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Alafia River Minimum Flows and Levels - Southwest Florida Water ...

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Predicted Habitat Gain/Loss for Laregemouth Bass Fry Based on Historic Flow<br />

Conditions (1970-1999) being reduced by 10, 20, 30, <strong>and</strong> 40 percent at <strong>Alafia</strong> <strong>River</strong> Site<br />

27<br />

25%<br />

20%<br />

15%<br />

Habitat Gain/Loss<br />

10%<br />

5%<br />

0%<br />

-5%<br />

10% Flow Reduction<br />

20% Flow Reduction<br />

30% Flow Reduction<br />

40% Flow Reduction<br />

-10%<br />

-15%<br />

-20%<br />

Figure 4-7 Example of a plot of habitat gain/loss relative to flow reductions of 10, 20, 30,<br />

<strong>and</strong> 40%. Data were obtained from time series analysis <strong>and</strong> the flow reductions are<br />

relative to the historic flows recorded at the USGS Lithia Gage site from 1970-1999.<br />

4.3.2.1 Development of Habitat Suitability Curves<br />

Habitat suitability criteria used in the PHABSIM model include continuous<br />

variable or univariate curves designed to encompass the entire range of suitable<br />

conditions for water depth, water velocity, <strong>and</strong> substrate/cover type <strong>and</strong><br />

proximity. There are three types of suitability curves.<br />

Type I curves do not depend upon acquisition of additional field-data but depend,<br />

instead upon personal experience <strong>and</strong> professional opinion. Informal<br />

development of Type I curves typically involves a roundtable discussion (Scheele<br />

1975); stakeholders <strong>and</strong> experts meet to discuss habitat suitability information to<br />

be used for prediction of habitat availability for specific target organisms. A more<br />

formal process, know as the Delphi method (Zuboy 1981) involves submission of<br />

a questionnaire to a large respondent group of experts. Results from this survey<br />

process are summarized by presenting a median <strong>and</strong> interquartile range for each<br />

variable. Several iterations of this process must be used in order to stabilize the<br />

responses, each expert being asked to justify why his/her answer may be outside<br />

the median or interquartile range when presented the results of the data. The<br />

4-14

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