Dynamics of Bottomland Geomorphology and Vegetation Along a Dammed, Arid Region River: Implications for Streamflow Management

In arid and semiarid western North America, floodplain forests dominated by native cottonwood and willow trees are highly valued as wildlife habitat and preferred recreation sites and are thus the focus of conservation efforts. The Bill Williams River harbors some of the most extensive native floodplain forests in the lower Colorado River region. Our work is aimed at understanding the dynamics of the Bill Williams River floodplain forests, in the context of pre- and post-dam hydrology and geomorphology. We have mapped bottomland geomorphology and vegetation using seven sets of orthorectified aerial photographs spanning more than 50 years. Two sets of photos (1953 and 1964) pre-date the completion of Alamo Dam, a large flood control structure; and three sets of photos (1996, 2002, and 2005) are from an era during which streamflow downstream of the dam has been managed to promote the establishment and survival of native floodplain forest. Comparison of the aerial photographs to LiDAR data collected in 2005 is providing a framework for quantifying changes in valley bottom morphology and estimating reach-scale changes in volumes of stored and evacuated sediment between 1953 and 2005. Furthermore, comparison of the extent of pre-dam active channel in 1953 with the extent of floodwaters from a regulated moderate flood in 2005 provides an approximation of the predominant patterns of aggradation and degradation in the system over this interval of time. Flood magnitude on the Bill Williams has been dramatically reduced since the closure of Alamo Dam in 1968, and low flows have increased considerably since 1979. Channels along the Bill Williams R. narrowed an average of 111 m (71 %) between 1953 and 1987, with most narrowing occurring after dam closure. Multiple regression analysis revealed significant relationships among flood power, summer flows, intermittency (independent variables) and channel width (dependent variable). Concurrent with channel narrowing was an expansion of dense floodplain vegetation, consisting primarily of native cottonwood and willow and non-native tamarisk shrubs. Moderate flood releases (~7000 ft3/s) from Alamo Dam in the early 1990's widened the river channel and resulted in the establishment of new woody vegetation. For the following nine years, relatively steady, low discharges were released from the dam, resulting in channel narrowing, extensive beaver pond creation, and dense vegetation growth. Moderate flood releases in 2005 again widened channels, destroyed beaver ponds, and created conditions suitable for new vegetation establishment. In addition to understanding the specific conditions along the Bill Williams River, our work should contribute to a more general understanding of connections between fluvial processes and floodplain vegetation, in the contexts of geomorphic response downstream of a large dam and efforts to manage streamflow for ecological benefits downstream.