What is involved in restoring a river? River Quality: Dynamics and Restoration answers this question through a series of articles and case studies written by some of the field's leading researchers and practitioners. The first part of the book covers the physical, chemical, and biological dynamics of a river system. The second part describes monitoring programs and remedial measures used to restore river systems back to healthy and functional states. The Willamette River in Oregon and the Vistula River in Poland are used to illustrate the dynamic and restoration processes. Each river is in a different stage of restoration and is subjected to different degrees of stress from agriculture, industry, and urbanization. The Willamette is an internationally cited example of a restored river, while the Vistula is a river that has just recently begun the restoration process. Contrasts and comparisons of the two river systems enable readers to learn the limitations of restoration processes and what is involved in the different stages of restoration.

The Willamette Restoration Initiative was established in 1998 to promote, integrate and coordinate efforts to protect and restore the health of the Willamette watershed. One of its main projects was to write the Willamete basin supplement to the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds. The document, Restoring a river of life: the Willamette restoration strategy, is available from this site in PDF file format.

Drawing on the author's experience as a paddler and as the leader of an environmental nonprofit working to protect and restore the Willamette River, this book illustrates what it is like to travel the Willamette River Greenway. It also provides a first hand account of how the State of Oregon and other entities fail to protect the river's water quality and habitat. The "greenway" is a lens through which to view both policy and practice in relation to the river's health.