Rivers for Life: Managing Water for People and Nature 

Eloise Kendy, Ph.D. 

EARTH DAY 2008 Mendocino College, Ukiah, California 

The first Earth Day in 1970 spawned vast improvements in environmental quality.  Yet, our freshwater ecosystems, which support the diverse communities of plants and animals found in lakes, rivers, wetlands, and estuaries, are more endangered than ever.  Freshwater ecosystems have lost a greater proportion of their species and habitats than ecosystems on land or in the oceans.  In North America, the projected future extinction rate for freshwater fauna is estimated to be about five times greater than for terrestrial fauna and three times greater than for coastal marine mammals.

Freshwater and estuarine plants and wildlife have evolved in response to and are sustained by the natural variations in water flow that occur seasonally, yearly and over the course of many years.  The natural, seasonal patterns of rising and falling water levels in lakes, rivers, wetlands and estuaries shape habitats, provide cues for migration and spawning, distribute seeds and foster their growth, and enable these highly productive natural systems to function properly.  If natural patterns and volumes of water flow are altered too greatly, then freshwater habitats and wildlife suffer.  Environmental flows describe the quantity, timing, and quality of water flows required to sustain freshwater and estuarine ecosystems and the human livelihoods and well-being that depend on these ecosystems.

The next revolution in environmental stewardship is the protection and restoration of environmental flows.  Recent scientific advances are informing innovative policies for managing our water demands within the limits of what nature provides. 

Created: April 11, 2008 @ 01:28 PM
Last Modified: April 11, 2008 @ 01:34 PM