DOCSLIB.ORG

Land Cover Change Along the Willamette River, Oregon

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Land Cover Change Along the Willamette River, Oregon AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Doug R. Oetter for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Geography presented on August 16, 2002. Title: Land CoverChange along the Willamette River, Oregon. Abstract approved: A. Jon Kimerling The Willamette River and its floodplain in northwest Oregon have changed dramatically since European settlement. At one time, the river was a vast complex system of braided channels with a broad floodplain forest; it has now been simplified by channelization and dams, and the forest has been removed to support agricultural and urban expansion. This thesis presents three research manuscripts, each of which uses remote sensing and Geographical Information System methods to capture the dynamic nature of land along the Willamette River. In the first article, the river and its floodplain were mapped at four time periods, ranging from pre-settlement to modern day. The paper reports that the river system has been greatly simplified, and the floodplain has lost much of its original forest. An overlay technique was used to identify potential floodplain restoration sites. The second paper details the creation of a landcover map for the Willamette Valley, which shows that the largest portion of the floodplain is now in agriculture, with a significant amount in a built condition. The third manuscript outlines a methodology for detecting land cover change along the river during a twenty-year period that coincides with the implementation of the Willamette River Greenway, a land use designation designed to restrict riparian land conversion. It shows that regressive change is still occuring along the river, although not at thesame rate asoutside the greenway. The three papers lay the foundation for a future study to analyze the socioeconomic conditions which promote change. © Copyright by Doug R. Oetter August 16, 2002 All Rights Reserved LAND COVER CHANGE ALONG THE WILLAMETTE RIVER, OREGON by Doug R. Oetter A THESIS submitted to Oregon State University in partialfulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Presented August 16, 2002 Commencement June 2003 Doctor of Philosophy thesis of Doug R. Oetter presented on August 16, 2002 APPROVED: Major Professor, representing Geography Chair of Department of Geosciences Dean of Graduate School I understand that my thesis will become part of the permanent collection of Oregon State University libraries. My signature below authorizes release of my thesis to any reader upon request. Doug R.Oetter, Author ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many important and wonderful people spent countless hours helping me learn how to become a researcher and encouraging me to stick with this thesis. I am greatly endebtted to the people I have worked with at the Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory, notably Warren Cohen, Tom Maiersperger, and Linda Ashkenas, but also Sara Lipow, Robert Kennedy, Karin Fassnacht, Alissa Moses, Liz Gerson, George Lienkaemper, Theresa Valentine, Kelly Christiansen, and Sharon Clarke. And the list goes on and on. I am forever grateful for the patience and advice of my major professor, Jon Kimerling, and my graduate committee: Bob Frenkel, Ron Doel, Stan Gregory, Aaron Wolf, and Kerry Ahearn. These people gave me everything I could have hoped for in making this thesis complete and competent. I deeply appreciate Keith Muckleston for getting me started on my program and seeing me through the tough times of the preliminary exams. I also thank Bob Beschta, Robert Miller, and Jim Morris for serving on my committee. I am indeed appreciative of all my professors at Oregon State University, especially Chris Gray, Bill Robbins, Steven Rubert, and Paul Farber for teaching me how the study of history is,andis not, like geography. And my thanks go to Joanne VanGeest, Melinda Peterson, and Theresa Belden of the Geosciences Department. I could have not done this work without my peers. Many, many people shared their lives and thoughts with me, helping me to understand: Jill Saligoe- Simmel, Chris Oliver, Chris Purnell, Mario Hess, Colleen Kinney, Tracy Allen, Eric Larsen, David Shively, Diana Sinton, Bob Tuori, Neil Bursani, David Buchwalter, Christian Braudrich, Kelley Steams, Eileen Helmer, Scott Bergen, Kitty Griswold, and all their fellow graduate students who finished, moved away, and left me here with nothing else to do but this thesis. Also I want to acknowledge the many kind souls who endured me living in their space, from my very close friends Jennifer Whitewing, Katie Moore, Julie Luetzelschwab, Rebecca Ward, Beth Lambert, Christine Reeh, Susanna Kummerow, Sybil Merrels, Kim Kittredge, Teri Lysak, and Julie Pendelton, to my housemates Pete Oboyski, Bob Tuori, Brian Norman, Scottie McKrell, John Hartigan, Amy Hartigan, Joe Lotrario, Tony Kaltenberg, Tamara Johnson, Stephanie McDowell, Todd Kagawa, Jeannine Beatrice, Steve