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and potential erosion problems, provides little in
<br />the way of recreational opportunities, provides
<br />little water quality protection, and is often
<br />unaesthetic. Wider, vegetated channels and banks
<br />do require more land but may also require less
<br />engineering and may have a broad range of other
<br />flood storage, pollution control, recreational,
<br />aesthetic, habitat, and erosion control benefits.
<br />Engineers also often begin with the assumption
<br />that water should move as rapidly as possible
<br />through an area (supercritical flow). This
<br />requires removal of vegetation and other
<br />impediments to flow and requires construction of
<br />concrete channels to withstand the erosive forces
<br />of high velocity flow. But, water can be passed
<br />from upstream to downstream points just as well at
<br />lower velocities with a broader vegetated
<br />floodplain and higher roughness coefficients.
<br />- It should be realized that to achieve
<br />multiobjective goals considerable specificity in
<br />thinking must take place with an examination of
<br />natural values and functions for the floodplain as
<br />a_ whole and a consideration of geomor holo ical as
<br />well as hydrologic and hydraulic factors. A
<br />factually sensitive approach often means more
<br />detailed data gathering and analysis for the
<br />floodplain as a whole and consideration of factors
<br />which have often been ignored in the past (e.g.,
<br />sediment regimes).
<br />A Shift in Responsibility for Goal-Setting,
<br />Planning, Funding, and Implementation
<br />Second, multiobjective river corridor manage-
<br />ment often requires not only a philosophical shift
<br />in approach but a shift in who is responsible for
<br />goal-setting, planning, funding, and implementa-
<br />tion responsibilities. Successful implementation
<br />requires considerable "bottom-up" planning and
<br />plan implementation. Local government and land-
<br />owner initiatives have proven key to many of the
<br />multiobjective efforts to date (Kusler 1982b;
<br />Platt 1980; Coyle, this volume). This is a major
<br />shift from the "top down" river planning and
<br />management approach. The federal government and
<br />states can help, but the major motivation,
<br />planning, design, financing, and design must often
<br />take place at the local level if locals are to
<br />fund and implement the efforts. Locals often have
<br />most to gain from multiple objective river
<br />corridor management and most to lose from single
<br />objective approaches. The locals have the greatest
<br />incentive to coordinate federal and state grants-
<br />in-aid, technical assistance, etc.
<br />A strong bottom-up orientation requires the
<br />involvement of landowners and local governments
<br />from the beginning, the application of consensus
<br />decision-making models, and a division of
<br />responsibilities for implementation. It requires
<br />power-sharing and new coordinating mechanisms to
<br />gain consensus and facilitate implementation.
<br />This is not to suggest that state or federal
<br />assistance is not needed or that watershed
<br />perspectives are not needed. State help is needed
<br />to encourage and support local programs, provide
<br />technical assistance and data, and place such
<br />efforts in broader watershed or state contexts.
<br />They can assist local integrated efforts by
<br />reorienting some of their own river and river
<br />corridor management efforts, including floodplain
<br />management and wetland management efforts, to more
<br />fully emphasize urban areas and multiobjective
<br />goals. They need to better coordinate not only
<br />wetland and floodplain plans and regulations but
<br />stormwater, nonpoint source pollution, sediment
<br />control and broader efforts.
<br />A reoriented federal role is also needed. More
<br />than anything else, federal level leadership and a
<br />redirection of federal resources is needed rather
<br />than a expenditure of large amounts of new money.
<br />Adoption of the McDade Bill would do much to
<br />further local programs. Other suggestions include:
<br />1. Federal agency leadership is needed in more
<br />fully endorsing multiobjective goals;
<br />2. Federal agencies should set examples for
<br />local governments by incorporating innovative
<br />designs in federal projects;
<br />3. Federal agencies should better coordinate
<br />efforts with one another and with state and
<br />local efforts;
<br />4. Federal technical assistance efforts should
<br />be reoriented to be more multiobjective issue
<br />and technique oriented;
<br />5. Congress should provide to local governments
<br />selected and modest grants in aid;
<br />6. Congress should provide bonuses for projects
<br />which can meet multiobjective goals and
<br />remove incentives for single objective
<br />projects; and
<br />7. Congress and federal agencies should provide
<br />research, training and education to facili-
<br />tate multiobjective approaches.
<br />CONCLUSION
<br />In conclusion, the trend toward multiobjective
<br />river corridor management will likely not only
<br />continue but gain momentum in both urban and rural
<br />areas of the United States. This reflects
<br />increasingly tight budgets, pollution control,
<br />and broadened public expectations. Multi-
<br />objective river corridor management is complex and
<br />cannot be easily accomplished. But, the tools and
<br />techniques are available. And the long term
<br />benefits will be substantial.
<br />REFERENCES AND SELECTED READINGS
<br />Brooks, A. 1988. Channelized rivers, perspectives
<br />for environmental management. John Wiley & Sons,
<br />New York.
<br />California Department of Water Resources. 1988.
<br />Urban stream restoration program. California
<br />Department of Water Resources, Sacramento.
<br />Congressman Joseph M. McDade and Congressman
<br />Morris K Udall. 1989. Multi-objective river corri-
<br />dor management planning workshops, Final Report.
<br />Washington, D.C.
<br />Diamont, R., B. Eugster and C. Duerksen. 1984. A
<br />citizen's guide to river conservation. The
<br />Conservation Foundation, Washington, D.C.
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