Why is floodplain inundation important?
Floodplain inundation provides a link for exchange of important materials, such as nutrients and organic material, between land and aquatic environments. When the floodplain becomes inundated, the amount of food and habitat available for aquatic organisms, like fish and invertebrates, increases. During extreme high water periods, dead plant material and woody debris are also removed and forced down river, which re-opens up these floodplain areas and creates new snag habitat down river.