Elliott, Eric Groth, Tom Delinks, Donna Grisham, Sadie Curry, Maureen Dailey, Jason Johannsen, Darrell Kaiser, Suzanne Lovelady, Jesus Anaya, Marya Gregory-Madsen, Jesse Howe, Zachariah English, Morgen Daniels, Megan Kleck, and Jack Lapham. There were many other people, both ultimate players and not, who kept me alive with their words and actions, for example my dear friends Maureen Duane, Judith Ingram, Eric Moore, Jesse Mitchell, Andy Neill, Tara Sechler, Rob Gandara, Tony Cheng, Mikell O'Mealy, Kris Whitbeck, Stirling Fox, Will Russell, and Andy Bluhm. And those of you in the Corvallis, Oregon, Pacific Northwest, and global Ultimate community know that there are far toomanyof you to mention, but I thank you all. There is one person who has recently come to know me and has seen me through the most difficult conclusion of this effort. For that I will forever love and cherish Katie Lynne Fisher. And most importantly I thank my mother and father, George and Elisabeth Oetter, and my loving aunt, Sara Oetter, for keeping me secure and warm when I needed it most. My sister Beth Woodward has had a tremendous influence on this work, as did my dear deceased grandparents, Rudolph and Optye Oetter and George H. and Faye Sparks, who created the proper educational and emotional environment to see all this through. CONTRIBUTION OF AUTHORS For Chapter 2, there are three co-authors listed. Linda Ashkenas was instrumental in guiding the research behind this project, as well as performing much of the data creation and analysis required to accomplish such a tremendous task. She also offered many useful suggestions to my manuscript. Dr. Stan Gregory was the director and brains behind the entire project, and guided the research we completed. Paula Minear also worked laboriously on the construction of the Geographical Information Systems data. For Chapter 3, there are four co-authors listed. Dr. Warren Cohen not only secured the funding for this research and had the faith to hire me as a Faculty Research Assistant, but also monitored my progress and taught me how to become a researcher. He improved the manuscript substantially by forcing me to tell the story in clear and complete language. Mercedes used her experience with us to capture the forested portion of the Willamette Valley, and offered the kindest words ever. Tom helped me understand the principles of remote sensing and was invaluable in discussions on our mapping technique. Robert, also, never lost enthusiasm for my work and helped out immensely by writing an Interactive Data Language program that helped georectify our TM images. Each of the co-authors offered editorial comments on the manuscript. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1. PREFACE....................................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................1 RIVER SYSTEMS AND RIPARIAN CONSERVATION ....................................3 RIPARIAN GREEN WAYS..........................................................................................5 WILLAMETTE RIVER HISTORY ............................................................................8 THE WILLAMETTE RIVER GREENWAY.........................................................13 LAND USE PLANNING...........................................................................................18 EVALUATION OF POLICY IMPLEMENTATION.........................................20 EVALUATION OF LAND USE POLICIES AND LANDSCAPE CHANGE ....................................................................................................................24 SPATIAL METHODS FOR LAND COVER CHANGE ANALYSIS.............26 SPATIAL METHODSFOR RIPARIANCHANGE ASSESSMENT..............29 OVERVIEW..................................................................................................................32 REFERENCES.............................................................................................................34 CHAPTER 2. GIS METHODOLOGY FOR CHARACTERIZING HISTORICAL CONDITIONS OF THE WILLAMETTE RIVER FLOODPLAIN, OREGON..............................................................................................49 ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................50 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................51 Study area .................................................................................................................52 Objectives.................................................................................................................55
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Albany-Calapooia Assessment and Project Implementation Plan
