Uncertainty and instream flow standards
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Abstract
Several years ago, Science published an important essay (Ludwig et al. 1993) on the need to confront the scientific uncertainty associated with managing natural resources. The essay did not discuss instream flow standards explicitly, but its arguments apply. At an April 1995 workshop in Davis, California, all 12 participants agreed that currently no scientifically defensible method exists for defining the instream flows needed to protect particular species of fish or aquatic ecosystems (Williams, in press). We also agreed that acknowledging this fact is an essential step in dealing rationally and effectively with the problem.
Practical necessity and the protection of fishery resources require that new instream flow standards be established and that existing standards be revised. However, if standards cannot be defined scientifically, how can this be done? We join others in recommending the approach of adaptive management. Applied to instream flow standards, this approach involves at least three elements.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Uncertainty and instream flow standards |
| Series title | Fisheries |
| DOI | 10.1577/1548-8446-21-8 |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue | 8 |
| Year Published | 1996 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Contributing office(s) | Alaska Biological Science Center |
| Description | pp. 20-21 |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Fisheries |
| First page | 20 |
| Last page | 21 |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |