STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

The Wood River Land Trust and other organizations will present yet another lecture in their series designed to help Wood River Valley residents understand the Big Wood River as local communities ponder how best to restore the river following last spring’s flood.

Dr. Ric Hauer, director of the University of Montana’s Center for Integrated Research on the Environment, will present his ground-breaking finds during a free talk: “Gravel –bed Rivers in the Northern Rockies: Why Mountain Rivers are so Important and Why You should Care” at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7, at Ketchum’s Community Library.

Hauer will discuss natural stream functions, terrestrial aquatic productivity and how some river restoration practices have compromised our systems today.

He also will offer examples of restoration practices that do and don’t work.

Hauer has conducted research around the eastern Pacific Rim from Alaska to Patagonia. He also served in development implementation of environmental policy for the Clean Water Act, working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The presentation is being sponsored by the WRLT, Community Library, the cities of Hailey and Ketchum, The Nature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited and Flood Control District. No. 9.