63 



T«bla 2. Examplas of infliMncas on «ach factor r*pr«s«iitatlve of problems In 

 Northwest vatershads. 



FACTOR 

 Food (energy) source 



Water Quality 

 Habitat Structure 



Flow Ragiine 



Biotic Interactions 



TYPTCAI. DRGRADATTQN IN NORTHWEST WATERSHEDS 



Supply of organic material from riparian 



corridor altered 

 Nutrients from the carcasses of adult salmon 



after spawning reduced or not available 



Elevated tenperatures 

 Oxygen depletion 

 Chenical contanlnants 



Sedinentation and loss of spawning gravels 

 Obstructions that Interfere with movenent of 



adult or Juvenile salmonlds 

 Lack of coarse woody debris 

 Destruction of riparian vegecadon and 



overhanging banks 

 Lack of deep pools 

 Altered abundance and distribution of 



constrained and unconstrained channel reaches 



Altered flows that limit survival rates during 

 any phase of the saloon life cycle 



Increased predatlon on young by native or exotic 



species 

 Overharvest by sport or commercial fishers 



These examples of best management practices are much like the best 

 management practices defined by soil conservationists to protect soil 

 resources. But like soil conservation BMP* , application of watershed planning 

 processes requires replacement of the current fragmented approach to BMP use 

 with development of integrative Best Management Systems (Karr and Schlosser 

 1978). The legacy of narrow planning programs can be seen In fish ladders and 

 hatcheries, solutions chat developed to correct symptoms rather than problems. 

 Like other BMP's. riparian corridors must be integrated into a watershed-level 

 best management system. Only by integrating the planning process across 

 landscapes can we protect river systems . 



3a. Are existing mnnnyement regimes on state, federal and nrivatc land 

 adequate to prev ent further degradation of watersheds and fish habitat? 



NO! The decline in water resource quality, salmonlds populations, and 

 Northwest watersheds continues because existing programs and the way they are 

 Implemented are not adequate. The goal of the Clean Water Act, to "restore 

 and maintain the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the Nation's 



