Stream Restoration

Stream restoration or river restoration, sometimes called river reclamation in the UK, describes a set of activities that help improve the environmental health of a river or stream. Improved health may be indicated by expanded habitat for diverse species (e.g. fish, aquatic insects, other wildlife) and reduced stream bank erosion. Enhancements may also include improved water quality (i.e. reduction of pollutant levels and increased dissolved oxygen levels) and achieving a self-sustaining, functional flow regime in the stream system that does not require periodic human intervention, such as dredging or construction of flood control structures. Stream restoration projects can also yield increased property values in adjacent areas.

Stream restoration differs from:

• river engineering, a term which typically refers to alteration of a water body for a non-environmental benefit such as navigation, flood control or water supply diversion;
• waterway restoration, a term used in the United Kingdom describing alterations to a canal or river to improve navigability and related recreational amenities.