Jeffrey D Muehlbauer Erin F Abernethy 20210504 comma-separated values (.csv) Flagstaff, AZ U.S. Geological Survey https://doi.org/10.5066/P9DM0X8U Erin F. Abernethy Jeffrey D. Muehlbauer Theodore A. Kennedy Jonathan D. Tonkin Richard Van Driesche David Lytle 2020 journal manuscript Wiley Online Library Ecosphere https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3559 These benthic macroinvertebrate data and associated site characteristics were compiled for the purpose of exploring any relationships between large dams in the Colorado River Basin, their flow management and geographical context, and their associated downstream benthic macroinvertebrate communities. The goal of the analyses based upon these data was to understand how dam conditions, specifically hydropower fluctuations for hydropower generation ("hydropeaking") might influence the structure of benthic macroinvertebrate communities, and how this community structure may change with distance downstream from each dam. These benthic macroinvertebrate samples were collected in spring 2015 by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey's Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center and collaborators at Oregon State University, and samples were subsequently processed in the research laboratories of these entities. Samples were collected from the tailwaters downstream of seven large dams in the Colorado River Basin: Fontenelle and Flaming Gorge Dams on the Green River, Navajo Dam on the San Juan River, and Glen Canyon, Hoover, Davis, and Parker Dams on the Colorado River. Samples were collected using a variety of methods depending on the available habitat, including Surber net, ponar dredge, rock scrubbing, Hess sampler, and vacuum suction device methods. The purpose of these data are to explore the links between dams, geographic context, and dam management with downstream aquatic invertebrate (benthic) communities throughout the Colorado River Basin. The objective of the research that resulted in this dataset was to determine if daily flow fluctuations from these dams for hydropower generation resulted in consistent patterns of invertebrate community structure downstream, both across dams and within dams with distance downstream from each dam. The data were collected and this dataset was created for the purposes of addressing this research objective, with the ultimate goal of publishing results in a scientific publication. These data could be useful for future researchers interested in further exploring the macroinvertebrate community structure of these dam tailwaters. They may also be useful for future comparisons combining these data with other datasets to explore how these dam tailwaters may be similar or different from other habitats not sampled as part of this effort. These data represent benthic macroinvertebrate samples that were collected and processed by trained aquatic ecologist and taxonomists or by students under direct oversight of these experts. Nonetheless, they are susceptible to transcription errors and taxonomic errors inherent in the generation of any comparable benthic macroinvertebrate dataset. Due to high invertebrate abundances and high volumes of aquatic vegetation and algae present in the samples, samples were also subset in order to enable completion of sample processing in a reasonable timeframe. This is common practice for such samples, but the extrapolation of full sample counts from a subsampled portion inherently introduces some error. Similarly, conversion of measured invertebrate lengths to biomass introduces additional error due to the uncertainty associated with these allometric relationships. These samples and resulting data were collected, processed, and collated with the specific research goal of addressing how dam flow management influences downstream communities. Application of these data for other purposes may be inappropriate depending on the nature of the question. These data are not expected to provide a comprehensive species list of all invertebrate fauna found in each tailwater, for example, as habitats within a dam were selected as to be fairly consistent, and other potentially more cryptic habitats were avoided. Data users should read the entire metadata record and acquire the manuscript identified as the ‘Larger Work Citation’ and any manuscripts identified as ‘Cross Reference' to have a complete understanding of how these data were created and used. The data are specific to the uses identified above, as described in the ‘Larger Work Citation’, and any other use of these data would be inappropriate. See 'Distribution liability' statements for more information. 2013 2015 ground condition Complete None planned -114.738186 -107.613028 42.02856 34.296653 USGS Thesaurus dam USGS Biocomplexity Thesaurus macroinvertebrate ISO 19115 Topic Categories biota inlandWaters None Benthic Macroinvertebrates Dams Environmental Flows Hydropeaking Invertebrates USGS Metadata Identifier USGS:5f36b01682cee144fb3873a1 Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Arizona Nevada New Mexico Utah Wyoming Aztec Boulder City Bullhead City Dutch John Kemmerer Laughlin Marble Canyon Parker Colorado River Green River Davis Dam Flaming Gorge Dam Fontenelle Dam Glen Canyon Dam Hoover Dam Navajo Dam Parker Dam Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge none none Jeffrey D. Muehlbauer U.S. Geological Survey Research Ecologist mailing and physical

