Geog 427/527:  Fluvial Geomorphology
Winter 1999, University of Oregon

Study Guide for Week 10, March 9-11

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Summer Jobs:  Sometimes I receive announcements for summer student job openings that are related to streams and watersheds.  These are usually with the BLM or Forest Service.  They prefer to hire students with some coursework in geomorphology or hydrology, but they will give you some additional training on the job.   The jobs are usually primarily fieldwork, but may also involve computer data entry.  
The first job announcement for summer 1999 just arrived; deadline is March 31.  I will post these job announcements on my office door as I receive them.  Most of them don't come in until mid spring term or later, but often they have short deadlines, so if you are interested check my door throughout spring term.  Also, many summer student jobs with the Forest Service and BLM are not sent to me but are posted through the offices of individual national forests, BLM districts, or with the State of Oregon Employment Service.  Try these sources too.  The Department of Geography also maintains a job board in the hallway outside Condon 107. 

Tuesday, March 9:  Stream Restoration Approaches

Today we'll focus on what stream restoration is, what specific techniques are used, and some problems associated with specific techniques. 

Reading assignment: 
Selected pages from Oregon Aquatic Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Interim Guide (on the web)
Selected pages from Stream Corridor restoration, Principles, Practices and Processes (on the web)
Knighton p. 329-335

Web reading:  Oregon Aquatic Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Interim Guide, of the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds. 
What this document is: This link will take you to the Status and Monitoring page of the Oregon Plan web page -- click on 1998 Aquatic Habitat Restoration Guide (two formats are offered).  This document covers a large number of stream and watershed restoration actitivities including:  grazing management, road crossing improvement, in-stream habitat construction, LWD placement, riparian vegetation planting, etc.  For each activity, some guidelines/considerations are given, and requirements for permits are also given. 
Reading assignment and questions:
p. 1-4:  What are the goals for the activities described in this guide? (p. 2)
Under what circumstances is active restoration advocated?
Review the table of activities on p. 3-4 to see the range of activities that might be considered.
Which of these activities are passive and which are active?
Read about the following activities to understand what they are, and what they are intended to accomplish:
Large wood placement (p. 32)
Instream boulder placement (p. 34)
Articfial bank stabilization, including bioengineering, bank sloping, instream barbs, riprap (p. 42)
Habitat construction projects, including anchored wood, pool construction, weirs, debris jams, and construction of off-channel habitat (p. 29)
Whole channel alterations (p. 27)

Web reading:  Stream Corridor Restoration, Principles, Practices and Processes   This is the Federal interagency stream restoration handbook.    Read the introductory page that this link takes you to, to understand what the document is.  Then go to the bottom of the page and click on Table of Contents. 
Reading assignment:  Much of this document is worth reading.  For now, read the following parts of Ch. 8:
Ch. 8, sect. G, Instream Habitat Recovery:  Read p. 63-71 on streambank stabilization techniques, including geotextiles, tree revetments, etc.  Read p. 75-80 on types of instream structures (weirs, deflectors, etc.) and consideration in structure design.   These sections will complement what you read in the Oregon Guide (above) and they also have pictures of some of the structures, 

Reading assignment and questions from Knighton:

