The effect of an irrigation and hydroelectric reservoir on its downstream communities

The Cernadilla reservoir, located on the River Tera (northwest Spain, Duero Basin) is an oligotrophic reservoir with a capacity of more than 250 × 106m3 and a depth of 70 m. The regulated flow pattern is characterized by higher summer flows, higher day flows than night ones, and lower weekend flows. The effects of this artificial flow regime on the stream ecosystem were evaluated by comparing the aquatic communities of an upstream station with those of three downstream stations, located at 1, 8, and 24 km from the dam. Physiocochemical characteristics of the water, fish and macrobenthic communities, and macrophytes were studied at each station. Summer water temperatures were significantly lower downstream of the reservoir. Macrophyte biomass, macrobenthic diversity, and richness were reduced below the dam. The trophic structure was changed by an increase of shredders and grazers. Fishery total biomass greatly fluctuated seasonally, but was higher above the reservoir than below it. However, in spring the trout populations were higher upstream because large numbers of spawning cyprinids from the reservoir invaded upstream reaches of the River Tera and displayed resident trout populations.