Water surface elevations and discharge data are critical physical factors which influence other ecosystem components in the river floodplain. All other components listed in the Long Term Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP) Operating Plan (USFWS 1992), including floodplain elevation, water quality, vegetation, sediment composition, macroinvertebrates, fish and wildlife, and habitat are affected by water surface elevation and discharge. Water surface elevation and discharge are directly related in uncontrolled rivers. River discharge is usually estimated from water surface elevations, assuming that the bottom geometry remains constant. However, this relationship is negated at many of the stations within...