    Calapooia River - Albany Assessment and Project Implementation Plan Final Report Site Assessment on the Willamette River. Submitted To: Ms. Tara Davis, Executive Director Calapooia Watershed Council PO Box 844 Brownsville, Oregon 97327 Submitted By: River Design Group, Inc. 311 SW Jefferson Avenue Corvallis, Oregon 97333 April 29, 2011 Calapooia - Albany Assessment and Project Implementation Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Calapooia Watershed Council and the City of Albany retained River Design Group, Inc. to complete an existing conditions assessment and restoration opportunities prioritization plan for several waterbodies in the vicinity of Albany, Oregon. The assessment reaches include the lower 3 miles of the Calapooia River, the Willamette River and adjacent agricultural areas from RM 114 to RM 122, lower Periwinkle Creek, Thornton Lake, and the Albany oxbow lakes adjacent to the Willamette River. This effort follows the Calapooia River Watershed Assessment (CWC 2004) which provided an evaluation of the drainage at the watershed scale, and the Middle Calapooia Assessment (RDG 2007). This document serves two purposes; one, as an assessment, it presents information on historical and existing conditions based on field data collection, remote sensing, and existing data review. Secondly, the document serves as a river corridor restoration project prioritization plan that highlights restoration actions to address limiting factors and achieve restoration goals. Individual opportunities are identified for each of the target waterbodies. -i- April
    [Show full text]
  • Spatial Patterns of Sediment Transport
    SPATIAL PATTERNS OF SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN THE UPPER WILLAMETTE RIVER, OREGON by TREVOR BROOKS LANGSTON A THESIS Presented to the Department of Geography and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science June 2015 THESIS APPROVAL PAGE Student: Trevor Brooks Langston Title: Spatial Patterns of Sediment Transport in the Upper Willamette River, Oregon This thesis has been accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science degree in the Department of Geography by: Mark Fonstad Chairperson Patricia McDowell Member and Scott L. Pratt Dean of the Graduate School Original approval signatures are on file with the University of Oregon Graduate School. Degree awarded June 2015 ii © 2015 Trevor Brooks Langston iii THESIS ABSTRACT Trevor Brooks Langston Master of Science Department of Geography June 2015 Title: Spatial Patterns of Sediment Transport in the Upper Willamette River, Oregon The Willamette is a gravel-bed river that drains ~28,800 square kilometers between the Coast Range and Cascade Range in northwestern Oregon before entering the Columbia River near Portland. In the last 150 years, natural and anthropogenic drivers have altered the sediment transport regime, drastically reducing the geomorphic complexity of the river. The purpose of this research is to assess longitudinal trends in sediment transport within the modern flow regime. Sediment transport rates are highly discrete in space, exhibit similar longitudinal patters across flows and increase non- linearly with flow. The highest sediment transport rates are found where the channel is confined due to disconnection of the floodplain and the river runs against high resistance terraces.
    [Show full text]
  • Lower Willamette River Environmental Dredging and Ecosystem Restoration Project
    LOWER WILLAMETTE RIVER ENVIRONMENTAL DREDGING AND ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION PROJECT INTEGRATED FEASIBILITY STUDY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DRAFT FINAL REPORT March 2015 Prepared by: Tetra Tech, Inc. 1020 SW Taylor St. Suite 530 Portland, OR 97205 This page left blank intentionally EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Integrated Feasibility Study and Environmental Assessment (FS-EA) evaluates ecosystem restoration actions in the Lower Willamette River, led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the non-Federal sponsor, the City of Portland (City). The study area encompasses the Lower Willamette River Watershed and its tributaries, from its confluence with the Columbia River at River Mile (RM) 0 to Willamette Falls, located at RM 26. The goal of this study is to identify a cost effective ecosystem restoration plan that maximizes habitat benefits while minimizing impacts to environmental, cultural, and socioeconomic resources. This report contains a summary of the feasibility study from plan formulation through selection of a recommended plan, 35% designs and cost estimating, a description of the baseline conditions, and description of impacts that may result from implementation of the recommended plan. This integrated report complies with NEPA requirements. Sections 1500.1(c) and 1508.9(a) (1) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (as amended) require federal agencies to “provide sufficient evidence and analysis for determining whether to prepare an environmental impact statement or a finding of no significant impact” on actions authorized, funded, or carried out by the federal government to insure such actions adequately address “environmental consequences, and take actions that protect, restore, and enhance the environment." The Willamette River watershed was once an extensive and interconnected system of active channels, open slack waters, emergent wetlands, riparian forests, and adjacent upland forests.
