Synopses & Reviews
My original idea to reactivate the Alsea streamflow monitoring program was part of a sabbatical leave supported by the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. (NCASI) and the Department of Forest Engineering, Oregon State University (OSU). The camaraderie of George Ice and Ben Stout (NCASI) in particular made for an enjoyable leave and I want to acknowledge the late Hank Froehlich and Jim Kiser (OSU) for our discussions on what does it all mean. My plan was to finish this book at OSU, but that opportunity was not presented. Nonetheless, the book took longer to complete than I originally thought. The interest by other investigators and new support prompted me to not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. It was my final decisions that went to press, thus, any errors or omissions are my responsibility not authors or reviewers. This book does not completely cover all the lessons learned. Even with the conveniences of modern science, data loggers fail, water level floats leak, and water quality samples disappear between the field and the lab. Those are the lessons that have to be experienced to be learned, or shared over a beer. This compilation may not recognize all the people who contributed to efforts in the Alsea watersheds but any oversight on my part was not intended. A note of appreciation goes to James D. Hall at OSU for his willingness to check the details and find the nits, especially in the references. It was special to have one of the original investigators be part of this effort. Thanks to C.A. Troendle for our continued discussions on forest hydrology. Thanks to my family, especially Susan.
Review
From the reviews: "This work, volume 199 in the 'Ecological Studies' series, includes 15 years of research, 20 years of monitoring data, and a research renewal focusing on the Alsea watershed habitat and organism responses to four decades of forest practices. ... Chapters contain graphs, figures, and tables to emphasize and illustrate important concepts. Suitable for soil scientists, biologists (wildlife, fishery), limnologists, foresters, hydrologists, conservationists, and professionals involved with forestland use policy and problems. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate through professional collections." (S. G. Shetron, CHOICE, Vol. 45 (11), 2008)
Review
From the reviews:
"This work, volume 199 in the 'Ecological Studies' series, includes 15 years of research, 20 years of monitoring data, and a research renewal focusing on the Alsea watershed habitat and organism responses to four decades of forest practices. ... Chapters contain graphs, figures, and tables to emphasize and illustrate important concepts. Suitable for soil scientists, biologists (wildlife, fishery), limnologists, foresters, hydrologists, conservationists, and professionals involved with forestland use policy and problems. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate through professional collections." (S. G. Shetron, CHOICE, Vol. 45 (11), 2008)
Synopsis
The Alsea Logging and Aquatic Resources Study, commissioned by the Oregon Legislature in 1959, marked the beginning of four decades of research in the Pacific Northwest devoted to understanding the impacts of forest practices on water quality, water quantity, aquatic habitat, and aquatic organism popu- tions. While earlier watershed research examined changes in runoff and erosion from various land uses, this study was the first watershed experiment to focus so heavily on aquatic habitat and organism response to forest practices. The Alsea Watershed Study, as it came to be known, extended over 15 years with seven years of pretreatment calibration measurements, a year of treatment, and seven years of post-treatment monitoring. The research was a cooperative effort with scientists from Oregon State University, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Cooperating landowners included the Georgia-Pacific Corporation, the U.S. Forest Service, and a local rancher. It was a remarkable 15-year partnership marked by excellent cooperation among the participants and outstanding coordination among the scientists, many of whom participated actively for the entire period.
Synopsis
The Alsea Watershed Study, established in 1959 and reactivated in 1989 as the New Alsea Watershed Study, evaluated the effects of timber harvesting on water resources and salmonid habitat and populations in the temperate coniferous forests of the Oregon Coast Range. This was the first paired watershed experiment to focus on aquatic habitat and organism response to forest practices. Demonstrating the importance of maintaining streamside vegetation in protecting water quality and fish habitat during timber harvest operations, the study led directly to regulations in the Oregon Forest Practices Act of 1971 that required leaving streamside vegetation in harvest units. Decades of research have provided important information and lessons for watershed research and management. Through analyses of works generated by the study, Hydrological and Biological Responses to Forest Practices: The Alsea Watershed Study addresses the quantification of forest resource sustainability and bolsters the case for long-term monitoring at a time when managers and policy makers are searching for ways to restore the runs of salmon and steelhead to rivers and streams of the Pacific Northwest. Edited by John D. Stednick, a forest hydrologist responsible for the study's reactivation, this book will be of interest to students in natural resources, land managers, policy makers, and researchers, particularly in water and fishery resources. About the Editor: John D. Stednick is a professor of Watershed Science at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO.
Synopsis
The camaraderie of George Ice and Ben Stout (NCASI) in particular made for an enjoyable leave and I want to acknowledge the late Hank Froehlich and Jim Kiser (OSU) for our discussions on what does it all mean. My plan was to finish this book at OSU, but that opportunity was not presented. Nonetheless, the book took longer to complete than I originally thought. The interest by other investigators and new support prompted me to not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. It was my final decisions that went to press, thus, any errors or omissions are my responsibility not authors or reviewers. This book does not completely cover all the lessons learned. Even with the conveniences of modern science, data loggers fail, water level floats leak, and water quality samples disappear between the field and the lab. Those are the lessons that have to be experienced to be learned, or shared over a beer. This compilation may not recognize all the people who contributed to efforts in the Alsea watersheds but any oversight on my part was not intended. A note of appreciation goes to James D. Hall at OSU for his willingness to check the details and find the nits, especially in the references. It was special to have one of the original investigators be part of this effort. Thanks to C.A. Troendle for our continued discussions on forest hydrology. Thanks to my family, especially Susan.
Table of Contents
The Alsea Watershed Study: Hydrological and Biological Responses to Forest Practices Chapter 1. The Alsea Watershed Study James D. Hall and John D. Stednick Chapter 2. Effects of Timber Harvesting on Streamflow in the Alsea Watershed Study John D. Stednick Chapter 3. Stream Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen George G. Ice Chapter 4. Sediment Studies in the Alsea Watershed Study Robert C. Beschta and William L. Jackson Chapter 5. Salmonid Populations and Habitat James D. Hall Chapter 6. The Oregon Forest Practices Act and Forest Research Anne Hairston-Strang, Paul W. Adams, and George G. Ice Chapter 7. The New Alsea Watershed Study John D. Stednick Chapter 8. Flynn Creek: Research Natural Area Arthur McKee and Sarah Greene Chapter 9. Long Term Streamflow Changes Following Timber Harvesting John D. Stednick Chapter 10. Long Term Water Quality Changes Following Timber Harvesting John D. Stednick Chapter 11. Risk Assessment for Salmon From Water Quality Changes Following Timber Harvesting John D. Stednick and T. J. Kern Chapter 12. Sedimentation Studies Following the Alsea Watershed Study Robert L. Beschta and William L. Jackson Chapter 13. Woody Debris from the Streamside Forest and Its Influence on Fish Habitat C. W. Andrus Chapter 14. Long Term Trends in Habitat and Fish Populations in the Alsea Basin Stanley V. Gregory, John S. Schwartz, James D. Hall, Randall C. Wildman, and Peter A. Bisson Chapter 15. The Alsea Watershed Study: A comparison with other multi-year investigations in the Pacific Northwest Peter A Bisson, Stanley V. Gregory, Thomas E. Nickelson, and James D. Hall Chapter 16. Watershed Management Paul W. Adams Chapter 17. Research Opportunities in Hydrology and Biology in Future Watershed Studies John D. Stednick