2/16/2015
Hydrology and geomorphology
Guests: Dr. Todd Rasmussen, Dr. Rhett Jackson
Discussion Questions:
Design Component:
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Is a structure-oriented approach (riffle-pool) better than a more holistic approach?
How does this approach suffer from upstream influences?
Is the “build it and they will come” attitude effective?
According to Resop et al, conventional engineering designs for reducing risk
often undermine restoration goals. Moving forward, how can restoration
professionals deal with this problem?
Modeling:
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Do we tend to model for hydraulic or ecological characteristics? Does it depend
on the site?
How effective are parameters? Hydrologic/Hydraulic vs. Ecological.
In the Schwartz et al paper, the authors noted that they did not have site-specific
data. How did they model stream processes, given the lack of this important
input?
Since stream systems are dynamic, can specific model results be used, or are only
trends useful?
What weights are given to different modeling techniques when making decisions
on restoring a stream’s integrity?
Monitoring:
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How do you monitor post-restoration hydraulic success?
Many studies publish short-term data, is this potentially harmful?
Renovation vs. Restoration:
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Is restoring specific functions valuable where total restoration isn’t possible?
Does “rehabilitation” make more sense than “restoration”?
Is it reasonable to “restore” a stream in an urban environment back to a “natural”
channel? Would it be more effective to restore tributaries to the urban reaches
rather than the reaches themselves?