Executive Summary

Chapter 1 -- Introduction

• What is ecosystem integrity?
• Restoration strategy for the Smith River basin

Chapter 2 -- Description of the Smith River watershed

• Location
• Climate
• Geology
• Seismology
• Soils and vegetation
• Botanical areas
• Wildlife
• Recreation

Chapter 3 -- History of the Smith River watershed

• Paleoclimate
• Native American history
• Arrival of European Americans
• Creation of national forests
• After World War II
• Fire history and pattern of occurrence
• Fisheries history

Chapter 4 -- Watershed processes and aquatic ecosystems

• Overview of the river system
• Hydrology
• Cycles of disturbance and recovery
• General geomorphic processes
• Landsliding and mass wasting
• Erosion
• Fluvial sediment processes
• Size of stream substrates
• Aggradation
• Influences on peak flows
• Riparian influences
• Woody debris and habitat diversity
• Synergistic effects on stream habitat

Chapter 5 -- Anadromous salmonids and their habitats

• Fish assemblages and their distribution

• Life history patterns of anadromous salmonids
  • Steelhead
  • Chinook salmon
  • Coho salmon
  • Coastal cutthroat trout
  • Chum salmon
  • Sockeye salmon

• Sequence of habitat needs for anadromous life cycles
  • Pre-spawner estuary holding
  • Pre-spawner in-river holding
  • Pre-spawner upstream migration
  • Spawning and incubation
  • Juvenile winter rearing
  • Juvenile summer rearing
  • Downstream migration
  • Estuary rearing

• Difficulties in identifying critical habitat
• Genetic concerns

Chapter 6 -- Changes and trends in stream habitat and fisheries

• Characteristics that favor ecosystem integrity
• Sediment production trends
• Changes in fish access
• Trends in vegetative cover
• Trends in large woody debris and riparian vegetation
• Changes in the estuary, lower river, and lower tributaries
• Influence of marine conditions
• Overview of fisheries trends

Chapter 7 -- Synthesizing an ecosystem restoration strategy

• Characteristics of conventional decision-making
• Characteristics of holistic decision-making
• Step 1. -- Articulate values, write mission statement, and set general goals
• Step 2 -- Organize ecosystem information and identify possible actions
• Preliminary list of suggested restoration actions for the Smith River watershed
• Step 3 -- Integrate values and ecosystem information into a cohesive strategy

Literature cited

Appendices

• Appendix A -- Latitude and longitude for gauging stations and other features
• Appendix B -- Excerpts from the Ulrich diary
• Appendix C -- Institute for River Ecosystems background
• Appendix D -- Additional data sources and abstracts
• Appendix E -- Proposed revisions to Forest Practices Rules for riparian zones
• Appendix F -- Stream surveys in the Smith River watershed

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