2255 North Gemini Drive

Flagstaff AZ 86001 US 928-556-7328 jmuehlbauer@usgs.gov This research was funded by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation through the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program. Arthur C. Benke Alexander D. Huryn Leonard A. Smock J. Bruce Wallace 1999 The University of Chicago Press (online) Journal of the North American Benthological Society https://doi.org/10.2307/1468447 Kimberly L. Dibble Charles B. Yackulic Theodore A. Kennedy Phaedra Budy 2015 Wiley Online Library Ecological Applications https://doi.org/10.1890/14-2211.1 F. Richard Hauer Gary A. Lamberti 2017 Academic Press, Elsevier Burlington, MA NA No formal attribute accuracy tests were conducted No formal logical accuracy tests were conducted Data set is considered complete for the information presented, as described in the abstract. Users are advised to read the rest of the metadata record carefully for additional details. No formal positional accuracy tests were conducted No formal positional accuracy tests were conducted Development of the Site ID data table: Sample river miles were determined based on river centerline estimations using linework from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset, then edited using ESRI ArcGIS ArcMap software (v. 10.2) through an on-screen digitizing process that used USDA National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) aerial imagery as background map source information (imagery accessed 16 March 2014). Hydropeaking index values for each dam were calculated using data from the nearest gage downstream of each dam. 2020 Development of the Macroinvertebrates-ID level data table: Benthic macroinvertebrate samples were collected by professional aquatic ecologists or directly-overseen students in spring 2015 using a variety of methods depending on available habitat: Surber nets, ponar dredges, Hess samplers, rock scrubs, or vacuum suction samplers. They were enumerated and identified later in 2015 to the lowest practicable level by professional taxonomists or by students directly overseen by these taxonomists. Samples were subsampled using a square Caton tray subsampler until approximately 300 individuals from each sample were counted. Personnel involved were from the U.S. Geological Survey's Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center and collaborators at Oregon State University. 2020 Data Quality Assessment and Quality Control (QAQC): Sample collection was done according to standard methods as described in the “Methods in Stream Ecology” textbook (Hauer and Lamberti 2007, Chapter 15, pp. 299-302). Samples were stored immediately in 95% ethanol after collection and throughout sample processing. Sample conversion from subsampled counts to full sample estimates and from measured body lengths to per-sample biomass was carried out in R software by Oregon State University students using established, taxa-specific regressions and equations provided within Benke and others (1999). Code was verified by professional ecologists at the U.S. Geological Survey. All sample and taxonomic QA/QC steps occurred in concert with sample processing and analysis, from 2015 to 2020. Data QA/QC occurred within an internal database at USGS that checks for typographical errors in sample dates, river miles, and all other data fields at the time of data entry, overseen by a professional ecologist at the USGS. These checks included, for instance, that sample dates and river miles do not appear suspiciously out of order, possibly indicating an error in recording, that taxa counts were not orders of magnitude higher than other counts within the dataset, possibly indicating a spurious keystroke, and that taxonomic species IDs did not include taxa unknown to be present in the region without further verification. 2020 Finalize Data File for Dissemination: Data sent to the Southwest Biological Science Center Data Steward for dissemination and preservation per USGS Data Management Policies SM 502.6, SM 502.7, SM 502.8 & SM 502.9 (1 October 2016). 2020 Site ID This table describes site information for the benthic macroinvertebrate samples collected as part of this research effort. These data are structured such that each row has a unique sample ID and represents a unique sample. Samples were collected downstream of seven dams, with samples spaced every 1-5 miles (depending on site conditions) from the dam to approximately 15 river miles downstream. The hydropeaking index of each dam (see Dibble and others 2005) was also recorded, which is unique to each dam but consistent within samples from the same dam tailwater. These data provide physical habitat and geographical context for the benthic macroinvertebrate specimens collected within these samples and enable analysis of how these physical factors influence those benthic communities. These data form the backbone of all analyses and figures included in the 'Larger Work Citation'. Producer defined id Sample ID. Unique to each row (sample). Producer defined The letters (before the first period) are an abbreviation of the dam name found in the "Dam" column. Subsequent numbers are the river mile downstream of each dam where the sample was collected. Dam Abbreviated name of the dam tailwater where the sample was collected. Producer defined Dam abbreviations are as follows: David = Davis Dam (AZ/NV), Flam = Flaming Gorge Dam (UT), Font = Fontenelle Dam (WY), Glen = Glen Canyon Dam (AZ), Hoover = Hoover Dam (AZ), Navajo = Navajo Dam (NM), Parker = Parker Dam (AZ/CA). RiverMile River mile downstream of each dam where the sample was collected. River miles follow the center channel of the river as it meanders, rather than the straight line distance from the dam to the sampling point. Producer defined 0.09 15.63 miles HI Hydropeaking index value. Consistent within all samples collected downstream of a given dam. The hydropeaking index is the 5+ year average of the daily coefficient of variation in discharge released from each dam. See Dibble and others (2015). Producer defined 0.01 0.56 decimal number Macroinvertebrates-ID level This table lists the benthic macroinvertebrates collected from every sample described in the Site ID data table. These benthic macroinvertebrates are combined in several groupings, called 'IDlevel' in the data table, for different levels of analyses. Thus, there is redundancy within this data table such that all invertebrates in the family Chironomidae are included