Reframing and operationalizing holistic, geomorphologically-informed river management in British Columbia, Canada

Watershed geomorphology acts as a physical template upon which a range of biotic and abiotic processes operate, and a thorough geomorphic understanding of watersheds provides a key foundation of knowledge upon which a full range of environmental management decisions can be developed. While British Columbia (BC) is home to a long history of study and significant advances in the science of geomorphology and related fields, this knowledge has not been incorporated into ecosystem management or planning to its full potential. We argue that a geomorphologically-informed approach to river management needs to be developed and adopted to support solutions to a range of river management challenges. The perspectives presented in this paper originate from a 3-day workshop that was attended by experts in geomorphology, ecology, hydrology, and habitat restoration in September 2024 in Campbell River, Vancouver Island. This workshop allowed practitioners to express their views on positive and negative aspects of current river management practice and how the River Styles Framework could be used to operationalize a geomorphologically-informed approach to river management in BC.