Compromised rivers: Understanding historical human impacts on rivers in the context of restoration

Authors:
Wohl, E.

Publication Date:
2005

Abstract/Summary:
Recognition of compromised river function is particularly important in the context of river restoration, in which the public perception of a river’s condition often drives the decision to undertake restoration as well as the decision about what type of restoration should be attempted. Determining the degree to which a river has been altered from its reference condition requires a knowledge of historical land use and the associated effects on rivers. Rivers of the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains in the United States are used to illustrate how historical land uses such as beaver trapping, placer mining, tie drives, flow regulation, and the construction of transportation corridors continue to affect contemporary river characteristics.

Resource Type:
Peer-reviewed Article

Source:
Ecology and Society

Link:
http://www.u.arizona.edu/~conniew1/geog532/Wohl2008.pdf