"River restoration is evolving from an art into a science. A critical first step in this evolution has been to document what is being done in the name of river restoration." said Dr. Emily Bernhardt the lead author of the Science paper by a team of 25 scientists that created the nation's first comprehensive database of river and stream restoration projects.
Project records were obtained by a dedicated team of graduate student researchers led by University of Maryland Professor Margaret Palmer and Post-doctoral researcher, Emily Bernhardt. Bernhardt is now on the faculty at Duke University. Professor David Allan at the University of Michigan also helped lead the national effort. The students combed agency databases and file cabinets and made hundreds of phone calls to resource managers and restoration practitioners.
"According to our research, river restoration is growing exponentially in this country," said Dr. Margaret Palmer, University of Maryland and another author. "There is enormous demand for this kind of work to improve water quality, restore wildlife habitats, and create natural spaces that people can enjoy."
The term river restoration applies to activities such as restoring wetlands to filter pollution, reforesting riverbanks to curb erosion, recreating the natural river channel to reduce downstream flooding, and removing dams to allow fish to migrate freely up and downstream. According to the authors of the paper, at least $14 – 15 billion has been invested in river restoration since 1990 – an average of $1 billion per year. That's a lot of individual efforts – the average cost per project is just $45,000. California, the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and the Pacific Northwest are hotspots of restoration work.
"It's no mystery why river restoration is booming," said Andrew Fahlund, Vice President for Protection and Restoration at American Rivers. "Rivers in good condition more readily meet the needs of the surrounding community than polluted and degraded rivers."
According to the authors of the Science article, more consistent monitoring of projects after they are completed and sharing this data with other practitioners is the next step in the evolution of the river restoration field. Only 10% of the 37,000 projects in the database include any mention of monitoring effectiveness although some states are investing more in evaluation than others.
"Figuring out what does and does not work in individual restoration projects is the key to improving future river restoration efforts," said Dr. Judy Meyer, University of Georgia and another author. "Every organization that invests in a river restoration project should commit to monitoring the work and making those results available to their peers in the field."
"I'm optimistic about the future of river restoration in this country," said Dr. David Allan, University of Michigan. "We have an incredible suite of options for healing our nation's rivers. We just need the funding and political will to use them."
Reporters are encouraged to contact participating river scientists in their area to learn more about local river restoration projects. Tours of these projects are available as well as interviews of a variety of partner organizations. Contact information for each region is also listed below.
We have set up a website for reporters at http://www.nrrss.umd.edu/press.htm
For more information please visit the following websites:
http://www.nrrss.umd.edu/NRRSS_INDEX.htm
http://www.americanrivers.org/nrrss
http://nrrss.nbii.gov/
Field Trip Opportunities
Chesapeake Bay/MidAtlantic Area
Dr. Margaret A. Palmer
University of Maryland
301-405-3795
Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River - Adelphi, MD
Christmas tree stream bank stabilization
Cinnamon Creek Riparian Project- Vienna, VA
Stream bank erosion stabilization project
Sligo Creek Watershed Restoration- Silver Spring, MD
Habitat restoration and stormwater management
Potomac River – Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia
American shad restoration
Accotink Creek Restoration- Fairfax, VA
Creek stabilization and habitat rehabilitation
Little Lehigh Creek – Berks County, Pennsylvania
Stream fencing project
Southwest Area
Dr. Cliff Dahm, University of New Mexico, 505-277-2850
Dr. Steve Gloss, USGS, University of Arizona, 520-626-51472
Jenn Follstad Shah, University of New Mexico, 505-277-9164
Gunnison River - Hotchkiss, Colorado
Diversion reconstruction and channel reconfiguration for fish habitat and in-stream flows.
The Pueblo Colorado Wash - Hubbell Trading Post, Arizona
A channel reconfiguration and riparian management project.
Rio Grande River – Los Luna, New Mexico
Vegetation reconstruction to support aquatic and riparian habitat for threatened and endangered species
Upper Midwest Area
Dr. J. David Allan, University of Michigan, 734-764-6553
Boardman River, Traverse City Area, Michigan
Bank stabilization and sediment reduction
Onion River, Silver Springs Restoration- Sheboygan Co., Wisconsin
Dam removal, channel creation, habitat restoration
Central U.S.
Dr. David L. Galat, USGS, University of Missouri, 573-882-9426
Elk Creek Watershed – NW Iowa
Stream corridor management through science and successful partnerships
Illinois and Mississippi Rivers – Lake Chautauqua, Illinois
Multi-state multi-agency efforts to restore floodplain ecosystems
Southeast Area
Dr. Judy Meyer, University of Georgia,
Dr. Emily S. Bernhardt, Duke University, 919-660-7318
Reforest the Bluegrass - Lexington-Fayette Urban County, Kentucky
Forested river buffer creation and "daylighting" streams
South Peachtree Creek - DeKalb County, Georgia
Bioengineering and urban streams
Removal of the Lowell Mill Dam in Johnston Co., NC (dewatering on April 28th 2005).
Removal of an abandoned mill dam will reconnect the Little River to the Pamlico Sound
Northwest Area
Dr. Steve Clayton, University of Idaho, 208-364-6164
Dr. Peter Goodwin, University of Idaho, 208-364-4081
Amy Souers, American Rivers, Seattle, WA, 206-213-0330
Red River and Columbia Basin – North Central Idaho
Stream restoration in mountainous habitat
Large scale dam removal for salmon
Additional Contacts:
Emily Bernhardt, Duke University, (646) 825-1278
Margaret Palmer, University of Maryland, (301) 873-7256
Judy Meyer, University of Georgia, (706) 542-3363
David Allan, University of Michigan, (734) 764-6553
Andrew Fahlund, American Rivers, (202) 347-7550 ext. 3022
Eric Eckl, American Rivers, (202) 347-7550 ext. 3023
Journal
Science