What do we monitor?

The habitat monitoring program focuses on tracking how restoration affects the physical aspects of the watershed that are important for fish, such as the shape of the river channel, water temperature, and streamside (riparian) vegetation. Habitat monitoring also includes watershed processes that affect fish habitat, such as hydrology (the timing and amount of river flow and groundwater) and sediment routing (timing and amount of sediment movement down the river).
 
By looking at physical processes of the watershed, we are trying to answer the question: Is restoration creating more habitat where fish can thrive, and/or enhancing existing habitat? If not, why not?