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Landscapes, Commodoties, and Ecosystems: The Relationship Between Policy and Science for American Rivers
Pages 11-42

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From page 11... ... Previous research founded in reductionist analytic approaches has given way to more holistic investigations rooted in general system theory. The purposes of this paper are to explore the nature of scientific research for rivers against the changing background of cultural values and to examine the interface between science and policy, especially as exemplified by the actions of the Water Science and Technology Board of the National Research Council and the National Academy of Sciences. Read the entire page →
From page 12... ... Major federal initiatives grew out of this commodity-based perspective and became refined into the missions of navigation and flood control by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, irrigation development by the Reclamation Service (later the Bureau of Reclamation) Read the entire page →
From page 13... ... In the area of water research, the Geological Survey consequently pursued a lower-profile course of stream gaging, mapping, and water quality analysis (Rabbitt, 1980~. The Water Resources Division generated significant scientific developments, but as with investigations in all federal water agencies the primary political force behind the research was the management and use of rivers as resource commodities (Graf, 1992~. Read the entire page →
From page 17... ... ~ 10,000,000 5 121,670,100 1,000,000- 10,000,000 82 186,480,100 100,000- 1,000,000 482 136,371,900 50,000 - 100,000 295 20,557,000 25,000 - 50,000 374 13,092,000 5,000 - 25,000 1,411 15,632,000 50 - 5,0002 50,~ 5,000,000 <50E 2,000,000 10,000,000 Total 508,803,100 aMean reservoir size estimated to be 100 acre feet. Read the entire page →
From page 18... ... Recognizing the special problems in preserving river environments and fresh from political victories that prevented the construction of dams in Dinosaur National Monument and Grand Canyon National Park, the preservation movement secured approval of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 1968 (oarlock and Tippy, 1970; Goodell, 1978~. The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act did not give natural objects legal standing in the traditional sense (Stone, 1974) Read the entire page →
From page 19... ... The mileage preserved in the system is still a small fraction of the length of river inundated by reservoirs and includes less than one-third of 1 percent of the nation's total natural river courses Gable 2.3~. Like the nation's largest dams, the distribution of preserved river segments is heavily weighted toward the West (Figure 2.6~. Read the entire page →
From page 20... ... Preserved segments and potential candidate segments for preservation are juxtaposed with dams and reservoirs whose operations strongly affect downstream reaches. Unwittingly, the political and economic processes have produced a situation wherein the management objectives of closely associated structures and preserved segments are opposed to each other, but because of strong interconnections in the river systems they cannot be managed in isolation from each other. Read the entire page →
From page 21... ... The emergence of these sciences coincided with the burgeoning interest in water resource development early in the twentieth centu~,when scientific investigations of river processes were usually related to assisting in the solution of engineering problems. Gaging and analysis of western river discharges, for example, were largely in support of the search for suitable rivers and sites for the construction of large federal dams (see, e.g., LaRue, 1925~. Read the entire page →
From page 22... ... 22 :~ s , ~~-~ ~ f ~.;~ Of ; _ �- v'' 'as_. Read the entire page →
From page 23... ... Geological Survey was developing sophisticated theory as well as addressing particular problems using an analytic approach (Tinkler, 1985~. In the mid-twentieth century, while the public ethic for river management began to shift from strictly economic development to a more complex view that included preservation, river sciences also began to undergo a change in perspective. Read the entire page →
From page 24... ... General systems approaches, whether explicitly stated or simply inherent in research designs, have important implications for potential policy applications, because such approaches tend to emphasize the multivariate aspects of environmental systems. Causal relationships are rarely seen as simple connections susceptible to easy structural management, and changes intentionally introduced to the system at one place are usually seen as having far-reaching consequences elsewhere. Read the entire page →
From page 25... ... Decision makers themselves often demand scientific input, and the operating rules of resource management agencies dealing with rivers frequently include the provision that management practices be "scientifically sound" (as in the case of contaminated sediment management by the Environmental Protection Agency; EPA, 1992~. In many instances, the law includes scientific input to decisions, either in the adjudication of disputes with the testimony of expert witnesses or in decisions that direct an agency to pursue practices that are scientifically valid (as in court decisions affecting the Bureau of Reclamation; NRC, 1987~. Read the entire page →
From page 26... ... Second, science clearly does not work well in a policy support role where research requirements exceed available resources. For example, although the United States has maintained the world's most extensive stream gage network, many policy decisions require even more data on water quality and sediment, the collection of which is prohibitively expensive. Read the entire page →
