What is a "Healthy" Creek?
| To most people, a creek is healthy if it supports the
life native to the creek, and if it can safely support human uses without
harming the creek. An ecologist determines whether a creek is
healthy by comparing it to a creek that is little altered by humans.
This "reference creek" must be similar physically to the creek
we are assessing. If the creeks have similar water quality and
biological communities, then our creek is as healthy as the reference
creek. Is
Pattee Creek ecologically healthy?
The Clean Water Act gives a legal definition of health. A creek must support certain uses: it must be fishable (support aquatic life) and swimmable (safe for humans to touch). Each creek may also be expected to support other uses. Is Pattee Creek legally healthy (supporting its uses)? |