Urban Stream Restoration Practices: An Initial Assessment 

This study assesses the performance of 24 different urban stream restoration practices from sites around the Mid-Atlantic and Mid-west and provides recommendations for improving their application in a variety of urban stream environments. The study found that the key factors for practice success were a thorough understanding of stream processes and an accurate assessment of current and future stream channel conditions.

Stream Corridor Restoration: Principles, Processes, and Practices

There's more to a stream than the rushing or meandering water. A stream corridor, or stream valley, is a complex and valuable ecosystem which includes the land, plants, animals, and network of streams within it. Recognition of the value of stream corridors has come with the understanding of what has been lost through uninformed or misguided actions on many streams and the watersheds that nourish them.

The U.S. has 3.5 million miles of rivers.  The 1992 National Water Quality Inventory of 642,881 miles of these rivers stated that only 56 percent fully supported multiple uses, including drinking water supply, fish and wildlife habitat, recreation, and agriculture, as well as flood prevention and erosion control.  In the remaining 44 percent of stream miles inventoried, sedimentation and excess nutrients were the most significant causes of degradation. Sediment problems result from soil erosion from watersheds and streambanks.

Today, interest in restoring stream corridors is expanding nationally and internationally, as indicated by increasing numbers of case studies, published papers, technology exchanges, research projects, and symposia. Stream corridors are increasingly recognized as critical ecosystems supporting interdependent uses and values.

This document was produced by the collective experience, skills, and techonology of 15 Federal agencies of the United States government.  It is a benchmark document that is being used by these agencies, as well as many others who are interested in restoring the functions and values of the nation's stream corridors.

Contents

Preface

Introduction

PART I - Background
Chapter 1: Overview of Stream Corridors
Chapter 2: Stream Corridor Processes, Characteristics, and Functions
Chapter 3:Distubance Affecting Stream Corridors

PART II - Developing A Restoration Plan
Chapter 4: Getting Organised and Identifying Problems and Opportunities
Chapter 5: Developng Goals, Objectives, and Restoration Alternatives
Chapter 6: Implement, Monitor, Evaluate, and Adapt

Part III - Applying Restoration Principles
Chapter 7: Analysis of Corridor Condition
Chapter 8: Restoration Design
Chapter 9: Restoration Implementation, Monitoring, and Management

Appendices

Addenda

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This manual is also available for download (free!) at http://www.usda.gov/stream_restoration/newtofc.htm

To read more issues about river basin restoration and monitoring go to 
Global Environment Monitoring System website

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Documents more.. 01-Jun-2005 Stream Health Rankings Predicted By Satellite Derived Land Cover Metrics Land cover and land use change have long been known to influence the chemical, physical, ... 04-Nov-2002 East Asia River Restoration Seminar Brochure 19-Sep-2002 River Restoration Guidelines River restoration guidelines - draft guidelines for comment 16-Jul-2002 International Symposium on the Nature Restoration of Rivers in the World 26-Jun-2002 European Centre for River Restoration (ECRR) Study Tour: River Restoration

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