Stream Ecosystem Recovery Following a Catastrophic Debris Flow

Abstract

We studied recovery processes for 3 yr in Quartz Creek (Cascade Mountains, Oregon), a third-order stream catastrophically impacted by a February 1986 debris flow for which both predisturbance data and an upstream control reach were available. The debris flow altered channel geomorphology and destroyed riparian vegetation for 500 m, resulting in a reach with short, disordered channel units, low hydraulic retention, and an open canopy. High irradiance levels and reduced grazing by macroinvertebrates contributed to rapid accrual of benthic algae in the disturbed reach, which formed the bioenergetic basis for ecosystem recovery. Macroinvertebrates (mostly herbivores) recovered to upstream densities and taxonomic richness within 1 yr, although effects on community structure persisted into the second year. Cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki) populations were locally decimated by the disturbance, but by the following year, recruitment of young-of-the-year trout into the reach exceeded that of the upstream reach and populations had recovered to predisturbance densities. Despite the general rapid recovery of the biota within the disturbed reaches, most populations showed broad temporal fluctuations in abundance, suggesting that ecosystem stability was diminished by the debris flow. Long-term monitoring of Quartz Creek may yield additional insight into the role of episodic disturbance in stream ecosystems.