Placing Stream Restoration in Georgia in a National Perspective

Abstract

Proceedings of the 2003 Georgia Water Resources Conference, held April 23-24, 2003, at the University of Georgia.We are assessing the nature of the science underlying ecological restoration activities using stream ecosystems as model restoration systems and considering river restoration in Georgia, the Southeast, and the United States. We are assembling a data set that spans multiple ecoregions and many different types of restoration activities performed by diverse groups with various stakeholder interests. Data gathering is focused on several nodes, one of which is in Georgia. Specifically, the data set addresses: what kinds of restoration activities, at what scale, and by what means have taken place; how goals were set and success measured in these restoration efforts; the extent to which scientific criteria were used; the extent to which adaptive management was an explicit component of the restoration activity; and the extent to which scientists formed partnerships with restoration practitioners in order to use restoration projects as opportunities for scientific experimentation. The goal of the project is to facilitate the linkage between the practice of ecological restoration and the science of restoration ecology; we will attempt to establish standards for data gathering to scientifically assess restoration methods and success. We seek information on restoration projects in Georgia