Flow regulation, geomorphology, and Colorado River marsh development in the Grand Canyon, Arizona

• Published in: Ecological applications Vol. 5; no. 4; pp. 1025 - 1039
• Main Authors: Stevens, Lawrence E., Schmidt, John C., Ayers, Tina J., Brown, Bryan T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ecological Society of America 01-11-1995
• Subjects: ARIZONA; BARRAGE; BOTANICAL COMPOSITION; Canyons; COMMUNITY ECOLOGY; COMPOSICION BOTANICA; COMPOSITION BOTANIQUE; COURS D'EAU; CURSOS DE AGUA; DAMS; DEBIT; ECOLOGIA; ECOLOGIA DE AGUA DULCE; ECOLOGIA VEGETAL; ECOLOGIE; ECOLOGIE D'EAU DOUCE; ECOLOGY; FLOODING; flooding frequency; FLOW RATE; fluvial marshes; Freshwater; FRESHWATER ECOLOGY; GASTO; GEOMORFOLOGIA; GEOMORPHOLOGIE; GEOMORPHOLOGY; INONDATION; INUNDACION; MARISMA; MARSHES; PHYTOECOLOGIE; PLANT ECOLOGY; PRAIRIE MARECAGEUSE; REPRESAS; RIVER REGULATION; RIVERS; Soil texture; STREAM FLOW; Tributaries; Vegetation; Wetland ecology; Wetlands; USA, Arizona
• ISSN: 1051-0761; 1939-5582
• DOI: 10.2307/2269352

New, productive fluvial marshes may develop along regulated canyon rivers through reduction in flood frequency, thereby increasing diversity, production, and wildlife habitat availability. Few fluvial marshes occurred along the eddy-dominated Colorado River in the Grand Canyon prior to construction of Glen Canyon Dam in 1963. Reduction of flooding after 1963 permitted widespread marsh development. Fluvial marshes exhibited low stability but high resilience, quickly redeveloping after scouring by high flows between 1983 and 1986. In 1991, 253 fluvial wet marshes (cattail/reed and horseweed/Bermudagrass) and 850 dry marshes (horsetail/willow) occupied 25.0 ha (1%) of the 363 km mainstream riparian corridor between Lees Ferry and Diamond Creek, Arizona. Fluvial marsh development and composition varied in relation to local and reach-based geomorphology, and microsite gradients in inundation frequency and soil texture. Colorado River marsh density (number/km$^2$) increased with distance downstream, and marshes were larger and more abundant in wide reaches. Wet marsh cattail/reed stands developed on silty loam soils in low velocity depositional environments that were inundated 54% of the days from 1986 to 1991, whereas dry horsetail/willow marshes occupied less frequently inundated sites with sandy soils. Mean marsh standing mass (641 g C/m$^2$) was comparable with values from regulated alluvial river marshes, but litter retention appeared limited by flow variability in both regulated and unregulated fluvial marshes. We discuss implications of flow management on the four marsh assemblages, and the need for consensus on priorities for management of regulated fluvial wetlands.