An Ecological Perspective of Riparian and Stream Restoration in the Western United States

TLDR

Aquatic and riparian ecosystems face unprecedented biodiversity loss, and restoration seeks to reestablish their processes and linkages, yet many have been degraded by off‑channel activities and require watershed‑scale interventions. The study advocates that restoration be conducted at the watershed or landscape scale. Effective restoration begins with passive measures—stopping harmful activities and allowing natural recovery—before adding active structures, and must be implemented at the watershed or landscape scale. Failing to halt degrading activities before active interventions misinterprets ecosystem needs, worsens degradation, and complicates restoration.

Abstract

There is an unprecedented need to preserve and restore aquatic and riparian biological diversity before extinction eliminates the opportunity. Ecological restoration is the reestablishment of processes, functions, and related biological, chemical, and physical linkages between the aquatic and associated riparian ecosystems; it is the repairing of damage caused by human activities. The first and most critical step in ecological restoration is passive restoration, the cessation of those anthropogenic activities that are causing degradation or preventing recovery. Given the capacity of riparian ecosystems to naturally recover, often this is all that is needed to achieve successful restoration. Prior to implementation of active restoration approaches (e.g., instream structures, channel and streambank reconfiguration, and planting programs), a period of time sufficient for natural recovery is recommended. Unfortunately, structural additions and active manipulations are frequently undertaken without halting degrading land use activities or allowing sufficient time for natural recovery to occur. These scenarios represent a misinterpretation of ecosystem needs, can exacerbate the degree of degradation, and can cause further difficulties in restoration. Restoration should be undertaken at the watershed or landscape scale. Riparian and stream ecosystems have largely been degraded by ecosystemwide, off-channel activities and, therefore, cannot be restored by focusing solely on manipulations within the channel. While ecological restoration comes at a high cost, it also is an investment in the natural capital of riparian and aquatic systems and the environmental wealth of the nation.