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1999 Progress Report: Development of an Integrated Scientific and Technological Framework for Stream Naturalization
EPA Grant Number: R827148Title: Development of an Integrated Scientific and Technological Framework for Stream Naturalization
Investigators: Rhoads, Bruce L. , Garcia, Marcelo , Herricks, Edwin E. , Wilson, David
Institution: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
EPA Project Officer: Stelz, Bill
Project Period: October 1, 1998 through September 30, 2001
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 1, 1998 through September 30, 1999
Project Amount: $881,913
RFA: Water and Watersheds (1998)
Research Category: Water and Watersheds
Description:
Objective:Specific objectives of the research are to: (1) develop and test a set of dynamic, process-based, multi-scale analysis and modeling methods, which integrate ecological, geomorphological, and engineering information, to effectively predict fluvial and habitat dynamics of human-modified stream systems; (2) examine the social processes that define the content of a community's environmental vision and that influence the effective incorporation of scientific and technical information in community-based decision making; (3) determine the extent to which specific stream-naturalization strategies that fulfill the environmental objectives of a local community also are sustainable given the fluvial and ecological conditions of the watershed; (4) explore how community-based environmental preferences shape and, in turn, are shaped by science and technology as preferences emerge and then are translated into specific environmental designs. Fulfillment of these objectives will generate an improved capacity to: (1) detect, explain, and forecast the effects of particular naturalization schemes on the environmental quality of a stream system at multiple spatial and temporal scales, and (2) assess, explain, and anticipate the extent to which scientific-technical information is incorporated into community-based decision-making about stream naturalization.
Three urban stream catchments near Chicago, IL, have been identified as field sites for development of an integrated scientific and technological framework for stream naturalization: West Fork of the North Branch of the Chicago River in Northbrook, IL; Poplar Creek watershed near Elgin, IL; and Butterfield Creek watershed near Flossmor, IL. Each catchment is located within a human-modified environment and the rivers at the sites have been channelized in part or in whole at some time in the past. A three-phase action-plan summarizes the scientific research approach at each of these locations. Phase 1 involves site reconnaissance, survey and mapping operations, and GIS analysis of watershed and stream conditions. Phase 2 involves establishment of a field infrastructure for a systematic program of integrated ecological and geomorphological measurements and numerical modeling of river dynamics. Phase 3 involves implementing the measurement program to document the geomorphological and ecological dynamics of the study reaches before and after the implementation of stream naturalization projects. These efforts are complimented by the social-analysis component of the project, which involves investigations into the place-based sociohistorical context of each site and supplemented with in-depth interviews. This contribution is critical to the overarching premise of the project which holds that integration of the technical, with the non-technical, and of the community with its local environment is vital in achieving a successful outcome from any effort to naturalize stream environments in urban communities.
Progress Summary:The Northbrook site is currently under planning for stream naturalization by the local community. A preliminary geomorphologically based pool-riffle design for straight urban stream channels has been developed and tested for different flow-stages using a suite of numerical hydrodynamic models. Baseline data on current geomorphological and ecological conditions at the site have been collected as part of Phase 1 activities to guide the formulation of the naturalization design. Interviews in the community also have begun to examine stakeholder values and interests as political participants in the stream naturalization process.
Phase 1 activities at Poplar Creek are nearly complete. A survey traverse has been conducted to produce a detailed site map and to establish a framework of horizontal and vertical control for Phase 2 activities. Social analysis work is just beginning with the focus on the development of a historical chronology of watershed activities and on interviewing of key watershed actors and agents.
Future Activities:Phase 1 activities will be completed and Phase 2 activities will be initiated at the Northbrook and Poplar Creek sites. Detailed field investigations of pre-naturalization ecological and geomorphological conditions will be conducted to provide a baseline for evaluating the effectiveness of proposed naturalization projects for accomplishing project goals. The focus ecologically will be on fish habitat and community structure, whereas the geomorphological work will examine interactions among flow structure, sediment transport, large woody debris, and patterns of channel erosion and deposition. The engineering component of the project will continue to develop and refine a suite of predictive stream-naturalization modeling tools. Over the next year, Phase 1 activities will be initiated at the Butterfield Creek site. Social analysis will involve expanding the number and scope of interviews with local officials and stakeholders. Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 48 publications for this project
Supplemental Keywords:aquatic ecology, ecosystems, restoration, watersheds, integrated assessment, Midwest, social science, community-based, decision making. , Water, Geographic Area, Scientific Discipline, RFA, Water & Watershed, Civil/Environmental Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Hydrology, Watersheds, Ecology and Ecosystems, State, stakeholder feedback, alternative urbanization scenarios, geomorphic, ecology assessment models, stream ecosystems, decision making, aquatic habitat protection , human-dominated systems, conservation, stream naturalization, suburban watersheds, stable fluvial systems, anthropogenic processes, aquatic ecosystems, Illinois (IL), biodiversity
Progress and Final Reports:
Original Abstract
2000 Progress Report
2001 Progress Report
Final Report