Water regulation criteria should be such that the long term diversity and abundance of wetland plant
communities and frequency of spring flooding in marsh habitats during breeding are not reduced.
Magnitude and frequency of water level change during the nesting season (May–July) can also
adversely impact the reproductive success of many wetland bird species. As such, regulation criteria
that increase the seasonal magnitude and frequency of water level changes may be detrimental to the
long term viability of certain regional breeding bird populations.