A new tool helps water managers consider ecosystem needs

The Stockholm Environment Institute has developed a platform based on the Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) system that allows water managers to model the effects of management options on aquatic habitat and species viability. The tool generates complete aquatic habitat assessments by comparing daily hydraulic, substrate, and temperature conditions against ideal conditions for species at specific points. It has been applied in California's Santa Clara Valley Water District to evaluate regulations affecting steelhead and chinook salmon, and is being used in the South Fork Eel River to analyze the impacts of instream flow requirements and cannabis policies on Coho and Chinook salmon. The tool is intended to support compliance with laws such as the California Environmental Quality Act and the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, as well as restoration projects in the Mid Klamath Watershed.

• The SEI-developed tool integrates hydroecological processes into a water operations model using the Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) system to model how management options affect habitat availability and the viability of aquatic species.
• The latest version of the tool performs aquatic habitat assessments at specific creek reaches and points by modeling daily temperature, substrate, and hydraulic conditions and comparing them to the ideal conditions for species at those times.
• In California's Santa Clara Valley Water District, the tool was used to evaluate how different operating regimes and regulations impact fish habitat across all life stages while balancing water supply for agriculture, industry, and people, aiding in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act.
• In the South Fork Eel River of northcentral California, the tool is being used to model the effects of cannabis policies, curtailment procedures, and instream flow requirements on water users and the habitats of steelhead, Chinook, and Coho salmon.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2019). A new tool helps water managers consider ecosystem needs. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/a-new-tool-helps-water-managers-consider-ecosystem-needs.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. A new tool helps water managers consider ecosystem needs. 2019. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/a-new-tool-helps-water-managers-consider-ecosystem-needs.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=A new tool helps water managers consider ecosystem needs |date=May 2019 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/a-new-tool-helps-water-managers-consider-ecosystem-needs.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2019new, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{A new tool helps water managers consider ecosystem needs}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2019}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/a-new-tool-helps-water-managers-consider-ecosystem-needs.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }