Presentation Abstract
French Slough provides a challenging but familiar environment for ecosystem recovery. Historical floodplain modification has created chronic water quality and fish passage problems within a 4,000 acre floodplain ecosystem. Levees, pumping, and beaver suppression are required to sustain duck hunting clubs and agricultural operations. Episodic government-led planning efforts have alienated landowners with prolonged processes, heavy with spectators, but always short on capacity. Floodplain regulations are complicated, layered, and political. Sea levels are rising, and population pressures are relentless. What are the tools and relationships necessary to recover the French Slough ecosystem? How can French Slough help us learn about the necessary evolution of our own ecosystem recovery systems? Coordinated Investment is an ongoing initiative staffed by NOAA Restoration Center to use on-the-ground work to cultivate our ecosystem recovery capabilities. The French Slough effort is ostensibly focused on developing systematic methods for permitting ditch management in prior-converted floodplain wetlands following model work by the Whatcom Conservation District. Ultimately French Slough asks us questions about how we allocate capacity, implement authority, manage information, and envision the future.
Session Title
Building Resilient Floodplains through Regional Policy, Community-driven Solutions and Science: The Story of Integrated Floodplain Management
Keywords
Floodplain design, Floodplains, Agency coordination
Conference Track
SSE1: Habitat Restoration and Protection
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE1-12
Start Date
5-4-2018 4:00 PM
End Date
5-4-2018 4:15 PM
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Floodplain ecology--Washington (State)--Snohomish County; Watershed management--Washington (State)--Snohomish County; Floodplain management--Government policy--Washington (State)--Snohomish County
Geographic Coverage
Snohomish County (Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Agency silos, cultural isolation, and integrated floodplain design: the French Slough case study
French Slough provides a challenging but familiar environment for ecosystem recovery. Historical floodplain modification has created chronic water quality and fish passage problems within a 4,000 acre floodplain ecosystem. Levees, pumping, and beaver suppression are required to sustain duck hunting clubs and agricultural operations. Episodic government-led planning efforts have alienated landowners with prolonged processes, heavy with spectators, but always short on capacity. Floodplain regulations are complicated, layered, and political. Sea levels are rising, and population pressures are relentless. What are the tools and relationships necessary to recover the French Slough ecosystem? How can French Slough help us learn about the necessary evolution of our own ecosystem recovery systems? Coordinated Investment is an ongoing initiative staffed by NOAA Restoration Center to use on-the-ground work to cultivate our ecosystem recovery capabilities. The French Slough effort is ostensibly focused on developing systematic methods for permitting ditch management in prior-converted floodplain wetlands following model work by the Whatcom Conservation District. Ultimately French Slough asks us questions about how we allocate capacity, implement authority, manage information, and envision the future.
