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up to the bankfull discharge. The research has identified the target flow where some of the bed material begins to move — this flow is considered important for restor- ing primary and secondary productivity across a range of habitats, including riffles and runs. A higher target flow marks the point at which most all of the channel bed material moves and is important for maintaining an active river channel with some morphologic complexity Without these flows, the channel of the Colorado River is likely to become narrower and less complex overall, leading to further losses in riverine habitat. Pitlick's work suggests that unless the broader -scale importance of sediment input and output is recognized and quanti- fied, restoration efforts that focus on site - specific issues or single- species enhancement are likely to fall short of their objectives. An effort to integrate habitat enhancement into stream restoration projects led to the development of the Riverine Community Habitat Assessment and Restora- tion Concept (RCHARC) in the mid 1990s. Since then, Steve AN (Colorado State University, Civil Engineer- ing) and his colleagues have been engaged in the task of quantifying the flow of various streambed components. They developed a portable bedload trap as a method for measuring the transport of coarse gravel and cobble, and it is explained in Bunte et.al (2004). The traps were de- signed to create reliable and replicable particle selection and measurement. Brian Bledsoe (Colorado State University, Civil En- gineering) and his colleagues have been involved in several restoration related projects. Development of an extensive restoration project on the Little Snake River in northwestern Colorado. A five -year monitoring pro- gram resulted in permission to carry out the restoration activities along 14.4 miles of the river and its tributaries. A monitoring project will document the effectiveness of the plan in terms of stream stability and fish habitat improvement as well as identify any necessary correc- tions in the plan. Bledsoe was also involved in the Eagle River Inventory and assessment which was a systematic, watershed wide inventory of channel, riparian, and upland character- istics controlling the ecological integrity of the Eagle River. They collected and assessed previous work in the watershed by other agencies, used exiting water qual- ity data to determine sources of pollution and degrada- tion, and identified, described and prioritized potential restoration projects within the watershed. In addition, Bledsoe is involved with development of computer models and the GIS analysis of watersheds. At Mesa State College, the Environmental Science program has been involved in stream restoration educa- tion since 2000. The catalyst for their involvement was a community -based restoration project on the North Fork of the Gunnison. In partnership with the North Fork River Improvement Association (NFRIA), thirty - five Environmental Science majors attended a day -long seminar on bioengineering restoration techniques given by Robbin Sotir and Jeff Crane, and then devoted two days to implementing the techniques they had learned on a freshly re- shaped channel in the North Fork at Hotchkiss. Students found this work exciting and greatly satisfying. Building on the initial excitement of engagement, faculty developed a series of special topics courses which have culminated in ENVS 433 Restoration of Aquatic Systems, taught by Prof. Russ Walker. Students learn stream classification, assessment of riparian condition, approaches to designing riparian improvement projects, techniques for bank stabilization and habitat improvement, and monitoring. Field work on stream classification and assessment has been a vital component of their efforts. Students participate in bank stabilization efforts on the North Fork of the Gunnison, tour other West Slope projects, and many of them build on the course knowledge by completing projects for the Bureau of Land Management, the City of Fruita, and NFRIA. Colorado Water will devote an entire issue to the sci- ence and economics behind river and stream restoration in an upcoming issue. References Bunte, K. and S.R. Abt, 2001, Samplingframe for improving pebble count accuracy in coarse gravel -bed streams. Journal of the Ameri- can Water Resources Association: 37:4 pp. 1001-1014. Bunte, K. and S.R. Abt, J.P. Potyondy, and S.E. Ryan, 2004, Measurement of coarse gravel and cobble transport using portable bedload traps. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering @ASCE, Septem- ber 2004. Jacquette, C., E. Wohl and D. Cooper, 2005, Establishing a context for river rehabilitation, North Fork Gunnison Riber, Colorado. Envi- ronmental Management on -line first, http: / /www.sl2irngerlink.com. Osmundson, D. B., R. J. Ryell, V. L. Lamarra, and J. Pitlick, 2002, Flow - sediment -biota relations: implications for river regulation effects on native fish abundance. Ecological Applications: 12 (6) pp 1719 -1739. -� 15