Estuary ecosystem restoration: implementing and institutionalizing adaptive management

Abstract

We implemented and institutionalized an adaptive management (AM) process for the Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program, which is a large-scale restoration program focused on improving ecosystem conditions in the 234-km lower Columbia River and estuary. For our purpose, "institutionalized" means the AM process and restoration programs are embedded in the work flow of the implementing agencies and affected parties. While plans outlining frameworks, processes, or approaches to AM of ecosystem restoration programs are commonplace, their establishment for the long-term is not. This article presents the basic AM process and explains how AM was implemented and institutionalized. Starting with a common goal, we pursued a well-understood governance and decision-making structure, routine coordination and communication activities, data and information sharing, commitment from partners and upper agency management to the AM process, and meaningful cooperation among program managers and partners. The overall approach and steps to implement and institutionalize AM for ecosystem restoration explained here are applicable to situations in which it has been incomplete or, as in our case, the restoration program is just getting started.

Governance for Sustainability of Estuarine Areas—Assessing Alternative Models Using the Case of Ria de Aveiro, Portugal

“…In the scientific literature the term governance associated with estuaries can either be found as an explanation to the existing problems [2,[34][35][36] or as a source of hope to solve the problems by enabling the improvement of the ways communities and related institutions organize themselves in order to better protect and use estuarine resources and values [21,22,37]. These concerns emerge either associated with particular estuarine challenges, such as fisheries and other estuarine resources [8,15,34], water management [3,35,36,38] or climate change and ecosystem services [2,39], or associated with transversal issues, such as adaptive management, integrated planning and policy approaches [20][21][22][23], co-operative and collaborative governance approaches enabling stakeholder engagement [24,38], or appropriate legal frameworks [35,40,41] able to incorporate estuary values and protection means.…”

“…The need for "innovative adaptive approaches" to confront uncertainty, engage stakeholders, "improve governance", prioritize actions, centralize the role of science, and for holistic management have been referred to in many estuaries [46]. The need for multilevel approaches, means for effective collaboration of stakeholders [18], the building of common goals, "well-understood governance and decision-making structures", routine coordination and communication activities, and sharing of data are among the main recommendations for estuary governance [23].…”

Expected Shifts in Nekton Community Following Salinity Reduction: Insights into Restoration and Management of Transitional Water Habitats

“…Furthermore, from a methodological perspective, restoration ecology is rapidly starting to incorporate predictive approaches for the evaluation of project performances [35]. Employing forecasting techniques would indeed contribute to provide robust and less uncertain assessments of restoration success, for instance, by predicting in advance the structure of biological communities prior to the end of habitat re-creation actions, [36] hence allowing for an adaptive management of conservation efforts [37,38].…”

Storm‐driven particulate organic matter flux connects a tidal tributary floodplain wetland, mainstem river, and estuary

“…Our study was part of a comprehensive research effort supporting the Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program, which is aimed at restoring ecosystems in the Columbia River estuary (Ebberts et al 2017). Researchers measured the responses of tidal wetlands to tidal hydrological reconnection, and developed and implemented methods for predicting the effects of multiple restoration projects on the ecosystem (Diefenderfer et al 2012, Ke et al 2013.…”