In this ambitious State of the Science article we lay out a pragmatic method for realizing the vision Fausch et al. (2002) spelt out over 15 years ago. Many years of geomorphology and ecohydraulic research at the reach-scale has led to better mechanistic understanding of the drivers of fish habitat. However, little of this research has been directly tied across entire riverscapes to assess the significance of fish habitat on actual fish populations. We lay out a framework, using the wealth of data from Columbia Habitat Monitoring Program (CHaMP) to connect the dots and upscale this understanding across entire drainage networks.  In McHugh et al. (2017) we present a case study of how this is actually done. In Wheaton et al. (2017), we illustrate and describe conceptually how to leverage various advances that have been made in isolation in the fields of remote sensing, ecohydraulics, network modelling and life cycle modelling to take things a step further and answer some fundamental questions about fish populations of major societal and management relevance.

1. 2017. Wheaton J, Bouwes N, McHugh P, Saunders WC, Bangen SG, Bailey PE, Nahorniak M, Wall CE and Jordan C. Upscaling Site-Scale Ecohydraulic Models to Inform Salmonid Population-Level Life Cycle Modelling and Restoration Actions – Lessons from the Columbia River Basin. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. DOI: 10.1002/esp.4137

References:

• Fausch, KD, Torgersen, CE, Baxter, CV and Li, HW, 2002. Landscapes to riverscapes: Bridging the gap between research and conservation of stream fishes. Bioscience, 52(6): 483-498. DOI: 10.1641/0006-3568(2002)052[0483:ltrbtg]2.0.co;2.
• 2017. McHugh P, Saunders C, Bouwes N, Wall E, Bangen S, Wheaton J, Nahorniak M, Ruzycki J, Tattam I and Jordan C.  Linking models across scales  to assess the viability and restoration potential of a threatened population of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the Middle Fork John Day River, Oregon, USA. Ecological Modelling, 355: pp 24-38.  DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2017.03.022.

Pete McHugh and Carl Saunders led this effort in the Middle Fork John Day to demonstrate how site scale NREI models (e.g. Wall et al, 2016) to inform network scale models to produce fish population capacity estimates that can drive life cycle models. They then use this approach to produce realistic restoration scenarios to see what sort of capacity increases might be produced by various restoration alternatives and what (if any) population level impact this may have. This framework and vision was laid out conceptually in Wheaton et al. (2017), and this case study application and the online supplement provide many of the methodological details for how to pull it together. The McHugh et al. (2017) paper was just published in Ecological Modelling.

• 2017. McHugh P, Saunders C, Bouwes N, Wall E, Bangen S, Wheaton J, Nahorniak M, Ruzycki J, Tattam I and Jordan C.  Linking models across scales  to assess the viability and restoration potential of a threatened population of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the Middle Fork John Day River, Oregon, USA. Ecological Modelling, 355: pp 24-38.  DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2017.03.022.

References:

1. 2016. Wall E, Bouwes N, Wheaton JM, Bennett SN, Saunders WC, McHugh PA, and Jordan CE. Design and monitoring of woody structures and their benefits to juvenile steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) using a net rate of energy intake model. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. DOI: 10.1139/cjfas-2016-0131.
2. 2017. Wheaton J, Bouwes N, McHugh P, Saunders WC, Bangen SG, Bailey PE, Nahorniak M, Wall CE and Jordan C. Upscaling Site-Scale Ecohydraulic Models to Inform Salmonid Population-Level Life Cycle Modelling and Restoration Actions – Lessons from the Columbia River Basin. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. DOI: 10.1002/esp.4137​

Gary O'Brien led this effort with collaborators Kirstie Fryirs and Gary Brierley. In this Journal of Maps article, we show how a geomorphic assessment using River Styles can be used to inform watershed restoration planning and prioritization:

• O’Brien, GR, Wheaton, J, Fryirs, K, McHugh, P, Bouwes, N, Brierley, G and Jordan, C, 2017. A geomorphic assessment to inform strategic stream restoration planning in the Middle Fork John Day Watershed, Oregon, USA. Journal of Maps, 13(2): 369-381.DOI: 10.1080/17445647.2017.1313787.
• See here for Atlas​