Date of Award:

5-2026

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Watershed Sciences

Committee Chair(s)

Stephen Bennett

Committee

Stephen Bennett

Committee

Julianne Scamardo

Committee

Larissa Yocom

Abstract

Rivers across the American West are under stress. Over time, human activities have decreased riparian vegetation and removed naturally occurring large wood from fallen trees and beaver dams. Overgrazing, wetland drainage, and artificial barriers like levees and berms have further changed these ecosystems, leaving behind simple channels that lack varied habitat for aquatic species.

Efforts to restore rivers have made some progress, but many projects are small in scale and focus more on reshaping the river rather than restoring the natural processes that keep it healthy. This study evaluates a different approach—Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration (LTPBR)—which works with nature to rebuild lost habitat and kickstart the processes that support the recovery of complex and resilient rivers.

Using a large-scale watershed experiment, we tracked channel and floodplain changes over time and across different conditions, including low flows, floods, and wildfire. Our findings show that LTPBR successfully mimics the natural accumulation of large wood, supports key river processes, and helps create more complex and productive habitats, but recovery progression is limited by high flows and sustained supply of LW by means of adaptive management and maintenance. By annually reviewing the changes in channel and floodplain complexity, we were able to systematically adjust and improve the effectiveness of LTPBR (i.e., adaptive management), providing people with an alternative approach to restoring healthy riverscapes.

Download

Share

COinS

Copyright for this work is retained by the student. If you have any questions regarding the inclusion of this work in the Digital Commons, please email us at .