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Development of a Surface-Water Index of Permanence to Assess Surface-Water Availability for Ecohydrological Refugia

Fact Sheet 2023-3045
By: , , , , , , and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20233045

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Abstract

Surface-water availability has major implications for the environment and society in the 21st century. With climate change, increased drought severity, and altered water and land use, future water availability is predicted to continue to decline in many areas, including much of the western United States (Seager and others, 2013). An understanding of where and when water will be available at multiple scales is crucial for the planning and management of wildlife health, recreation, and energy development.

Currently, indices describing water presence and permanence exist for specific surface-water components (for example, streams and wetlands); however, a general surface-water permanence index that includes all major surface-water components is lacking. Developing a Surface-Water Index of Permanence (SWIPe) can provide a reliable metric to understand future river reach- to region-scale surface-water permanence and availability and inform land management and policy decisions.

SWIPe is designed to cover the upper Missouri River Basin and combines three existing datasets: (1) the U.S. Geological Survey Dynamic Surface Water Extent (DSWE; Jones, 2019), (2) the U.S. Geological Survey Probability of Streamflow Permanence-Upper Missouri (PROSPERUM; Sando and others, 2022a), and (3) seasonal vegetation characteristics (Sando and others, 2022b) to identify likely groundwater/surface-water interaction locations.

SWIPe Development

SWIPe Datasets

Develop index from existing datasets:

Example SWIPe Output

Example SWIPe map showing surface-water permanence, in percent.

SWIPe Tool

An interactive, web-based tool that is planned to be created for use by stakeholders will include the following abilities:

  • Develop situational maps (for example, dry versus wet year simulations),

  • Analyze predictions using a customizable spatiotemporal focus, and

  • Overlay gridded climate data for visual comparison of historical climate conditions with surface-water conditions.

Links to Explore

SWIPe Highlights

Ecological Application of SWIPe—Northern Leopard Frog Case Study

Historically, the Lithobates pipiens (Schreber, 1782; northern leopard frog; NLF) population is distributed across north-central North America (fig. 1), and populations east of the 100th meridian are considered stable. However, populations to the west of the 100th meridian are considered less stable based on genetic assessment (Stockwell and others, 2016), and the Rocky Mountain populations of NLF are listed as endangered under the Canadian Species at Risk Act. Historical population declines are largely attributed to overharvest of NLFs in the 1960s and 1970s for educational and research purposes (Gibbs and others, 1971), but recovery of NLFs in some regions is limited by climate change, invasive species, disease, and habitat loss and degradation (Stockwell and others, 2016). This species uses permanent and seasonal water sources for overwintering and breeding, respectively. Seasonal waterbodies are particularly important for recruitment and early life stages of the NLF, and permanently ponded waterbodies are essential for metapopulation connectivity. SWIPe and its associated products are planned to provide crucial information regarding availability of suitable habitat and the presence of permanent surface-water refugia for the NLF population across its northwestern distribution.

Northern leopard frog population shown as shading throughout the north-central United States and photograph of northern leopard frog.
Figure 1.

Probable historical distribution of Lithobates pipiens (Schreber, 1782; northern leopard frog; modified from Smith and Keinath [2007]). Inset photograph of adult northern leopard frog (photograph by Roy Sando, U.S. Geological Survey).

References Cited

Gibbs, E.L., Nace, G.W., and Emmons, M.B., 1971, The live frog is almost dead: BioScience, v. 21, no. 20, p. 1027–1034, accessed April 10, 2023, at https://doi.org/10.2307/1296057.

Jones, J.W., 2019, Improved automated detection of subpixel-scale inundation—Revised Dynamic Surface Water Extent (DSWE) partial surface water tests: Remote Sensing, v. 11, no. 4, p. 374. [Also available at https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11040374.]

Sando, R., Jaeger, K.L., Farmer, W.H., Barnhart, T.B., McShane, R.R., Welborn, T.L., Kaiser, K.E., Hafen, K.C., Blasch, K., York, B., and Shallcross, A., 2022a, Predictions and drivers of sub-reach-scale annual streamflow permanence for the upper Missouri River basin—1989–2018: Journal of Hydrology X, v. 17, art. 100138, 22 p., accessed March 27, 2023, at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydroa.2022.100138.

Sando, R., Siefken, S.A., and Heldmyer, A.J., 2022b, Probability of Streamflow Permanence (PROSPER) output rasters, 1989–2018, upper Missouri River Basin: U.S. Geological Survey data release, accessed March 27, 2023, at https://doi.org/10.5066/P93VL7HL.

Seager, R., Ting, M., Li, C., Naik, N., Cook, B., Nakamura, J., and Liu, H., 2013, Projections of declining surface-water availability for the southwestern United States: Nature Climate Change, v. 3, no. 5, p. 482–486. [Also available at https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1787.]

Smith, B.E., and Keinath, D.A., 2007, Northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens)—A technical conservation assessment: Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, Species Conservation Project, 66 p., accessed April 4, 2023, at https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5182078.pdf.

Stockwell, C.A., Fisher, J.D., and McLean, K.I., 2016, Clinal patterns in genetic variation for northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens)—Conservation status and population histories: Wetlands, v. 36, p. 437–443, accessed April 4, 2023, at https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-016-0847-3.

Contact Us

Director, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center

U.S. Geological Survey

3162 Bozeman Avenue

Helena, MT 59601

Phone: (406) 457–5900

Email: dc_mt@usgs.gov

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Suggested Citation

Martin, A., Sando, R., Thurman, L., McLean, K., Wurster, P., Jones, J., and Sarbanes, A., 2023, Development of a Surface-Water Index of Permanence to assess surface-water availability for ecohydrological refugia: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2023–3045, 2 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20233045

ISSN: 2327-6932 (online)

Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Development of a Surface-Water Index of Permanence to assess surface-water availability for ecohydrological refugia
Series title Fact Sheet
Series number 2023-3045
DOI 10.3133/fs20233045
Year Published 2023
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center
Description 2 p.
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details