Progress and Challenges of Testing the Effectiveness of Stream Restoration in the Pacific Northwest Using Intensively Monitored Watersheds

Bennett, Stephen N.; Pess, George R.; Bouwes, Nicolaas; Roni, Philip; Bilby, Robert E.; Gallagher, Sean P.; Ruzycki, Jim; Buehrens, Thomas W.; Krueger, Kirk L.; Ehinger, William; Anderson, Joseph H.; Jordan, Chris E.; Bowersox, Brett J.; Greene, Correigh M.

doi:10.1080/03632415.2015.1127805

Cited by 52 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…This approach is consistent with experimental and adaptive management and has recently been implemented to test the effects of stream restoration in several watersheds19. Effective implementation of this experimental restoration approach requires an investment in coordination, strong experimental designs, cost-effective yet extensive restoration strategies, and directed monitoring and research.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Ecosystem experiment reveals benefits of natural and simulated beaver dams to a threatened population of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Bouwes

Weber

Jordan

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

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142

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Beaver have been referred to as ecosystem engineers because of the large impacts their dam building activities have on the landscape; however, the benefits they may provide to fluvial fish species has been debated. We conducted a watershed-scale experiment to test how increasing beaver dam and colony persistence in a highly degraded incised stream affects the freshwater production of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Following the installation of beaver dam analogs (BDAs), we observed significant increases in the density, survival, and production of juvenile steelhead without impacting upstream and downstream migrations. The steelhead response occurred as the quantity and complexity of their habitat increased. This study is the first large-scale experiment to quantify the benefits of beavers and BDAs to a fish population and its habitat. Beaver mediated restoration may be a viable and efficient strategy to recover ecosystem function of previously incised streams and to increase the production of imperiled fish populations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Ecosystem experiment reveals benefits of natural and simulated beaver dams to a threatened population of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Bouwes

Weber

Jordan

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

Self Cite

142

164

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“…Moreover, there may be instances, such as in the nearly 20 intensively monitored watersheds in the Pacific Northwest, where constructing food web models with existing data may be possible (Bennett et al. ).…”

Section: Overview Of Assessment Toolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review of Tools for Identifying, Planning, and Implementing Habitat Restoration for Pacific Salmon and Steelhead

Roni

Anders

Beechie

et al. 2018

N American J Fish Manag

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A key challenge in watershed restoration is identifying the appropriate assessments, data, and analyses needed to identify disrupted natural processes, lost and degraded habitats, and limiting factors to ultimately identify and design successful restoration projects. This has proven particularly challenging for large restoration programs focused on recovery of threatened and endangered salmon and trout where numerous tools, models, and other assessments have been developed to assist with habitat restoration at the watershed, reach, and project scale. Unfortunately, it is often unclear which step in the restoration process these various assessment tools will actually address. To assist with identifying the appropriate assessment tool (e.g., model, data collection, analysis, and survey), we reviewed major categories of watershed restoration assessment tools to determine their goals, inputs, outputs, and their utility in helping plan, prioritize, and implement restoration actions. The major categories of assessment tools reviewed were: (1) life cycle and fish–habitat models, (2) watershed assessment methods and techniques, (3) reach assessments, (4) prioritization tools, and (5) common monitoring methods to identify, prioritize, and plan river and watershed restoration projects. We specifically indicated whether these assessment tools directly or indirectly assisted with the key steps in the restoration process that are required to develop successful restoration plans and projects. These steps involve assessing watershed conditions, identifying limiting habitats and life stages, identifying problems and restoration actions, selecting restoration techniques, prioritizing restoration actions, or designing actual restoration projects. It is important to recognize that no single assessment tool will address all the steps in the restoration process. Selecting appropriate assessment tools requires a clear understanding of the goals of the restoration program and which step in the restoration process will be addressed by a particular tool. We provide recommendations for how restoration practitioners and managers can use our review to help select the appropriate assessment tools needed for their watershed.

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“…Many of these interventions are opportunistic, pursued at a reach scale without knowledge of the watershed context of geomorphic condition and recovery potential. As a consequence, they may not produce the desired overall fish population response because they do not strategically target key limiting factors, connections between and across isolated reaches, or address the root causes of degradation at the appropriate scale (Bennett et al, 2016). Moreover, many restoration efforts have the best of intentions, but fail to produce physically realistic goals for the streams they are intended to improve.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Box et al, 2006;Hegeman, Miller, & Mock, 2014;Mock et al, 2010) that have shed new light on what sort of habitats these species prefer. The MFJD Watershed is also an Intensively Monitored Watershed (Bennett et al, 2016) in which extensive restoration is being coordinated (Holburn, Turner, Piety, & Klinger, 2009;Reclamation, 2008) in an effort to understand how specific actions influence fish and their habitat (i.e. determine if restoration is effective at increasing the populations).…”

Section: Study Watershedmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…ISEMP/CHaMP, 2015). Hierarchical geomorphic assessments provide insight that can enhance the success and cost-effectiveness of ongoing salmonid habitat restoration efforts (Bennett et al, 2016). Salmonids implicitly 'consider' geomorphic features at multiple levels of a geomorphic hierarchy when selecting/using habitats (Fausch, Torgersen, Baxter, & Li, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A geomorphic assessment to inform strategic stream restoration planning in the Middle Fork John Day Watershed, Oregon, USA

et al. 2017

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A geomorphic assessment of the Middle Fork John Day Watershed, Oregon, USA, was used to generate a hierarchical, map-based understanding of watershed impairments and potential opportunities for improvements. Specifically, we (1) assessed river diversity (character and behavior) and patterns of reach types (and their controls); (2) evaluated the geomorphic condition of the streams; (3) interpreted their geomorphic recovery potential; and (4) synthesized the above into a hypothetical, strategic management plan. Collectively, these maps can set bounds and provide realistic guidance for river rehabilitation, design and implementation efforts. Fifteen distinct reach types were identified, two-thirds of which are found along perennial streams. On the basis of a variety of geo-indicators, approximately two-thirds of all perennial stream reaches were found to be in 'good' geomorphic condition, whereas one-third had departed to 'moderate' and 'poor' condition. Departures from 'good' condition were primarily related to riparian vegetation removal, conversion of floodplain to agricultural land uses (farming and grazing), logging, and channel bed dredge mining for gold. Encouragingly, the majority of reaches classified as being in moderate geomorphic condition were found to have high recovery potential. While our geomorphic assessment has practical utility for informing physically realistic expectation management for efforts like salmonid habitat restoration, the maps themselves are the key vehicle for communicating and visualizing among stakeholders. ARTICLE HISTORY

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Progress and Challenges of Testing the Effectiveness of Stream Restoration in the Pacific Northwest Using Intensively Monitored Watersheds

Cited by 52 publications

References 37 publications

Ecosystem experiment reveals benefits of natural and simulated beaver dams to a threatened population of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Ecosystem experiment reveals benefits of natural and simulated beaver dams to a threatened population of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Review of Tools for Identifying, Planning, and Implementing Habitat Restoration for Pacific Salmon and Steelhead

A geomorphic assessment to inform strategic stream restoration planning in the Middle Fork John Day Watershed, Oregon, USA

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