The second page is dedicated to the description and reasons for intermittence.Two panels display the hydrographs and flow durations curves, and a table gives metrics specific to river flow intermittence relevant for ecology. The first standardized page describes the main characteristics of the catchments (land-use, geology, climate, etc.) and the river flow regime.Information on the selected gauged intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams is summarised in a two-page document: Introductory pages describe the procedures used to create the catalogue including definitions of the statistical measures reported for the individual intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams, and provide an overview of the catalogued water courses.
The selected IRES are not meant to be representative of all intermittent water courses in Europe but rather highlight the variety in these water courses. A total of 40 examples have been put together in this catalogue to provide an overview of the variety of IRES in Europe. As part of this work, examples of intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams were collected across Europe, including gauged catchments with both natural and highly influenced river flow regimes. One of the tasks of WG1 was to compile flow gauging data at the European scale. The working group “ Prevalence, distribution and trends of IRES” (WG1) has the central role to provide the physical basis of the SMIRES Action. This COST Action had brought together scientists from various research field and stakeholders to develop a European multidisciplinary network for synthesising the fragmented and recent knowledge on temporary water courses, improving our understanding of Intermittent Rivers and Ephemeral Streams (IRES) and translating this into a science-based, sustainable management of river networks. Even though the Trump administration agencies have attempted to make WOTUS simpler, they have, I am afraid, created many lawsuits for the future.SMIRES is a COST Action addressing the Science and Management of Intermittent Rivers & Ephemeral Streams (coord. What the new WOTUS rule attempts to be saying is that if the stream has dry channels and occasional puddles then a farmer or rancher has an ephemeral flow which would be excluded from WOTUS jurisdiction. You may remember candidate Trump made WOTUS one of his campaign themes. This act alone, as pointed out in earlier blogs, was an enormous grab of power against all landowners. Under the Obama administration’s earlier proposal, virtually any stream bed carrying water anytime of the year put that stream on your property under the jurisdiction of EPA and the Corps of Engineers. The plurality said “…a relatively permanent body of water connected to traditional interstate navigable waters.” EPA and the Corps of Engineers have attempted to clarify what is or is not a relatively permanent body of water. Supreme Court plurality attempted to describe what it believed to be a Water of the United States. Consequently, if a stream in the more arid portions of the country flows only in direct response to a rainfall then chances are this stream is ephemeral in nature and not subject to jurisdiction.ĮPA and the Corps of Engineers attempted to implement what is known as the Rapanos plurality decision in promulgating the three terms. The new WOTUS rule will not give government agencies jurisdiction over these brief storm events. You may have read of farmers and ranchers being subjected to lawsuits in the West because on occasion there was water in a streambed.
Ephemeral flow “…may occur simply because it is raining or has very recently rained or it has recently snowed and the snow has melted.” Generally speaking, ephemeral flow is the result of precipitation. The last term that is not as tricky legally as intermittent is the definition of ephemeral flow. The Trump administration’s EPA even discusses melting snow as a sole or primary source of intermittent flow. Intermittent generally means a seasonal situation when the groundwater table may be elevated. The issue is trickier when a new definition of Waters of the United States (WOTUS) is examined for perennial, intermittent, or ephemeral streams.Ī perennial stream is defined “…to mean surface water flowing continuously year-round.” An intermittent stream in the WOTUS rule means “…surface water flowing continuously during certain times of the year and more than in direct response to precipitation.” This term is very tricky and may mean you have jurisdiction by EPA and/or by the Corps of Engineers or you may not. In an earlier blog, I discussed what is “not” a water of the United States. New Trump administration Waters of the United States rule is attempt to simplify definition. What are perennial, intermittent and ephemeral streams?
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