    [Show full text]
  • Raad, Maureen. "Flood Damage and Riparian Forest Restoration
    Untitled Document Raad, Maureen. "Flood Damage and Riparian Forest Restoration: Selecting Focal Areas and Setting Restoration Goals on Oregon's Willamette River." Master's Project, University of Oregon, 1999. (Reviewed by Susan Mershon) The title says it all. This Landscape Architecture masters project develops a method for locating areas in the Willamette Basin with high potential for restoration of riparian forests, which are a form of flood control. Carefully chosen areas upstream, which can store water, protect downstream communities from flooding. The large Midwest floods of 1993, and then the 1996 Willamette floods, spurred research into floodplains. Hundred-year floodplains have a 1% chance of flooding each year, and encompass smaller, more frequently Inundated floodplains. Federal policies have altered the "flood flow, floodplain and channel form, and riparian forest cover" to reduce the area of land that gets flooded and make it more suitable for agriculture. This has destroyed many riparian forests. As floodplains are diverse, so are the riparian forests, which can be anywhere within the 100 year floodplain. The riparian forest used to dominate in the Willamette floodplain. Raad creates a trinity typology for the river: geomorphologic features, hydrological processes, and forest types, plus human alterations. She wants to determine which conditions are best for creating riparian forests. She spells out some guiding principles: Complex river channels support many plants and wildlife, and provide more flood storage capacity. Periodic flood inundation and dynamism, channel change, are important to riparian ecosystems. A diverse floodplain makes for diverse ecosystems. Raad assumes all potential restoration sites will lie within the 1996 floodplain.
    [Show full text]
  • Willamette Valley Ecoregion Recovery John Marshall | Geograp
    DRAFT FINAL RESEARCH PAPER SPATIAL AUTOCORRELTION PATTERN ANALYSES: Willamette Valley Ecoregion Recovery John Marshall | Geography 517 – Research Paper | June 1, 2017 1 | P a g e John Marshall June 1, 2017 Spring Term 2017 – Geography-517 Geospatial Data Analysis Draft Research Paper Geospatial Characterization and Analyses of Environmental Recovery Actions in the Willamette Valley Ecoregion, Oregon Abstract: Geographers have come to recognize the need to characterize and analyze the state of conservation recovery actions to better understand contemporary ecosystem sustainability. Over twenty mitigation banks and thousands of Federal and State recovery grant projects are now established and ongoing in the Willamette Valley Ecoregion. Both regulatory and nonregulatory recovery programs embrace the notion that solutions should contain elements that support resilience and functionally sustainable systems. The, theory supporting the ranking system used to characterize Willamette Valley ecoregion recovery actions assumes recovery actions are intrinsically important, but more important if they enhance existing natural resources and that their importance is proportional to their size and proximity to one another. A Geographic Information System was selected as a logical technology to create the necessary characterization model and framework for conducting the analyses. Two pattern recognition tools are used to identify statistically significant ecoregion recovery hot spots, cold spots, and spatial outliers. A cursory review and characterization of five hot spot areas identified by the pattern analyses tools was done to help verify whether the model is making appropriate Willamette Valley ecoregion recovery hot spot selections. The model appears to be correctly identifying suitable Willamette Valley ecoregion recovery actions for larger proximate first order hot spots.
