The Streams of Time: the History of Channelization in Dane County's Riparian Systems and the Hope for Healing
File(s)
Date
2017-12-16Author
Kuettner, Claire
Milligan, Marielle
Watter, Kyle
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Water is, and likely will always be, both a celebrated and fervently contested natural
resource. Rivers have been both a basis for development of civilization and a victim of
that development. Dane County, Wisconsin is no different, with streams both near cities
and in the midst of farmlands whose natural bends and meanders have been forced off
their natural course by the pressures imposed by urbanization and irrigation. This study
defines the timeline of channelization in and the threats this poses to the ecological health
of Dane County’s stream systems from 1836 to 2013. The 10 streams that were
investigated all faced varying levels of channelization, despite their different lengths and
settings within the county, exemplifying that waterway alterations have known no bounds
in the past. However, actions taken by several organizations and government officials
indicate that there is hope for the healing of these damaged systems.
Subject
Dane County
Channelization
Riparian zone
Permanent Link
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1793/78990Description
Includes Figures, Graphs, Maps, Appendix and Bibliography.