulics (ADH) model system is providing project delivery teams the tool to do these simulations.  ADH has been used in the planning process to inventory existing conditions, forecast future without project conditions, establish objectives and performance criteria, perform alternative analysis, and to develop reference conditions.

This talk will describe the use of two-dimensional models for planning and designing fisheries projects on the Upper Mississippi River.