Laserfiche WebLink
<br />W'- <br />- .~..... <br /> <br />,32WED 8:13 <br /> <br />p:"'oo- <br /> <br />o 133 <br /> <br />CQNCI.US r ONS <br /> <br />RIparian eco.systens ace aClo:~g lhe illOSt va)'J.:lble, yet r.lOSt heavily modified and <br />thl'eatene,j eco$ystet.'\s in tht! ;.;estern United States (SMith et al. 1991, <br />Stror.:bcrg and Patten 1990). TIlese area" have been reduced by greater' t.han 80% <br />since presettle~~nt tines (Soith et al. 1991) <br /> <br />!noStrean fiorl neerls of lIIOSt riparian species are net weLl knol.'n. The revild..ed <br />literatul'c reveals Lhat cc~tomf(.;cd, loo'1110W, and to a degree alder are the most <br />st:.;died riparian species. These woody species are all present withIn the <br />proposed Piedra Wilderr.ess. It has been shown that cottonwood and willol( <br />require flOOding if significant r~production and recruitment is to occur. This <br />process is ongoing wit.hin the ?iedra River and its associated rlpar-ian zone. <br />Few, if allY, studies evaluate t.he re.$ponse of herbaceous ripar'ian vegetation to <br />streamflow di.ersion. <br /> <br />O&.'1S and diversions oft.en m:>dify tr:e frequ1;!l1cy, intensity. and duration of <br />lOW-:T1bgni cude fioo"': floH5. They do net. howe....~!., eliminate infrequent <br />large-:r.agni tude f load flows ....hic.h :cu]d incr'ease damage t.o t.he rlpar Ian <br />~egetati~n cf reg~lated st~eams (Stromberg and Patten 1991). wi~hin the <br />pro;:>u~ed Piedra Ylldel'llcss an)" $~gni.'icant alterat.ion of .streamflow pattern~ or <br />q-.mntities should be expected to result. In adverse i~pacts to the riparian <br />t3cosystem. This, in turn, W'ould I":ave secondary ll:'lj:lacts on other 1oI1lderness <br />related resource ccrepQn~nts. <br /> <br />The literabre re...ie..ed durir.g :"esearcrt for th1s paper is presently <br />state-of-the-science r'elatlve to the ur.jl:'rst.anding of levels and durations of <br />inst.rea~ flO\~s required for es~~bl iSh;':!.;;nt o1n.1 dyna:'11c maintenance of riparian <br />syste~s. t:on.; or tl:e rev1el-tej 'l:-ticle.~ spcci fically adjre5sed tte Piejra River <br />and, 3...;; such, elCac':. lev.;'l,s :inc dL:;'.H!e.ns =:f il'-?cessary stl'ea::!tlcws for the <br /> <br />;..'rc;.,'o.scd ...~1r19:'IIP.S.'" are d::'t!cult to d~ter'm1r.~. <br /> <br />~11 articles addressed <br /> <br />pr~n(1ple.s :If rlpari.l:1 e-'~ol:1gy .:.nd tf".~:!" relat.!:>n.<;hips t.;) instfea.~ flo....s. <br /> <br />Ccl:e'~:i:':1 and ?.nalY3P~ (If at lP-CiS:. ,';:e g!"cW'ir:~ .;;;€aSJn of dat,'l ",culd be <br />nc.~~s'i~!'/ tu r-eflr.{' ~:~C recc::-.,,:!::';1e.~ r !~<H' hv. ~ l...'.,;$. I r;. is ~qL.;a lly possible <br />':.n.'l~ tl1i~ ,ata f'r~t:;C: .'lthE-:' JCI;:'e::~" CI: incft=5se the re~onmend-=c! c:'ai:n <br /> <br />ne~'':'''~.;:=:r'.:: t) ::!3.l',t..;. ..t-"" ~!: '.-:.,....::~ ,:r:...r..,~'t""ris~,~.'s -;f ~!":t" ;r;;o;'l. <br />