This aquatic food web is greatly disturbed when man channelizes a stream. Channelization is the process of straightening and deepening a stream channel. Fallen logs and boulders are removed as well as nearby trees and shrubs. Without natural retention, detritus is carried downstream. Stream organisms suffer from a lack of food and soon disappear.
Today there is great interest in improving the health of stream ecosystems.
Channelized streams may be restored through human intervention including the careful introduction of logs, boulders and current deflectors.