Functional flows are discharge values that serve ecological uses. Assessments of functional flows are based on evaluation of shear stress dynamics.
Functional flows analysis can be useful in studying water management options to improve habitat conditions for target species and life stages. This model integrates hydrogeomorphic processes and ecological functions for stream physical habitat evaluations, including metrics of hydrologic, hydraulic, geomorphic and ecologic dynamics.
The article describes, as an example, the application of the model to fall-run Chinook salmon spawning. Model uncertainties related to input data, calculation algorithms, and model structure are also analyzed.
Read article here (external link). For a related article on an application of this model, click here.