    [Show full text]
  • 9126 Federal Register / Vol
    9126 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 33 / Thursday, February 19, 2015 / Rules and Regulations DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Executive Summary definition of an endangered or This document contains: (1) A final threatened species under the Act. This Fish and Wildlife Service rule to remove the Oregon chub from final rule removes the Oregon chub from the Federal List of Endangered and the Federal List of Endangered and 50 CFR Part 17 Threatened Wildlife, and (2) a notice of Threatened Wildlife. This rule also availability of a final post-delisting removes the currently designated [Docket No. FWS–R1–ES–2014–0002; critical habitat for the Oregon chub FXES11130900000C6–156–FF09E42000] monitoring plan. Species addressed—The Oregon chub throughout its range. Basis for the Regulatory Action— RIN 1018–BA28 (Oregonichthys crameri) is endemic to Under the Act, a species may be the Willamette River drainage of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife determined to be an endangered species western Oregon. Extensive human and Plants; Removing the Oregon or threatened species because of any of activities in the Willamette River Basin Chub From the Federal List of five factors: (A) The present or (e.g., dams, levees, and other human Endangered and Threatened Wildlife threatened destruction, modification, or development within the floodplain) curtailment of its habitat or range; (B) have substantially reduced the amount AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, overutilization for commercial, and suitability of habitat for this Interior. recreational, scientific, or educational species. Improved floodplain ACTION: Final rule. purposes; (C) disease or predation; (D) management and floodplain restoration the inadequacy of existing regulatory SUMMARY: We, the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Guidebook for Hydrogeomorphic (HGM)–Based Assessment of Oregon Wetland and Riparian Sites: Statewide Classification and Profiles
    Guidebook for Hydrogeomorphic (HGM)–based Assessment of Oregon Wetland and Riparian Sites: Statewide Classification and Profiles Oregon Division of State Lands Guidebook for Hydrogeomorphic (HGM)–based Assessment of Oregon Wetland and Riparian Sites: Statewide Classification and Profiles Prepared for: Oregon Wetland-Riparian Assessment Project Oregon Division of State Lands by: Paul R. Adamus Adamus Resource Assessment, Inc. 6020 NW Burgundy Dr. Corvallis, OR 97330 February 2001 copies available from: Dana Field, Oregon Division of State Lands 775 Summer St. NE Salem, OR 97310 phone: (503) 378-3805 extension 238 email: [email protected] Support for this project was provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency Region 10, and Oregon Division of State Lands This document should be cited as: Adamus, P.R. 2001. Guidebook for Hydrogeomorphic (HGM)–based Assessment of Oregon Wetland and Riparian Sites: Statewide Classification and Profiles. Oregon Division of State Lands, Salem, OR. cover photo courtesy of Steve Shunk - Paradise Birding SUMMARY This guidebook describes a classification system for Oregon wetland and riparian areas based on their hydrogeomorphic (HGM) characteristics: their dominant water sources and setting in the landscape. This represents a regional refinement of a similar national classification. This guidebook provides narrative descriptions (profiles) for each of 14 HGM subclasses that occur in 10 regions of Oregon. The profiles address identification of the subclass, statewide distribution and variability, possible functions, and vulnerability to human-related and natural disturbances. The guidebook provides profiles for 13 natural functions that potentially are valued because they provide services to society. The guidebook documents the occurrence of these functions in wetland/ riparian systems of the Pacific Northwest, describes their potential values and services, and suggests variables and indicators that may predict the relative magnitude of the functions and values.
