Growth and development of North American stream habitat management for fish

Managing stream habitat for fish involves protection and ecological restoration, primarily to counter human-generated damage. Stream habitat work by public agencies, begun in Michigan trout creeks in 1927, is half as old as the continent's hatchery-based fishery management. It grew and changed, though many sound initial ideas remain in use. The field's geographic center shifted westward since about 1970. Early work concentrated on building wood and stone structures to repair in-channel damage from logging, soil cultivation, and grazing. Managers often used overly artificial methods unsuited to ecological needs, but cognizance of natural stream features and processes has increased, as has awareness of needs to deal more directly with harmful human influences. Forestry practices, soil tillage, and grazing persist as major problems, and other disturbances such as roads, pipelines, channelization, gravel mining, other mining, damming, water withdrawal, and urbanization receive increased attention. Emphasis remains on trout streams, but salmon habitat work has expanded, and habitat for warmwater fishes may be receiving increased attention. Growing emphasis on wild fish and on biotic integrity of ecosystems is an aquatic resource management trend, of which stream habitat management can be a beneficial part.