Beyond Pools and Riffles

Next week we will continue to address questions about the linkage between physical characteristics of streams and biological process, performance, or potential. Our discussion will focus on the classification systems used for naming channel units. I encourage you to visit a stream and attempt to "name" the units you see and sketch or photo-document your observations in your field books. If you care to examine an alternative paper the paper by Clifford (2006) "Physical habitat, eco-hydraulics and river design: a review
and re-evaluation of some popular concepts and methods" is available online.

I received a note from Justin Laughlin, Stream Restoration Biologist, today. He asks if students would want to assist with installation of cedar tree revetment on North Fork Roanoke near Blacksburg next Tuesday. If so give him a call and arrange a meeting time and place. Call 276 782 1627 (O), 276 780 0805 (Cell)

Where Are We?

This is the first question to ask in any planning project. Not until we can describe in a convincing story line where our stream habitat is there is no hope for moving on to the next phase of Where do we want to go ? or How will we get there?

This semester our discussions thus far have addressed the fourth planning question "Did We Make It?" and you now have an interesting global or national perspective on the success of stream restoration.

This week our discussion will focus on smaller-scale case studies where you can really critique the "leitbild" and the study design, data collection methods and or assumptions.

I just finished reading an interesting story about restoring apache trout in Arizona -- in this case the invasive trouts are the number one limiting factor and instream barriers are being managed to prevent their encroaching. Sometimes the habitat is adequate but other constraints must be overcome.

I am very optimistic about the progress of stream rehabilitation and it comes from little stories that I hear about that indicate that we are better off than we were decades ago. In Ohio for instance they recently recognized that what people have been calling ditches during their lifetimes are really part of the flowing waters of the state and need to be monitoring and protected just as the 'rivers' are. Take a look at the article entitled: Ditch? Stream? Name matters

I will introduce the concept and methods of Habitat Assessment (aka habitat evaluation or biophysical condition assessment). There are many variations on the theme which range from the Rapid to the Gradual to the Glacial time frames. You can review the Rapid methods that Virgina volunteers currently use. Click here! Scan some paper on riffle stability index by kapesser and the see if you can use the Habitat Assessment Form on your 'favorite' creek.

Click on COMMENT below and post your rhetorical precis here.

Navigating turbulent waters

Read about Jimmy Liao, whose research on trout swimming has added a new thought about the adage "goijng with the flow"

let us learn from the fishes...

Case Studies in Stream Habitat Rehabilitation

We had an interesting discussion Wednesday night because you each read some background papers and were ready and willing to share your thoughts. Thanks for showing me why you are here. Let me offer you a "thank-you prayer fish" (a central stoneroller Campostoma anomalum) for your efforts.

“The idea that the majority of students attend a university for an education independent of the degree and grades is a hypocrisy everyone is happier not to expose. Occasionally some students do arrive for an education but rote and mechanical nature of the institution soon converts them to a less idealic attitude”
- Robert M. Pirsig in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintance

Next week we will discuss the results of studies that attempted to evaluate the success of stream rehabilitation techniques -- to learn what works and how "we" have operationalized standards and criteria for "success."

Everyone will prepare by reading the same paper by Phillip Roni et al. (2008) "Global review of physical and biological effectiveness of stream habitat rehabilitation techniques" and Ansaw Yaw e will lead the discussion. Everyone should read this one article and post a rhetorical precis; it is a long 24 pages not counting references but is quite comprehensive. This article brings together the very fragmented nature of the literatures on stream habitat rehabilitation. This paper is only available on Blackboard (and not on your CD).

There are many other readings available and we will split up the reading assignments later in anticipation of further discussions on September 24 (led by Brandon Peoples). So you should review the list of readings and decide about specific regions or rehabilitation techniques that you wish to investigate further.

In the first session I will lecture on microhabitat selection(theories and methods). I ask that you think about a stream you are familiar with and mentally bring one personally relevant example of the flora or fauna that exists there (or post a pic) so we can think about the issues of habitat selection in light of stream habitat management. Also, read the required reading on "Certainties and uncertainties in defining essential habitats for riverine smallmouth bass" and post a rhetorical precis on it. If you are morally opposed to (or just uninterested in) this species you may read about habitat selection in a stream salmonid or a mussel or a darter.

