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Standards for Case History Selection |
The Wild Fish Habitat Initiative uses general guidelines for fish habitat restoration project selection. We recognize there may be outstanding projects that do not have all the components outlined in the guidelines. We reserve the right to showcase those projects as well. However, first priority goes to the projects that follow the guidelines outlined below.
Pre-Project Evaluation
A pre-project evaluation of a habitat restoration project should include collection of baseline information to determine the causes and processes of any disturbance to fish habitat. Collecting data on physical, chemical, and biological conditions in the stream channel, the riparian area, and upland land use in the watershed is ideal. This requires knowledge of river channel types, stream hydraulics, water quality, soils, riparian and natural river processes, biological communities, including fish and the necessary habitats for all life stages. Photographs are an excellent permanent record for documenting disturbance in fish habitat, channel, or riparian conditions. If taken at a strategic place, the photograph can be repeated for post-project evaluation. For all fish habitat restoration projects, it is critical to collect baseline fish population information either through adult or juvenile enumeration, redd counts, etc.
Guiding Image
Creating a guiding image, either through computer modeling or from a reference reach, is an important step in the planning phase of a restoration project. A reference reach is a nearby section of river that possesses similar channel morphology, hydrology, sediment regime, water quality and biota relative to the disturbed site.
Project Design and Implementation
Understanding the causes and forces of disturbance on fish habitat, paired with the guiding image will help restoration specialists determine the restoration goals for the site and the most suitable techniques to reach the restoration goals and objectives. Often fish habitat is “enhanced” with placement of materials into the stream channel or manipulation of the channel itself to improve fish habitat. However, if actual stream channel, riparian and watershed processes aren’t addressed, the enhancement project may be short lived. Planning a restoration project should include documentation such as foundation for method of restoration techniques, engineering design, and details on project effectiveness monitoring program.
Project Evaluation
Equally important is the evaluation phase of a project to determine whether the restoration action had a measurable effect on fish habitat, fish populations and the physical, chemical and biologic conditions of the stream channel and riparian area. To determine if the objectives of the restoration project are met, it is important to monitor short- and long-term project effectiveness. Effectiveness monitoring can be time consuming and expensive, but without it, understanding the impact of restoration actions is lost. Monitoring design and selection of monitoring parameters, spatial and temporal replication and sampling scheme will be specific to project type, scale, region, etc. Regardless of whether specific objectives are met or not, monitoring results can be applied to future projects on the same stream or one of a similar nature. |
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