Sedell, James R.; Luchessa, Karen J. 1982 . Using the historical record as an aid to salmonid habitat enhancement. In : Armantrout, Neil B., ed. Proceedings of the symposium on acquisition and utilization of aquatic habitat inventory information; Portland, OR. Bethesda, MD: American Fisheries Society, Western Division: 210-223.
Historically, wild anadromous fish stocksevolved with stream systems that were obstructed by fallentrees, beaver dams, and vegetation growing in and besidethe channels. River systems as large as 7th order hadlarge numbers of fallen trees in their channels and oftenwere obstructed by drift jams that were up to 1500 m long.The main river channels contained abundant gravels and finesediments. Habitat complexity was great because of scouraround boulders and fallen trees, and the presence ofnumerous and extensive stable side channels and sloughs.These pristine streams interacted intensively with theirflood plains. Historical records document over 100 yearsof "diligent" stream and river cleanup. Primary activitiesincluded removal of boulders, large woody debris, and otherobstructions from channels. We believe that historicaldocumentation of the ways unmanaged streams interacted withthe streamside forest allows us to know how far we havedeviated from the optimum habitat requirements for varioussalmonids. Until we understand the structure ofundisturbed habitats that wild stocks develop within, andthe sequence of changes that have occurred in thosehabitats, our present protection and enhancement effortswill lack both a rational context and effective direction.