“I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.” - Socrates

click on comment below to post your rhetorical precis or comment or photos on the subject.

Stream Habitat Management -

Rhetorical Précis: #2
Valerie Turner
9/10/08

Scott Gillilan, K. Boyd, T. Hoitsma and M. Kauffman in “Challenges in Developing and Implementing Ecological Standards for Geomorphic River Restoration Projects: a Practitioner’s Response to Palmer et al” (2005) commend and also challenge the assumptions of Palmer et al in “Standards for Ecologically Successful Restoration”.(2005) The authors commend the clear articulation and inclusion of nuances in the establishment of ecological standards of river restoration practices and the need for there to be a true science for practitioner’s to follow while noting a need for synthesis, application of methods, along with more interaction with ecologists and the academic community so that more ecologically effective projects will be a result of meaningful pre- and post-monitoring of projects. In order for this to be achieved effectively, the authors contend that 4 ecological standards need to be addressed and implemented in order for the most ecologically worthy projects to be funded. Gillilan et al. propose this information be used by the academic community who will be involved in project design, etc., but more importantly, used by the project participants such as project sponsors, regulators and laypeople in the community.

Field Project Coordination

After talking with Don, he indicated that we should collaborate efforts on Stoney Creek. By now you may be thinking about what sort of field project you would like to do. I wanted to make you aware of some of the work that we've been doing at Stoney Creek at Glen Alton. As you heard from Larry Mohn's talk the first week, the 700 m section of Stoney Creek that runs through the field recently had its banks graded and many instream structures (cross veins, rootwads, lunker structures) were added. Of course, this tends to change the bank structure and hydrology of the stream. Prior to the work, cross sections were made at permanent monuments, average riffle, run, and pool depths were made, measurements of LWD and undercut banks were made, and measurements of elevetation were taken at each monument. After a few high flow events, the instream structures may change some of the bed dynamics and riffle/run habitat within the stream. This could potentially be a good comparison with "pre-data."

If you decide to work up there, please let me know because 1) we can coordinate trips and 2) I can show you some of the monuments that would be appropriate to take measurements from. We have large orange caps placed at every 20 m along the stream. We are currently planning a camping trip one weekend where undergraduate students can help with measurements.

Here's some stuff that I will be doing eventually anyway, where it would be good to collaborate:

1) Measuring the meander of the channel
2) Temperature analysis (temp loggers have been placed in the upper, middle, and lower section) - they need to be recorded and analyzed
3) Pebble counts - relating to riffle stability and bedload transport
4) Possibly sedimentation rates (sediment transport?)
5) Measuring "Post-rehabilitation" cross sections (bankfull height, wetted width)
6) Measuring "Post-rehabilitation" habitat unit size (riffle,run, pool depth, width, length)
7) Measuring "Post-rehabilitation" structures (undercut banks, LWD, cover, etc)

After discussing ideas with Don, let me know what stuff you'd be interested in doing and we can collaborate.

Ryan

Rhetorical Precis Trush

William J Trush, Scott M. McBain, and Luna B. Leopold’s article, “Attributes of an Alluvial River and Their Relation to Water Policy and Management” (8/15/2000), explains the 10 attributes of alluvial rivers and how these attributes should guide the examination of alluvial rivers so that the restoration of alluvial processes may successfully occur downstream from a dam, or preserve alluvial streams below proposed dam sites. Trush, McBain and Leopold identify the growing body of evidence, experiment and theory concerning the geomorphic processes that form and maintain alluvial river ecosystems which need to be taken into consideration when stream restoration of an existing area or stream management downriver of a dam is implemented. In order to help river managers identify desired processes by use of “a minimal checklist” of critical geomorphic and ecological processes derived from field observation and experimentation, allowing for use of charting and evaluation strategies for restoring and preserving alluvial ecosystems, and then help prescribe the necessary impetuses based on useful empirical relationships, the authors’ purpose is to point out ways in which to restore alluvial streams. Trush, McBain and Leopold created this document for use by scientists, biologists, ecologists, as well as policy makers for appreciating, interpreting and restoring the complexity of alluvial river ecosystems.

