Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2020PA345B

Adaptive management in stream restoration across Pennsylvania: historical trends, recent case studies, and future directions/strategic challenges

Institute: Pennsylvania
Year Established: 2020 Start Date: 2020-03-01 End Date: 2021-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $15,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $30,000

Principal Investigators: Benjamin Hayes

Abstract: More than one-third of Pennsylvania’s lakes and one fifth of its streams are listed as impaired or polluted. Extinction rates of fresh- water fauna are five times that for terrestrial biota. Fortunately, stream and river restoration can lead to species recovery, improved inland and coastal water quality, and new areas for wildlife habitat and recreational activities. This study aims to fill a knowledge gaps between adaptive management methods and stream restoration projects across Pennsylvania. This research will document spatial and/or temporal trends in stream restoration projects across Pennsylvania, identify case studies that have applied adaptive management concepts, and explore future directions and growth areas such as adaptive management and planning, ecosystem services, and climate change. Our research goals are to shed light on five central questions related to stream restoration in Pennsylvania: (1) where are the major sources of stream restoration data? (2) what types of stream restoration are occurring? (3) are there spatial and/or temporal trends in the practice of restoration? (4) are there case studies of adaptive stream restoration approaches that practitioners, conservation groups, and regulators should consider as best practices? and (5) what future directions and strategic challenges are offered environmental regulators and natural resource managers?