Susquehanna River Basin Ecological Flow Management Study

Description

As the single largest freshwater input to the Chesapeake Bay, the Susquehanna River is a key tributary to one of the nation’s most important estuaries. Natural hydrologic variability is a fundamental component of any river system’s ecological health. Aquatic species and natural communities have evolved in concert with naturally variable flows, and the ecological health of a river system depends on an intact hydrologic regime. This study is focused on ecological flow needs, often called environmental flows, and other water resource needs are not explicitly considered.

This study is intended to synthesize the knowledge of an interdisciplinary group of experts, and to characterize the nature and significance of flow conditions in the Susquehanna River basin. Significant low flows—combined with current and projected water demands—may create critically low flow conditions in the basin. The overarching goal is to clearly establish the volume and timing of flows required to support aquatic species, and to minimize and avoid deleterious impacts.