Stream Restoration

There's more to a stream than the rushing or meandering water. A stream corridor, or stream valley, is a complex and valuable ecosystem which includes the land, plants, animals, and network of streams within it. Recognition of the value of stream corridors has come with the understanding of what has been lost through uninformed or misguided actions on many streams and the watersheds that nourish them.

CL&L serves as a pivotal player between government, industry and local stakeholders, gathering information, research and scientific data to address local conservation issues. We believe there are many valid points of view in dealing with sensitive conservation issues and we work to find mutually agreeable resolutions that prevent the wasteful use of valuable resources.

The U.S. has 3.5 million miles of rivers.  The 1992 National Water Quality Inventory of 642,881 miles of these rivers stated that only 56 percent fully supported multiple uses, including drinking water supply, fish and wildlife habitat, recreation, and agriculture, as well as flood prevention and erosion control.  In the remaining 44 percent of stream miles inventoried, sedimentation and excess nutrients were the most significant causes of degradation. Sediment problems result from soil erosion from watersheds and streambanks.  Today, interest in restoring stream corridors is expanding nationally and internationally, as indicated by increasing numbers of case studies, published papers, technology exchanges, research projects, and symposia. Stream corridors are increasingly recognized as critical ecosystems supporting interdependent uses and values.