    [Show full text]
  • Floodplain Restoration at Willamette Mission
    R & E Grant Application Project #: 13 Biennium 13-053 Floodplain Restoration at Willamette Mission Project Information R&E Project $47,717.00 Request: Match Funding: $585,589.27 Total Project: $633,306.27 Start Date: 4/26/2014 End Date: 6/30/2015 Project Email: [email protected] Project 13 Biennium Biennium: Organization: Willamette Riverkeeper (Tax ID #: 931212629) Fiscal Officer Name: Marci Krass Address: 1515 SE Water Ave. #102 Portland, OR 97214 Telephone: 503-223-6418 Telephone 2: 307-690-3820 Fax: 503-228-1960 Email: [email protected] Applicant Information Name: Marci Krass Address: 1515 SE Water Ave. Portland, OR 97214 Telephone: 503-223-6418 Email: [email protected] Past Recommended or Completed Projects This applicant has no previous projects that match criteria. Project Summary This project is part of ODFW’s 25 Year Angling Plan. Activity Type: Habitat Summary: Floodplain forest restoration will occur on 450 acres to address limiting factors for Chinook, coho, and steelhead at Willamette Mission State Park, a Conservation Opportunity Area, Willamette anchor habitat, and popular fishing location. Invasive Project #: 13-053 Last Modified/Revised: 12/16/2013 12:31:08 PM Page 1 of 20 Floodplain Restoration at Willamette Mission weeds are preventing forest regeneration in meadows and degrading mature floodplain forest. The project will reestablish native vegetation that will develop into mature forest in the active floodplain, to help meet the habitat complexity, habitat connectivity, food, and water quality needs of native fish. Park users, local youth, and adults will participate in environmental education and on-site stewardship activities as part of the project.
    [Show full text]
  • Willamette River Floodplain Restoration Study Draft Integrated Feasibility Report/ Environmental Assessment
    WILLAMETTE RIVER FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION STUDY DRAFT INTEGRATED FEASIBILITY REPORT/ ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Lower Coast and Middle Fork Willamette River Subbasins March 2013 Prepared by: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tetra Tech, Inc. Portland District Portland, OR Willamette River Floodplain Restoration Study Draft Report This page was intentionally left blank to facilitate double-sided copying. Willamette River Floodplain Restoration Study Draft Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This feasibility report presents the results of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) feasibility study undertaken to identify and evaluate alternatives for restoring natural floodplain functions in the lower Coast and Middle Forks of the Willamette River. This report provides documentation of the plan formulation process to select a recommended restoration plan, along with environmental, engineering, and cost details of the recommended restoration plan, which will allow final design and construction to proceed following approval of this report. The study area is the Willamette River Basin of western Oregon. The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River and is the tenth largest river in the United States, based on average annual flow. This study is being conducted in phases due to the large size and complexity of the Willamette River Basin. Phase 1 of the study involved the development of a framework level plan for the entire Willamette Basin – the Willamette Subbasin Plan (WRI 2004); which documented conditions in the basin and strategies to recover fish and wildlife species as part of the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program. Phase 2, the subject of this report, is a feasibility study of floodplain restoration opportunities in the lower Coast and Middle Forks of the Willamette River.
