Increased demands combined with periodic droughts will likely have unintended negative consequences for aquatic biota, ecological services, and human health. Our program addresses three fundamental issues associated with water resources in the region:

• How temporal variation in water availability affects aquatic ecosystems of the lower Flint River basin
• How climate change and human use of water influences water availability and water quality in the region
• Management actions necessary to accommodate human demand for water while maintaining ecosystem services

We address these questions with detailed studies within three thematic areas:

• Aquatic habitat, function, and ecosystem services – Understanding the impacts of altered hydrology and human water use on aquatic ecosystems of the lower Flint River basin.
• Hydrologic Modeling of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river basin and upper Floridan Aquifer – Simulation modeling of landscape-scale hydrology and land cover alternatives to evaluate management scenarios.
• Geographically Isolated Wetlands – Understanding the hydrology, function, and biological significance of isolated wetlands in the context of both natural landscapes and working lands.