According to the 1994 National Water Quality Inventory, only 56% of the nation’s rivers and streams could fully support multiple uses such as drinking water, fish and wildlife habitat, recreation, agriculture, flood prevention and erosion. While in the remaining 44%, excessive sedimentation and unwanted nutrients caused significant degradation of the overall health of the streams. There is no indication that these percentages have improved significantly since 1994. This clearly indicates that there is lot of restoration work to be accomplished. 

    In the United States today, the rivers and streams (and the floodplain and upland areas closely associated with them) comprise vast corridors (3.5 million miles) of great economic, social and environmental value. The land, plants, animals and the network of streams that comprise these corridors represent an incredibly complex ecosystem. These corridors perform a variety of ecological functions such as controlling stream-flow, water storage and supply, the removal of harmful or toxic materials, and habitat for plants and animals; both aquatic and terrestrial. These important functions have been severely compromised, if not irreparably damaged in certain cases.

    The characteristics of stream corridors can be quite different than surrounding upland or “drier” areas. Stream corridors support far more species diversity than other ecosystems and are typically more sensitive to change. Species diversity is commonly accepted as critical to the survival of all viable ecosystems on planet earth. 

    The evolution and health of stream corridors is in lockstep with, and in response to, surrounding ecosystems. Changes in the surrounding ecosystems tend to impact the physical, chemical and biological processes occurring within the stream corridor. The “dynamic equilibrium” of a riverine system is altered by these outside changes and the resulting adjustments in the ecosystem may conflict with the needs of society. Such as: a stream encroaching on the foundation of an existing residence. In some cases a new equilibrium will ultimately develop, in other words, the stream will adapt, but this can take a very long time.

    Stream ecosystems across the nation have been subject to changes brought on by human activity. These activities manipulate streams and corridors for a wide variety of purposes including, but not limited to, transportation, irrigation, domestic and industrial water supply, waste, recreation, aesthetic enjoyment, and recently fish and wildlife habitat. This country’s stream corridors are being severely impacted by increases in human population, and by physical development of all kinds. The cumulative effect of human activity on stream corridors, and the ecosystems of which they are a part, result in significant and impactive changes. These changes include loss of habitat for aquatic and terrestrial animals, decreased recreational values, negative effects on the quality of the water, and decreased water storage and delivery capacity. The very essence of a stream!

    Restoration, as defined here, includes a wide variety of interventions and tactics designed to restore (or recover) the equilibrium and self-sustaining functionality of a stream and/or stream corridor.

    The first important step in restoration is to stop the disturbance activity causing the degradation or preventing the natural recovery and self-sustainability of an ecosystem. 

    Restoration projects can range from a passive intervention which simply (not always) removes the cause of disturbance, to an active intervention that involves the actual implementation of repairs to the damaged ecosystems. 

    Stream and/or stream corridor restoration has three basic approaches:

  1. Nonintervention- active restoration is not necessary because the stream is recovering naturally.

  2. Partial Intervention/Restoration- where a stream is recovering but not rapidly. Some level of intervention to facilitate the natural processes of recovery.

  3. Substantial Intervention/Restoration- the ecosystem cannot recover the stream naturally and an active approach to recovery must be initiated.

    Some partial and substantial restoration techniques include: channel reconfiguration and/or realignment to restore the streams sustainability; riparian plantings and fencing to re-establish the vegetative canopy; and upland techniques mostly related to the control of non-point sources such as increased runoff from the imperiousness of the watershed, i.e.; human development.

    What decides which intervention is appropriate is the level of degradation within the context of the current conditions of the stream/stream corridor. It is likely that a restoration will not result in returning a stream to its original condition, nor should this necessarily be the goal. The ultimate and achievable goal should be to restore stream equilibrium and self-sustaining qualities.

    The body of knowledge on stream corridor restoration is rapidly expanding. One particular approach to restoration is not necessarily better than another. People need to consider the full range of possibilities, whether no action or passive approaches, a partial intervention or a substantive one.

    There is a plethora of passive and active intervention methodologies available to Americans today. Technological advances have made it possible to rapidly improve the sustainable qualities of stream corridor ecosystems, when the human and economic resources are available to do so. 

    This article is meant to encourage local public involvement in restoration planning and implementation. The task of restoring thousands of miles of damaged stream corridors must involve government agencies, private and public landowners, permit holders, volunteers, and civic groups.

    All participants now share the responsibility and good fortune of reaching beyond the accepted concept of conservation of natural resources to a new paradigm of ecologically-viable restoration. The challenge is to create riverine ecosystems that improve and sustain themselves, rather than degrade over time. 

    To quote energy entrepreneur Steve Munson, “It’s too late for conservation. Its time for restoration.”

    The opportunity to protect stream corridors in this country from further damage has never been more limitless. It is time to mobilize the incredible resources of this country and get to work!