EFFECTS OF CHANNELIZATION ON THE AQUATIC LIFE OF STREAMS

THE STREAM AND ITS FLOODPLAIN ARE AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM THAT IS WELL DESIGNED FOR MODERATING THE EFFECTS OF THE FLOODING WATERS AND FOR MAINTAINING HIGH PRODUCTIVITY IN THE STREAM. DISTURBING THE SYSTEM RESULTS IN A REDUCTION IN DIVERSITY OF SPECIES AND PRODUCTIVITY. IMPAIRMENT OF THE AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM RESULTS IN A LESSENING OF THE ABILITY OF THE STREAM TO CLEANSE ITSELF AND TO ASSIMILATE WASTES. IT ALSO SLOWS THE IMPROVEMENT OF WATER QUALITY. THE AESTHETIC QUALITIES OF THE STREAM ARE LOST, ITS PRODUCTIVITY IS DECREASED AND ITS RECREATIONAL USES ARE MINIMIZED. THE CHIEF EFFECTS OF CHANNELIZATION ARE AS FOLLOWS: REMOVAL OF THE NATURAL SUBSTRATE MATERIALS THAT ALLOW THE DEVELOPMENT OF MANY TYPES OF HABITATS FOR AQUATIC ORGANISMS; INCREASING OF THE SEDIMENT LOAD THAT DECREASES LIGHT PENETRATION AND PRIMARY PRODUCTION; CREATION OF A SHIFTING BED LOAD THAT IS INIMICAL TO BOTTOM-DWELLING ORGANISIMS; SIMPLIFICATION OF THE CURRENT PATTERN AND ELIMINATION OF THE HABITATS OF DIVERSE CURRENTS; LOWERING OF THE STREAM CHANNEL AND THE DRAINING OF ADJACENT SWAMP AREAS AND AQUIFERS THAT HELP TO MAINTAIN STREAMFLOW DURING TIMES OF LOWER PRECIPITATION; DESTRUCTION OF FLOOD PLAIN PONDS THAT ARE THE BREEDING GROUND FOR AQUATIC LIFE AND THAT ACTS AS A RESERVOIR OF SPECIES FOR THE RIVER; AND REDUCTION OF BANK STABILITY CAUSING CAVE-IN OF TREES AND OTHER OVERHANGING VEGETATION THAT ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE STREAMS ECOSYSTEM. MODIFICATION OF NATURAL WATERWAYS MUST BE DESIGNED SUCH AS TO MAINTAIN THE ECOSYSTEM THAT MAKES POSSIBLE THE CONTINUANCE OF A STREAM'S HIGH WATER QUALITY.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/sr/sr138/138-025.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309021529
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Corporate Authors:

  Highway Research Board

  2101 Constitution Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC    20418
• Authors:
  • Patrick, R
• Conference:
  • 5th Summer Meeting of the Highway Research Board
  • Location: Madison Wisconsin, United States
  • Date: 1972-7-31 to 1972-8-2
• Publication Date: 1973

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 150-154
• Monograph Title: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS IN PLANNING, DESIGN, AND CONSTRUCTION
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Special Report
  • Issue Number: 138
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aesthetics; Aquatic life; Aquifers; Ecology; Flood plains; Recreational facilities; Sedimentation; Streams; Swamps; Vegetation; Wastes; Water quality
• Uncontrolled Terms: Channelization
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00203824
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309021529
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Apr 3 1974 12:00AM