Project period: 9 15 24-9 14 25PROJECT title: understanding, quantifying, and forecasting associations among hydrogeomorphology, water chemistry, and the distribution and abundance of biota in the…

Project period: 9 15 24-9 14 25PROJECT title: understanding, quantifying, and forecasting associations among hydrogeomorphology, water chemistry, and the distribution and abundance of biota in the upper mississippi river under climate changeplain language summary: climate changes have altered the upper mississippi river system (umrs), and these changes will continue into the future. Climate has influenced both the habitat and the organisms that depend on IT by modifying river temperature and hydrology. The upper mississippi river restoration program (umrr) works to restore habitats across the umrs and collects samples of water quality, vegetation, mussels, and fish. To help identify suitable areas for restoration projects, the umrr uses an aquatic areas map, which describes the habitat types found throughout the umrs. There is a need to better understand the associations between umrs organisms and the habitats they use. This information can guide which sites need restoring and how restoration efforts will influence water quality and aquatic organisms. The first goal is to understand how water quality, aquatic vegetation, mussels, and fish vary in space and are associated with different habitat types throughout the umrs and identify any changes over time. The second goal is to use goal-one results to predict how climate change could alter the water quality and organisms of the umrs in the future. Expect to find water quality and aquatic community differences throughout space and time that are related to unique habitat types, given different temperature and flow levels across the umrs. Findings will be reported in publicly available, peer-reviewed articles and incorporated in a graduate student project and presentations. Project results will help river managers forecast the effects of their actions, and climate change, on the habitats and aquatic communities within the umrs and other large river systems worldwide. Project summary: climate, land use, and other regional- to global-scale changes have been and are expected to continue to shape the physical template of the upper mississippi river system (umrs) in ways that influence water quality and the abundance and diversity of biotic communities. The upper mississippi river restoration program (umrr) uses a variety of restoration techniques to shape the physical template of the river to influence water quality and various biotic communities. The umrr also provides long-term data collection of water quality, aquatic vegetation, mussel, and fish communities across the umrs. To help identify suitable restoration areas, the umrr uses an aquatic areas GIS database which maps habitat types across the umrs. Currently lack a basic understanding of associations among hydrogeomorphic conditions, biogeochemistry, riverine biota, and these habitat types and how future hydrogeomorphic changes may affect the umrs. The goals are to 1) develop a comprehensive understanding of how water quality attributes, aquatic vegetation, mussel, and fish communities are structured spatially and temporally across the umrs and to quantify associations with important aquatic areas or habitat types, and 2) leverage goal-one results with future river discharge predictions under climate change to assess future distributions and abundances of aquatic areas and associated abiotic and biotic components. Expect to find differences among abiotic and biotic components across aquatic areas within each umrs pool, and throughout time, given the differences in habitat characteristics per pool (i.e., temperature and flow regimes). Findings will be reported in peer-reviewed articles and incorporated into a graduate student dissertation and presentations. Project results will help guide management decisions on the umrs and other large river systems.