67 



S Are there econo mic benefit* to manaylny rlvr« on *n •eoBVCaa ba.ty . 

 eonmared to our currant placamaal appromch? 



Econonic b«n«£ltB will accru* from improving eha affaetivanass of 

 programs to protact vacer raaourcaa . Jeba loat in tha aalaon fishing and 

 tourism Industries will be reatorad; jobs will ba craatad and the eeonoiaic 

 base and social structura of rural connunitiaa will ba praaarved. Uatar 

 supplies (both quantity and quality) will be pcotactad for agricultural and 

 urban uses. Dredging of rivers and harbors will ba raduead as the aaount of 

 sediment transported to rivers declines. 



The Northwest has an opportunity to avert a disaster that has bafallen 

 the Midwest . Tha pursuit of naximuB yiald and agrioultural profit in that 

 region has had catastrophic effects on tha social fabric of agricultural 

 comnunitias. We should work now to avoid further aeenomlc and social 

 dislocation in the Northwest dua to ovarharvaat of natural resources and a 

 lack of attention to tha fabric of society. 



CONCLUSIONS 



Rivers are in nany ways the lifablood of human sociaty. They provide 

 water for donastic and industrial uses, they serve as transportation 

 corridors, they provide food, recreation and scenic beauty. In addition to 

 their direct importance to human society, their status is indicative of the 

 health of the surrounding landscape in the same way that blood samples provide 

 important insight about the health of humans. 



Our future depends on our ability to create positive, long- lasting 

 solutions. The tiro most Important components of that effort will be 1) 

 protection and restoration of natural resource systems and 2) diversification 

 of the regional economic base Ue can no longer exploit and alter the 

 landscape as if it is infinitely resilient to human actions. 



An initiative that combines a watershed planning perspective vlth a 

 watershed restoration initiative provides the central organizing principles 

 that are fundamental to long-term success. Uater'e Dobillcy, Integrative 

 qualities, and importance to all biological systems makes examination of the 

 status of water resources a practical approach for assessing the condition of 

 the landscapes upon which humans depend for their long-term "health." 



