Effects of dams on stream habitat and communities: a precursor for dam-removal study.

Abstract

This study show some effects of a dam on downstream communities. The main factor is sediment deposition since it affects many other factors important to species functionality. Temperature fluxes in from the dam can cause thermal barriers. However, these changes are equaled out with the air downstream and ground water inputs. Post dam removal studies should focus on two main things: change in habitat type and substrate with distance from the dam, and the types of fish species present and their spatial distributions in relation to the dam. Macroinvertebrate communities in relation to the dam can provide information on fish communities and distributions. These factors can determine the status of the stream after and during dam removal giving insight on removal techniques and their effects on stream communities.