Road decommissioning can help restore the natural flow of water through a forested landscape, which can also help to make watersheds more resilient to climate change.
Presenter
Contributors
Production - The Climate Change Resource Center
Video & Editing - Kristen Schmitt
Description
Restoring the natural flow of water through a forested landscape can be a good strategy for building resilience to climate change. This video highlights ongoing efforts of the Monongahela National Forest and their partners to improve watershed health by decommissioning roads. By removing roads that are no longer needed, both soil health and water flow are improved; water gets absorbed into the soil and is released more gradually into streams at cooler temperatures. Not only is this good for native brook trout and other aquatic organisms, but it can help buffer streams against both heavy precipitation and periods of drought that may become more common as the climate changes.
Video Length
Publication Date
You should gain an understanding of:
How road decommissioning contributes to watershed health on the Monongahela National Forest.
How road decommissioning can help streams and watersheds be more resilient to expected climate changes.