The River Restoration 2018 Conference is set to take place from October 28-30, in Two Harbors, Minnesota.
This conference is structured to promote open dialogue and understanding on approaches to holistic, applied stream restoration and protection.
Presentations will focus on methods to improve both physical and ecological (water quality, hydrology, channel stability, and connectivity) functions of impaired stream systems as well as techniques to effectively assess watersheds and prioritize implementation at an appropriate scale.
Ecological function of stream systems
Minnesota watersheds have experienced major alterations to hydrology and river channels. Erosion resulting from these impacts has contributed to sediment being the most frequent stream impairment identified in Minnesota and nationally.
On-going land use change, combined with increasing frequency of large precipitation events will not only prevent recovery of these systems, but could exacerbate the impairments if prudent action is not taken. But hydrology is not the only consideration.
Physical, chemical and biological processes all interact to affect the overall physical and ecological function and health of stream systems.
Many river and natural resource managers are struggling to develop effective strategies to address degraded streams and watersheds, especially related to excess sediment.
Traditional approaches often attempted to address consequences while failing to address the cause, or to consider impact on biological health. A clear need exists for an interactive conference to learn proven strategies for efficiently prioritizing and holistically restoring the streams.