in rows for all.Family = Chironomidae, and also are all included within the higher classification of Diptera for all.Order = Diptera. These data provide the abundance and biomass (both the raw values from the subsampled portion and the extrapolated total sample estimates) for each taxonomic grouping of benthic macroinvertebrates within each collected sample (samples described in the accompanying Site id data table). They enable analysis of how these physical factors influence those benthic communities. These data form the backbone of all analyses and figures included in the 'Larger Work Citation'. Producer defined ID Taxonomic ID of the specimen. Producer defined Generally the Linnaean Order, Family, or genus. Coarser levels of classification are used in some cases for non-insect taxa. Dam Abbreviated name of the dam tailwater where the sample was collected. Producer defined Dam abbreviations are as follows: David = Davis Dam (AZ/NV), Flam = Flaming Gorge Dam (UT), Font = Fontenelle Dam (WY), Glen = Glen Canyon Dam (AZ), Hoover = Hoover Dam (AZ), Navajo = Navajo Dam (NM), Parker = Parker Dam (AZ/CA). RiverMile River mile downstream of each dam where the sample was collected. River miles follow the center channel of the river as it meanders, rather than the straight line distance from the dam to the sampling point. Producer defined 0.09 15.63 miles id Sample ID. Producer defined Unique to each sample (aggregated group of specimens), but not to each specimen/taxon. The letters (before the first period) are an abbreviation of the dam name found in the "Dam" column. Subsequent numbers are the river mile downstream of each dam where the sample was collected. offset.A Sample area of the sample. Sample area varied per sample because different sampling techniques were used depending on the available habitat. Producer defined 0.01 1.39 square meters Counts_sum Number of individual invertebrates of this taxonomic ID counted for this sample ID, using subsampling. Samples were subset to varying degrees to reduce processing times to manageable levels. These are the raw counts of the subsampled portion of the sample. Producer defined 1 8898 integer number abundance Estimated number of individual invertebrates of this taxonomic ID counted for this sample ID in the full sample, extrapolated from the subsampled count. This estimate is derived by dividing the number of invertebrates counted in the subsample by the proportion of the sample that was subsampled (e.g., 100 individuals found in 1/10 of the sample yields an estimate of 1000 individuals in the full sample). Producer defined 0.74 166533.75 decimal number biomass.counts Biomass of the counted individuals in the subsample. Biomass is calculated based on allometric relationships using a power law based on the measured length of the invertebrates, rather than by actual weighing. Producer defined 0 25917.07526 milligrams biomass.abund Estimated biomass of the entire sample, extrapolated from the subsampled biomass estimate. This estimate was derived in the same way as for the total abundance count, i.e., by dividing the biomass of invertebrates counted in the subsample by the proportion of the sample that was subsampled. Producer defined 0 124920.3028 milligrams ID level Level of Linnaean taxonomic ID used for these specimens (Order, Family, etc.). Specimens are grouped at different levels of classification for different levels of analyses, such that invertebrates classified here as "all.Family" for Chironomidae will also appear elsewhere in the dataset as "all.Order" for Diptera, for a given sampleID (id column). Producer defined all.family Linnaean Family grouping for a given taxon. Occassionally listed at a coarser level for non-insects. Producer defined all.genus Linnaean genus grouping for a given taxon. Occassionally listed at a coarser level for non-insects. Producer defined all.order Linnaean Order grouping for a given taxon. Occassionally listed at a coarser level for non-insects. Producer defined EPT.family Linnaean Family grouping for a given taxon, with data subset to only the "EPT" (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera) orders. Producer defined EPT.genus Linnaean genus grouping for a given taxon, with data subset to only the "EPT" (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera) orders. Producer defined EPT.order Linnaean Order grouping for a given taxon, with data subset to only the "EPT" (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera) orders. Producer defined insect.family Linnaean Family grouping for a given taxon, with data subset to only insect orders. Producer defined insect.genus Linnaean genus grouping for a given taxon, with data subset to only insect orders. Producer defined insect.order Linnaean Order grouping for a given taxon, with data subset to only insect orders. Producer defined noninsect.family Linnaean Family grouping for a given taxon, with data subset to only non-insect orders. Producer defined noninsect.genus Linnaean genus grouping for a given taxon, with data subset to only non-insect orders. Producer defined noninsect.order Linnaean Order grouping for a given taxon, with data subset to only non-insect orders. Producer defined U.S. Geological Survey - ScienceBase U.S. Geological Survey mailing and physical

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Denver CO 80225 United States 1-888-275-8747 sciencebase@usgs.gov The author(s) of these data request that data users contact them regarding intended use and to assist with understanding limitations and interpretation. Unless otherwise stated, all data, metadata and related materials are considered to satisfy the quality standards relative to the purpose for which the data were collected. Although these data and associated metadata have been reviewed for accuracy and completeness and approved for release by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data for other purposes, nor on all computer systems, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. The data in this zip file contains data in comma-separated values (csv) file format. The user must have software capable of uncompressing the zip file and software capable of reading machine-readable tabular data. 20210504 Jeffrey D. Muehlbauer U.S. Geological Survey Research Ecologist mailing and physical

2255 North Gemini Drive

Flagstaff AZ 86001 US 928-556-7328 jmuehlbauer@usgs.gov Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata FGDC-STD-001-1998