Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Shortage of tree cover and stream side forests contribute to Willamette's ill health; Portland, OR

Adding plants would restore Willamette Basin's health, study finds Oregon Environmental News - – OregonLive.com:
The Willamette River basin's miles of arteries and capillaries have just undergone their most thorough check up to date.
Turns out, the patient has some serious health issues:
-Nearly 70 percent of the streams and rivers in the basin are too warm to protect salmon, trout and other sensitive cold-water fish.
-The biological health of more than 80 percent of streams that run through cities and farms is severely compromised, which is bad news for critters from crawdads to insects to clams.
-Almost half the 11,000-plus miles of streams in the basin have a shortage of tree cover and streamside plants, hurting aquatic life by boosting water temperatures, erosion and water pollution.ri

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