p. 329-335: Managing the fluvial environment
  • Think about the following important questions that Knighton raises (but does not answer):
    How sensitive is a given river reach to disturbance?
    How rapidly can geomorphic change in a channel be initiated and propagated?
    How long does it take for re-adjustment from a disturbance?
    How are components of the channel system linked? How does change in one channel component (i.e. gradient) affect other channel components (i.e., W:D, pattern, etc.)?
    How can change in part of a drainage system be transmitted to another part of the drainage system? How long does it take?
  • What would be the value of process-based classification systems in river management? Do the Rosgen system and the Montgomery and Buffington system fill this need? Either or both?
  • What is Knighton’s argument in favor of taking a catchment-scale perspective on river management, and against reach-based solutions? Can you think of any activities or plans that are examples of the catchment-scale perspective? Of the reach-scale perspective?
  • What is the value of historical information in river management? What historical time scale(s) do you think are most valuable in collecting information for river management?
    What is the difference between the "regime assumptions" of engineers, and the "analysis of change" approach favored by Knighton? (Review readings or notes to understand what is meant by the regime channel and regime equations.)
  • Based on your reading in this section, and in the other readings on this page, what are some typical strategies employed in river management for:
    flood control and protection
    river rehabilitation or restoration
    improving fish habitat
    reducing sediment inputs
  • What is the difference between the "river as hazard" approach and the "river as resource" approach to river management? According to Knighton, what are some management activities typical of the former? Of the latter? Would it be reasonable to subdivide "river as resource" into two parts, "river as ecological resource" and "river as economic resource"? Are there different management activities associated with these two sub-approaches?

 

Thursday, March 11:  Restoration and Monitoring (con.)

Today we'll continue our discussion from Tuesday.  We will discuss some criticisms of current and recent restoration practices.  We will focus more on political issues, and policy and value judgements in restoration, than on the technical issues disussed on Tuesday.

Reading assignment:  This is in your reading packet, and the book is on reserve in the Science Library.
Beschta, R. L., 1997, Restoration of riparian and aquatic systems for improved aquatic habitats in the Upper Columbia River Basin, pp. 475-491, in Stouder, D.J., Bisson, P.A., and Naiman, R.J., eds., Pacific Salmon and Their Ecosystems: Status and Future Options. New York: Chapman and Hall of International Thomas Publishing.

 

Some other reading on restoration and monitoring that you might find interesting:   These are not required reading.  They are just some other interesting things on stream restoration and management that I found on the web. 

Web Reading:  Streamnotes, Go to Oct. 1996 issue to find:  "Use and misuse of channel classification systems"

Web reading:  Streamnotes, Go to July 1997 issues to find:  "Applying a fluvial geomorphic classification system to watershed restoration"

Web reading:  Oregon DEQ fact sheet on TMDLs:  Suspended sediment from stream bank erosion and watershed erosion is considered a non-point source pollutant.  When water quality standards for suspended sediment are exceeded, a water quality management plan must address control of suspended sediment.  This is done by setting TMDL standards.  This fact sheet explains what a TMDL is in general terms.  A TMDL standard may be defined in terms of maximum daily load (i.e., maximum tons per day of the pollutant that is allowed to be released into the stream), or in terms of "other appropriate measures" (i.e., some quantified criterion stated in terms other than tons per day).  For streambank erosion, the TMDL may be stated in terms of allowable amount of stable or eroding streambank, for example.  For an example of this, see the South Steens TMDL (below).  

Web reading:  South Steens TMDL and WQMP:   On this web page, scroll down to "South Steens TMDL and Water Quality Management Plan", and then click on TMDL or WQMP.  These are draft documents for controlling two non-point source "pollutants" (sediment from streambank erosion and high water temperature) in the South Steens watersheds.   These watersheds are in the southeastern Oregon desert, and they support redband trout, a fish being considered for listing as endangered.  The TMDL document explains why streambank erosion is considered the pollution source, and the reasoning behind setting standards to control streambank erosion.   The WQMP is the water quality management plan for these watersheds, using the TMDLs. 

Web reading:  EPA Ecological Restoration Manual, A Tool for Managing Water Quality. 

Web reading:  Bioengineering Techniques from Nebraska. 

Web reading:  Bioengineering Glossary, by the Bio-Engineering Group, Inc. 

Web reading:  Red River Meadow Restoration Project, Idaho.  web page for a restoration project funded by BPA.

Web reading:  Inter-Fluve, Inc.  The web page of one of the leading private stream restoration companies. 

 

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last update:  05/30/01 08:46 AM
Department of Geography, University of Oregon, Eugene OR, 97403-1251