From page 27... ... . In what will probably become the longest-running oversight effort of the board, one of its committees continues to advise the Bureau of Reclamation in itS research to assess the effects of Glen Canyon Dam on resources downstream on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park (NRC, 1987, 1991a) Read the entire page →
From page 29... ... In response, at several times the nation established public land law review commissions to create visions of public land resources (e.g., Public Land Law Review Commission, 1970~. It is now time to establish a public river policed commission to establish a national perspective on our rivers, a perspective that is larger than individual resources, agencies, or agendas. Read the entire page →
From page 30... ... 1990. River mileage classification for components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Read the entire page →
From page 31... ... 1985. Staking Out the Terrain: Power Differentials Among National Resources Management Agencies. Read the entire page →
From page 32... ... K 1978. Waterway preservation: The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. Read the entire page →
From page 33... ... National Water Quality Assessment Pilot Program. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C. Read the entire page →
From page 34... ... Public Land Law Review Commission. Read the entire page →
From page 35... ... U.S. Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Read the entire page →
From page 36... ... , van der Leeden et al. Read the entire page →
From page 37... ... Landscapes, Commodities, and Ecosystems DAM RESERVOIR RIVER STATE CAPACITY DATE 38 Canyon Ferry Canyon Ferry 39 San Luis San Luis 40 Whitney Whitney 41 Norfolk Norfolk 42 Marshall Ford Travis 43 Beaver Beaver 44 Big Bend Shape 45 Millwood Millwood 46 Red Rock Red Rock 47 Keystone Keystone 48 Navajo Navajo 49 Dale Hollow Dale Hollow 50 Stockton 51 _ 52 Monticello 53 Sardis 54 McNally 55 Cherokee 56 Oologah 57 Douglas 58 Fontana 59 Clarence Cannon 60 Palisades 61 Stanford 62 Broken Bow 63 Tiber 64 Knew 65 Roosevelt 66 Yellowtail 67 Fort Gibson 68 North/ Dry Falls 69 Island Park 70 Tenkiller 71 Coolidge 72 Abiquiu 73 Kinzua 74 Watts Bar 75 Milford 76 Albeni Falls 77 Owyhee 78 Strawberry 79 Pickwick Landing American Falls Stockton American Falls BerIyessa Sardis McNaIy Cherokee Oologah Douglas Fontana Mark Twain Palisades Meredith Broken Bow Elwell Kaw Roosevelt Bighorn Fort Gibson Banl;s Missouri MT San Luis CA Brazos TX North Fork AR Colorado River TX White AR Missouri SD Little AK IA OK NM TN MO ID CA MS Des Moines Arkansas San Juan Obey Sac Snake Putah L Tallahatchie Columbia Holston Verdigris French Broad L Read the entire page →
From page 38... ... 38 Sustaining Our Water Resources DAM RESERVOIR RIVER STATE CAPACITY DATE 82 Guntersville Gunte~ville Tennessee AL 1,049,000 1939 83 Alamo Alamo Bill Williams AZ 1,046,310 1968 84 Seminoe Seminoe North Platte WY 1,017,273 1939 85 Pathfinder Pathfinder North Platte WY 1,016,507 1909 86 Folsom Folsom American CA 1,010,000 1956 87 Pine Flat Pine Flat Kings CA 1,000,000 1954 Read the entire page →
From page 39... ... Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Data source: American Rivers, Inc. Read the entire page →
From page 40... ... 40 Sustaining Our Water Resources RIVER STATE MILES YEAR 30 Lower American CA 23 1981 31 Saint Joe ID 66.3 1978 32 Alagnak AK 67 1980 33 Alatna AK 83 1980 34 Aniakchak AK 63 1980 35 Charley AK 208 1980 36 Chilikadrotna AK 11 1980 37 John AK 52 1980 38 Kobuk AK 110 1980 39 Mulchatna AK 24 1980 40 North Fork, Koyukuk AK 102 1980 41 Noatak AK 330 1980 42 Salmon AK 70 1980 43 Tinayguk AK 44 1980 44 Tlikakila AK 51 1980 45 Andreatsly AK 262 1980 46 Ivishak AK 80 1980 47 Nowitna AK 225 1980 48 Selawik AK 160 1980 49 Sheenjek AK 160 1980 50 Wind AK 140 1980 51 Beaver Creek AK 111 1980 52 Birch Creek AK 126 1980 53 Delta AK 62 1980 54 Fortymile AK 392 1980 55 Gulkana AK 181 1980 56 Unalakleet AK 80 1980 57 Klamath CA 286 1981 58 llinity CA 203 1981 59 Eel CA 394 1981 60 Smith CA 325.4 1981 61 Verde AN 40.5 1984 62 Alumna CA 83 1984 63 Au Sable MI 23 1984 64 Ovvyhee OR 112 1984 65 Illinois OR 50.4 1984 66 Loxahatchee FL 7.5 1985 67 Horsepasture NC 4.2 1986 Read the entire page →
From page 41... ... Fk.,M. Fk.,Willamette OR 42.3 1988 101 North Fork, Owyhee OR 9.6 1988 102 North Fork, Smith OR 13 1988 103 North Fork, Sprague OR 15 1988 104 North Powder OR 6 1988 105 North Umpqua OR 33.8 1988 41 Read the entire page →
From page 42... ... 42 Sustaining Our Water Resources RIVER STATE MILES YEAR 106 Powder OR 11.7 1988 107 Quartzville Creek OR 12 19~ 108 Roaring OR 13.7 1988 109 Salmon OR 33.5 1988 110 Sandy OR 24.9 1988 111 South Fork, John Day OR 47 1988 112 Squaw Creek OR 15.4 1988 113 Sycan OR 59 1988 114 Upper Rogue OR 40.3 1988 115 Wenaha OR 21.6 1988 116 West Little Owyhee OR 57.6 1988 117 White OR 46.5 1988 118 Bluestone WV 17 1988 119 Rio Chama NM 24.6 1988 120 Middle Fork, Vermillion IL 17.1 1989 121 East Fork, Jemez NM 11 1990 122 Pecos NM 20.7 1990 123 Clarks Fk., Yellowstone WY 20.5 1990 124 Niobrara NE 95 1991 125 Missouri NE 39 1991 Read the entire page →

From page 11...

... Previous research founded in reductionist analytic approaches has given way to more holistic investigations rooted in general system theory. The purposes of this paper are to explore the nature of scientific research for rivers against the changing background of cultural values and to examine the interface between science and policy, especially as exemplified by the actions of the Water Science and Technology Board of the National Research Council and the National Academy of Sciences.

Landscapes, Commodoties, and Ecosystems: The Relationship Between Policy and Science for American Rivers Pages 11-42

Landscapes, Commodoties, and Ecosystems: The Relationship Between Policy and Science for American Rivers
Pages 11-42