DEQ has identified stream temperature as one of the water quality standards that is not being met for streams in both eastern and western Oregon. Furthermore, the Oregon Plan identifies the need for action plans that will support recovery of water quality. This Best Management Practices (BMP) monitoring project supports both DEQ concerns and goals in the Oregon Plan by focusing on the relationship between riparian stand characteristics and shade because of its link with stream temperature.
 
This project was implemented in basins within the north coast and northeastern regions of Oregon. Data were collected, with the help of a fish-eye lens, on both harvested stream reaches and those with no recent history of harvest. One goal of this project was to determine the range of shade levels provided over streams under varying forest management scenarios. A second goal was to investigate possible links between site and stand characteristics and shade.