Willamette River Basin Planning Atlas: Trajectories of Environmental and Ecological Change
Oregon"s Willamette River Basin, which encompasses some of the nation"s richest farm and forest land, is also home to most of Oregon"s citizens. More than two million people live in the Willamette Basin today, and that number is expected to reach nearly four million by the year 2050. The "Willamette River Basin Planning Atlas" offers a valuable resource for anyone interested in the region"s past, present, and future. Using a dazzling variety of color maps, charts, and photographs, the "Atlas" presents a vast amount of information intended to provide a long-term, large-scale view of changes in human and natural systems within the basin. Five chapters provide information on current conditions and historical changes since 1850, focusing in turn on land forms and geology, water resources, plants and animals, land use, and human population. Next, there is a detailed examination of how the basin may change between now and 2050 under three alternative scenarios for future land and water use: one assuming a continuation of current land use and management policies, the second assuming a loosening of current policies to allow freer development, and the third assuming greater emphasis on ecosystem protection and restoration. The final chapter demonstrates how the information and analyses presented in the "Atlas" can be used to prioritize and design river restoration strategies. Although the focus is on the Willamette River and its floodplain, the book"s approach provides a useful model that can be applied to other regions as well. Intended for general readers and specialists alike, the "Atlas" provides information to help local citizens, policymakers, and scientists make better decisions about the Willamette River Basin and its future.