Recent status report on North American Fishes

This recent news release updates an analysis of the status of fishes in trouble in North America. The number of taxa that are imperiled has increased to nearly 40%. the full report is available to review in the current issues of Fisheries.

Jelks, H.L., S.J. Walsh, N.M. Burkhead, S.Contreras-Balderas, E. Díaz-Pardo, D.A. Hendrickson, J. Lyons, N.E. Mandrak, F. McCormick, J.S. Nelson, S.P. Platania, B.A. Porter, C.B. Renaud, J. J. Schmitter-Soto, E.B. Taylor, and M.L. Warren, Jr. 2008. Conservation status of imperiled North American freshwater and diadromous fishes. Fisheries 33(8):372-407.

All the more reason to identify criteria for success and finding examples of 'conservation success stories'

and it will take money and commitment. as much as $3.5M! A Land conservation group Bush Heritage Australia has paid $3.5 million for a property in western Queensland to protect Australia's most endangered freshwater fish.

The small redfin blue-eye fish only lives in pools at Edgbaston Station near Longreach.

Brett's Precis for "The Myths of Restoration Ecology"

In the review article “The Myths of Restoration Ecology”, Hilderbrand, Watts, and Randle identify and address five major myths (assumptions) of the restoration ecology responsible for current oversimplified approaches that often lead to failures. In turn, they discuss the theoretical underpinning and consequences of applying the assumptions that 1) restored ecosystem follow an innate trajectory toward a climax ecosystem (succession), 2) restoration of physical and chemical habitat is all that is needed to facilitate recovery of a biotic community, 3) restoration can be achieved in a compressed time frame, 4) universal recipes for restoration exist, and 5) managers can identify and manipulate dominant ecological drivers and that drivers are static. Though at times a digression into relativism and far from a ground breaking idea, Hilderbrand et al. effectively support their thesis that restoration needs to follow a context-dependent approach which acknowledges uncertainty and can adapt to changes. The intended purpose of this review was to encourage those engaged in restoration to acknowledge assumptions and embrace uncertainty in planning, practice, and evaluation of ecosystem restoration.

Ecologically Successful Stream Restoration

Next week we will have our first in-class discussion on criteria and standards for judging the success of stream restoration. Please post your reading summaries as comments to this blog entry before Wednesday as that will help facilitate selecting questions for discussion.

Keep in mind as you read the recent literature that some of these activities have been going on for a very long time -- the first stream improvement projects in Michigan date back to 1927. And the ideas of monitoring and adaptive management are also not very new.

What is new is the increase in level of stream restoration activities, the diversity of organizations funding or overseeing activities, and the vast range of scales from to a few hundred meters to restorations of Colorado River (Grand Canyon), Trinity River (CA), and the Kissimmee River (FL). As of July 2004, 37,099 restoration projects were identified and logged in the National River Restoration Science Synthesis project database Bernhardt et al. 2005 Synthesizing US River Restoration Efforts, Science 308:636-637) and they estimated that least $14 to $15 billion has been spent on stream restoration costs in the continential US. from 1990-2004.

So, naturally the question emerges "How do we define success?" We'll talk about this Wednesday.

As an aside remember the problem solving model includes many steps before we get to the 'evaluation' step. Don't underestimate just how much work goes into the planning. developing partnerships, justifying priority activities, and securing project funding. Take a look at the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture as a good example of a comprehensive strategy to improve habitat.

One of the interesting personal stories in this arena is the emergence of a former US Forest Service Hydrologist as the "River Doctor" who pioneered an approach to 'natural channel design.' His story is highlighted in Science.

Let's hear about what you are reading... Please post for all to see and learn.

?Stream Management Tree?

I'm having some difficulty controlling the growth of my tree. Mine looks like a bramble that has not be pruned for years. Everything I know is so intertwined that a tree may not be an appropriate structure. Does anyone else have this problem? Any suggestions?