    [Show full text]
  • Wetgrass Prairie Recovery Using the Assistance of an Ecosystem-Wide Conservation and Mitigation Banking Program
    SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND MAPPING OF WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON WET PRAIRIE RECOVERY Wetgrass Prairie Recovery Using the Assistance of an Ecosystem-wide Conservation and Mitigation Banking Program University of Washington Geography 560 – Principles of Mapping Winter Quarter 2017 John L. Marshall RECOVERING HISTORICALLY LOST WET PRAIRIE Close to 99% of the pre-European occupation wet grass prairie in the Willamette Valley, Oregon has been converted to pasture and other agricultural uses or urban development. Displacement of aboriginal peoples and their cultural practices of prairie burning to drive game for hunting and maintaining native prairie food plants, such as camas, has led to an accelerated colonization by woody species and nonnative invasive weeds. Over a period of about 15 to 20-years, a mitigation and conservation banking program (ORS 196.668 – 196.622) has been steadily growing around the state of Oregon and 22 of those mitigation banks are established in the Willamette Valley Ecoregion. Many of these mitigation banks are targeting the recovery of Willamette Valley wet grass prairie as part of their over-arching management and long-term protection strategy. A SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK FOR WILLAMETTE Human Systems/ Social Ecological Economic Scale VALLEY, OREGON WETGRASS Ecoregion: Native American Extreme Habitat Subsistence to (Willamette Valley, Subsistence/Culture Loss Farm Based PRAIRIE RECOVERY Oregon) to European and Loss of Species to Industrial to Domain Post-Industrial A socio-ecological characterization and mapping framework is used as the Land Parcel Alternative Lifestyle Land Restoration Natural Resource (Muddy Creek Wetland Regulation Adverse Habitat Recovery Based Economy operational construct for meeting the Mitigation Bank) to Regulation Species Recovery project objective.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 23 Patterns and Controls on Historical Channel Change in The
    Chapter 23 Patterns and controls on historical channel change in the Willamette River, Oregon USA1 Jennifer Rose Wallick DHI, Inc. 319 SW Washington St. Suite 614 Portland OR 97204 USA [email protected] 503-827-5900 Gordon Grant Pacific Northwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Corvallis, Oregon, USA [email protected] Stephen Lancaster Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis Oregon USA [email protected] John P Bolte Department of Bioengineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis Oregon, USA [email protected] Roger Denlinger Cascade Volcano Observatory, Vancouver Washington, USA [email protected] 1This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (Biocomplexity Grant 0120022). This manuscript is currently in press & will be published in a book titled Large Rivers, edited by Avijit Gupta & published by Wiley. Anticipated publishing date is July, 2007. 1 23.1. Introduction Distinguishing human impacts on channel morphology from the natural behaviour of fluvial systems is problematic for large river basins. Large river basins, by virtue of their size, typically encompass wide ranges of geology and landforms resulting in diverse controls on channel form. They also inevitably incorporate long and complex histories of overlapping human and natural disturbances. Wide valleys were historically prime locations for human settlement, as immigrants were attracted to relatively flat and fertile floodplain soils and rivers served as conduits of travel and commerce. Over the span of multiple centuries, humans typically modified many aspects of a river’s hydraulic and hydrologic behaviour, including streamflow regimes, bank erodibility, and sediment supply. Distinguishing anthropogenic impacts from natural influences in large river basins is therefore difficult because there are so many potential drivers of channel change, and human interventions have occurred over long timescales.
    [Show full text]
  • Willamette Valley Conservation Study Strategic Habitat Conservation in Oregon’S Willamette Valley
    U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Willamette Valley Conservation Study Strategic Habitat Conservation in Oregon’s Willamette Valley Willamette Valley Conservation Study Strategic Habitat Conservation in Oregon’s Willamette Valley March 2017 Prepared by the: U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service 911 NE 11th Avenue Portland, Oregon 97232 Recommended citation: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2017. Willamette Valley Conservation Study. Pacific Region, Portland, Oregon. 148 pp. Willamette Valley Conservation Study Executive Summary Oregon’s Willamette Valley, renowned for the high quality of life it affords its residents, is losing part of its natural heritage. Habitat loss and fragmentation coupled with the loss of disturbance regimes that rejuvenated and maintained native habitats has resulted in population declines of many of the valley’s sensitive wildlife and plants. Several Willamette Valley species are currently listed under the State or Federal endangered species acts. There is a long history of partners working together to address these issues, through land-based and educational conservation actions across the valley. To determine where and how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service could complement these actions, we worked with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and other governmental and non-governmental organizations engaged in conservation efforts in the Willamette Valley to complete a study of land-based conservation needs and opportunities in the valley. For the purposes of this study, land-based conservation includes actions to identify, preserve, restore, and manage terrestrial areas primarily for their wildlife habitat values while promoting nature-based recreational and educational activities where appropriate. The study concludes that the amount and distribution of lands currently managed for sensitive, native wildlife species is inadequate for depressed populations to recover to a healthy and viable condition across their range in the valley.
    [Show full text]