Stream Restoration News for November 11, 2008

Sorry this thing has been on hiatus for awhile. Lots of work and other life stuff got in the way. But now I'm back.

Last week I had the pleasure of speaking at the 2008 Southeast Stream Restoration Conference in Asheville. Lots of good talks and good conversation in between. I even got to shake Dave Rosgen's hand. There were several recurring themes throughout the meeting. One was, of course, the new mitigation rules and what their interpretation might mean. Spurred on by Peter Wilcock from Johns Hopkins and others, another big topic was uncertainty, its effects on the possibility of success, and how to incorporate it into planning.

My talk was on the possibility for urban stream restoration to improve water quality. Given that NC is seriously talking about granting nutrient mitigation credits for stream restoration, and that the evidence is slim that these projects can affect nutrient concentrations or removal, I thought it was a timely topic. I understand that the power point presentations will be posted online at a future time.

Now, some links:
New research by Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) has identified that the continued loss of wetlands in Manitoba is increasing phosphorus loads into Lake Winnipeg equivalent to dumping 10 semi loads of commercial agricultural fertilizer or 544,000 bags of lawn fertilizer directly into the lake every year

Public comments are being incorporated into the ongoing restoration and Superfund cleanup of the Upper Clark Fork in Missoula, MT

The sort of restoration I can get behind: Removing a concrete channel in Gloucester, MA Also, Making plans to restore Massachusetts' Sudbury River

Maryland officials should throw lifeline to depleted stock of brook trout

Project aims to restore Mississippi river flow and aquatic life behind diversion dikes in Tennessee

The dirty side of "clean coal"