Protecting Stream Resources in Great Lakes Watersheds
Ann Arbor, MI — When agricultural land is developed for residential uses, the natural processes of streams are often considered only in hindsight - as they are eroding your backyard and flooding your basement
The natural process for a stream is to meander across its valley. But meandering is an active process, and the position of the stream changes over time. Erosion and deposition by the stream, irrespective of property lines, is part of this process as the stream meanders. Changes in the position of the stream and the location of erosion or deposition happen during storm events on the order of once every one to two years. By shifting its position, the stream is creating a floodplain which functions to store water and sediment during flood events. The stream and floodplain also provide habitat for wildlife.
To allow for the natural stream processes to occur, the area immediately adjacent to streams should not be developed. Setback requirements, through local zoning ordinances, can be based on the natural, or equilibrium, extent of stream meanders. This current study examines several streams in west-central Ohio to determine the area over which streams are currently meandering and have meandered in the past. This information can be used to inform county officials regarding a setback ordinance as well as current and future landowners interested in developing land alongside streams.
Original Publication Information
Results of this study "Evaluating Recent Stream Channel and Pattern Changes for Stream Resource Protection and Restoration: An Example from West-central Ohio," are reported by John B. Ritter, Joseph H. Rumschlag and Michael J. Zaleha in the latest issue (Volume 33, SI2, pp. 154-166) of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, published by the International Association for Great Lakes Research, 2007.
Contacts
For more information about the study, contact John Ritter, Department of Geology, Wittenberg University, P.O. Box 720, Springfield, OH 45501; jritter@wittenberg.edu, (937) 327-7332.
For information about the Journal of Great Lakes Research, contact Marlene Evans, Editor, National Water Research Institute, 11 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3H5, Canada; editor@iaglr.org; (608) 692-1076.
Links
Since 1967, IAGLR has served as the focal point for compiling and disseminating multidisciplinary knowledge on North America's Laurentian Great Lakes and other large lakes of the world and their watersheds. In part, IAGLR communicates this knowledge through publication of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, available to members in print and electronic form. A searchable archive of the journal is available online and includes the abstracts of articles from the journal's inception in 1975 through the most recent issue. In addition, complete articles are available to members who have signed up for an electronic subscription.