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RIVERINE RESTORATION STRATEGIES: PATTERN AND PROCESS IN A LARGE ALLUVIAL RIVER
Citation:
Landers, D H., C. Andrus, A. G. Fernald, M. Pearson, AND S P. Cline. RIVERINE RESTORATION STRATEGIES: PATTERN AND PROCESS IN A LARGE ALLUVIAL RIVER. Presented at Eighth International Symposium on the Ecology of Regulated Streams, Toulouse, France, July 17-21, 2000.
Description:
The Willamette River in western Oregon is the tenth largest river in the conterminous U. S. Plans being developed to restore ecological function to the main corridor of the river. Our riverine research has developed a basic understanding of some of the ecological functions and process important to riparian, off-channel habitats (OCH) that are connected to the main channel at summer base flow. These features are highly diverse morphologically, functionally and developmentally. Bar complexes associated with these types of OCHs provide a broad template for riparian vegetation development. OCH are of great importance to many native fish species for rearing, refugia and feeding. They are also important loci with respect to hyporheic flow and the associated physical and chemical changes in water quality. All of these ecological functions vary greatly spatially and temporally according to the hydrograph and season.
Since there is clear evidence that OCHs have declined precipitously in the last 150 years due to human activities (dams, revetments, channelization), restoration efforts are focusing on management approaches that will directly increase the number and diversity of these habitats. Approaches may involve affecting changes in hydrologic regimes and bank stabilization (revetment) practices. Determining areas where restoration could be most effective and selecting restorative actions is a critical component of the strategic planning. Our interdisciplinary research effort proposes approaches for defining functional restoration units, identifying restorative actions that could be taken, and offers indicators of success in the context of the main river corridor and riparian restoration strategy,