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Eco‐Evo‐Hydraulics: Integrating Fish Evolution Into Ecohydraulics for Conservation.

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Title: Eco‐Evo‐Hydraulics: Integrating Fish Evolution Into Ecohydraulics for Conservation.
Authors: Cai, Xiatong1,2 (AUTHOR) hydroecoevo@outlook.com, Rennie, Colin D.1 (AUTHOR), Hendry, Andrew P.3 (AUTHOR), Blanchet, Simon4 (AUTHOR), Bolnick, Daniel I.5 (AUTHOR), Willems, Patrick6 (AUTHOR), Mohammadian, Abdolmajid1 (AUTHOR), Deflem, Io S.7 (AUTHOR), Hellemans, Bart8 (AUTHOR), Volckaert, Filip A. M.8 (AUTHOR), Raeymaekers, Joost A. M.2 (AUTHOR)
Source: Water Resources Research. Apr2026, Vol. 62 Issue 4, p1-30. 30p.
Subjects: Fish evolution, Fish populations, Water management, River conservation, Ecohydrology, Biological evolution, Climate change
Abstract: Riverine fish conservation in eco‐hydraulics is often based on restoring or regulating river habitat to a semi‐natural state. For example, ecohydraulic projects support fish populations by increasing river connectivity through fishways, and by maintaining or restoring natural flow variance to enhance habitat quality and availability. However, the application of these concepts is challenging due to climate change and human perturbations that can modify the riverine environment in unpredictable ways. To address these challenges, we propose broadening eco‐hydraulics to eco‐evo‐hydraulics by incorporating the evolutionary dynamics of fish populations into eco‐hydraulics. We argue that this may improve the resilience and resistance of fish populations to future climate and human perturbation. Moreover, the evolutionary response of fishes to perturbations also alters their capability to "zoogeomorphically engineer" their physical environment, with associated feedbacks such as changes in sediment mobilization. Thus, understanding such hydro‐evolutionary feedbacks can improve the long‐term prediction of river hydraulics. In this position paper, we explore the interactions between hydraulics, hydrology, and rapid evolution based on a literature review to identify gaps and opportunities that need joint efforts from water resources engineers and evolutionary biologists. We propose the concept of eco‐evo‐hydraulics with hydro‐evolutionary feedbacks to encapsulate the interactions between the three disciplines, and suggest research avenues for the future. Finally, we suggest potential managerial strategies based on the eco‐evo‐hydraulic concept for local and basin‐wide fish conservation. We aim to fill the gap between water resources management and evolutionary biology to provide a new theory for fish conservation. Plain Language Summary: Protection of river ecosystems usually focuses on management of river habitats, often within the environmental flow paradigm. This approach requires good understanding of the historical river environment, which is challenging because of climate change and human perturbation. In our paper, we propose a new and more flexible strategy that overcomes this uncertainty by considering the resilience of a fish population based on its ability to adapt to different stresses. We also found that changes in the river environment and river life mutually influence each other, but this interaction has been largely ignored. We explore the interplay between hydraulics, hydrology and ‐evolution, and suggest how these interactions can be integrated to develop conservation plans in basin‐wide water management. Key Points: Human disturbance in hydraulic and hydrological processes impacts fish evolutionFish evolutionary responses feedback to hydraulic and hydrological processesHydro‐Evolutionary Feedbacks is proposed to integrate eco‐evolutionary dynamics into water resources management [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Engineering Source
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Abstract:Riverine fish conservation in eco‐hydraulics is often based on restoring or regulating river habitat to a semi‐natural state. For example, ecohydraulic projects support fish populations by increasing river connectivity through fishways, and by maintaining or restoring natural flow variance to enhance habitat quality and availability. However, the application of these concepts is challenging due to climate change and human perturbations that can modify the riverine environment in unpredictable ways. To address these challenges, we propose broadening eco‐hydraulics to eco‐evo‐hydraulics by incorporating the evolutionary dynamics of fish populations into eco‐hydraulics. We argue that this may improve the resilience and resistance of fish populations to future climate and human perturbation. Moreover, the evolutionary response of fishes to perturbations also alters their capability to "zoogeomorphically engineer" their physical environment, with associated feedbacks such as changes in sediment mobilization. Thus, understanding such hydro‐evolutionary feedbacks can improve the long‐term prediction of river hydraulics. In this position paper, we explore the interactions between hydraulics, hydrology, and rapid evolution based on a literature review to identify gaps and opportunities that need joint efforts from water resources engineers and evolutionary biologists. We propose the concept of eco‐evo‐hydraulics with hydro‐evolutionary feedbacks to encapsulate the interactions between the three disciplines, and suggest research avenues for the future. Finally, we suggest potential managerial strategies based on the eco‐evo‐hydraulic concept for local and basin‐wide fish conservation. We aim to fill the gap between water resources management and evolutionary biology to provide a new theory for fish conservation. Plain Language Summary: Protection of river ecosystems usually focuses on management of river habitats, often within the environmental flow paradigm. This approach requires good understanding of the historical river environment, which is challenging because of climate change and human perturbation. In our paper, we propose a new and more flexible strategy that overcomes this uncertainty by considering the resilience of a fish population based on its ability to adapt to different stresses. We also found that changes in the river environment and river life mutually influence each other, but this interaction has been largely ignored. We explore the interplay between hydraulics, hydrology and ‐evolution, and suggest how these interactions can be integrated to develop conservation plans in basin‐wide water management. Key Points: Human disturbance in hydraulic and hydrological processes impacts fish evolutionFish evolutionary responses feedback to hydraulic and hydrological processesHydro‐Evolutionary Feedbacks is proposed to integrate eco‐evolutionary dynamics into water resources management [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:00431397
DOI:10.1029/2025WR040498