- NRRSS Project Description
River Restoration in our Nation: A Scientific Synthesis to Inform Policy,
Grassroots Actions, and Future Research
The National River Restoration Science Synthesis Project aims to provide a
national level synthesis that can be used to inform policy at local,
regional, and national levels. Our method will involve in-depth research at
seven or eight geographic regions in the United States.
The depth of analysis we propose can only be accomplished by harnessing
the collective knowledge of widely respected research scientists with intimate
knowledge of restoration practices and policies in their respective regions.
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The Problem
Because streams and rivers are so important economically and ecologically,
restoration of these ecosystems is receiving a lot of attention and enormous
financial support.
Restoration activities are diverse, ranging from channel engineering, to
hydrologic experimentation, renewal of riparian vegetation, bank stabilization
and habitat improvement.
All levels of government, as well as volunteer groups and non-governmental
organizations, are players. Projects vary in scope from some of the largest
imaginable (e.g., the Everglades), to small reaches of headwater streams.
While some of these efforts are being catalogued on a local or regional
scale, few are analyzed at all, and even fewer are evaluated for ecological
success.
- Filling the Gap
Our project is national in scope, and will draw on existing local and regional
restoration databases and projects, but provide the in-depth research and
analysis that scientists, citizens, restoration practitioners and policy makers
currently lack.
Our goal is to analyze the extent, nature, scientific basis and success
of stream river restoration projects, and to present this information in a way
that is useful to scientists, restoration practitioners, and those making
policy decisions on what kinds of projects ought to receive priority for
funding and implementation.
Specifically, we will synthesize the regional data to:
1) Evaluate the state of the practice of stream restoration nationally and
identify successful demonstrations of different types of stream restoration,
highlighting the reasons for their success.
2) Produce a scientific document that examines the links between ecological
theory and stream restoration (such as the roles of refugia, connectivity, and
natural processes), and identifies the unanswered questions meriting further
research.
3) Develop a series of specific recommendations to improve how stream
restoration is carried out and its success evaluated.
4) Disseminate this information broadly and on an on-going basis.
- The Outcome
The science team will refine the design criteria for selection of
projects, and develop criteria to assess the quality of the science
underlying the restoration efforts and their outcomes, using a broad
range of descriptive data (e.g., who, what, where, restoration goals,
outcome/results, costs, methods) from a representative sample of
restoration projects from various regions within the U.S.
American Rivers will work with the scientists to develop data sets that
represent issues of greatest concern to policy makers and grass-roots
groups. The science team will synthesize this information and draw
general lessons concerning the links between the practice of
restoration and the science of restoration ecology.
American Rivers will incorporate the data and analysis into electronic
form on its website, designed in an accessible format to accommodate
searches and linkages with its other research and outreach tools, and
ensure that the project's findings are communicated to restoration
practitioners and policymakers across the country.
American Rivers will also enable managers, river groups, scientists and
other interested parties to add new restoration projects to the
database, ensuring that it will be a growing resource center for
restoration practitioners in the future.
- NRRSS Database Functions
Request to become new NRRSS User (Not for public use)
Listing of NRRSS Node Managers and Users
NRRSS Statistics by Node
(Calculated on a daily basis)
Today's Activity on this NRRSS Website
(Information compiled on an hourly basis)
(For NRRSS Users and Managers only)
NRRSS Poster
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NRRSS Scope and Participants
The NRRSS Project has a national agenda, but our efforts are more
intense within ten geographic nodes of interest. NRRSS nodes and node
participants are listed below.
Australian NRRSS Node
Victoria
Participants:
Brooks,
Lake
California NRRSS Node
Participants:
Kondolf,
Boutillier,
Miller,
Pagano,
White
Lower Chesapeake NRRSS Node
Participants:
Bernhardt,
Hassett,
Palmer, Paul
Upper Chesapeake NRRSS Node
Participants:
Carr,
Giuliano,
Hart,
Srivastava
Central Great NRRSS Node
Participants:
Galat,
O'Donnell,
Ridenour
Upper Midwest NRRSS Node
Participants:
Alexander,
Allan, Gergel
Pacific Northwest NRRSS Node
Participants:
Clayton,
Goodwin,
Jenkinson,
Relyea,
Ransel,
Stanford
Southeast NRRSS Node
Participants:
Loeffler,
Meyer,
Sudduth
Southwest NRRSS Node
Participants: Dahm,
Follstad-Shah,
Gloss
Internode NRRSS Node
Participant:
Bernhardt
The national effort is being coordinated by Margaret Palmer and
Emily Bernhardt
at the University of Maryland, Dave Allan at the University of Michigan, and
Katherine Ransel (Seattle) and Margaret Bowman (D.C.) of American Rivers.
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