Water Team Meets up on Flathead Lake, MT
July 18, 2008 | Posted by Ann Hayden in Other
Ann Hayden is a Senior Water Resource Analyst at EDF.
On the Water Front took a short hiatus recently so that our EDF California water team could convene with others in our Center for Rivers and Deltas for a retreat in Montana. We spent a few days up at the University of Montana’s Biological Station (FLBS) on the shores of beautiful Flathead Lake, just outside of Glacier National Park.
In addition to an exciting float trip down the middle-fork of the Flathead River, one of the big highlights of the retreat was hearing from Dr. Jack Stanford, the Director at FLBS, on the important river restoration work he’s involved in. In particular, he has found innovative ways to use 3-D and remote sensing tools to better understand how riverine habitats move and interact over time and how that affects the quality and quantity of habitat (see an article authored by Dr. Stanford here (pdf).
Ultimately, this research can be used to help identify and prioritize those rivers with the greatest potential for high quality habitat and therefore the greatest potential to benefit species such as salmon.
His work resonated greatly with those of us keenly interested in restoring the health of California rivers and salmon populations. We can use all the help we can get to restore our imperiled salmon runs to their once abundant levels.
A big thanks to Professor Stanford and the folks at the Biological Station for their hospitality!
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