The role of riparian systems in sustaining healthy aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems is well recognized, as are the benefits of riparian attributes and processes to biological, chemical, and physical water quality. Because of widespread degradation throughout the western US a variety of state and federal agencies, tribes, ranchers, recreationists, and others are attempting to improve management of these critical systems. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has adopted Proper Functioning Condition (PFC) assessment to assess the problems and challenges riparian systems might be facing, prioritize areas for management, and inform choices among management options. This approach contrasts with the nonpoint pollution strategy of the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and Nevada Department of Environmental Protection (NDEP), where water quality standards are developed based on beneficial uses, Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) are allocated to meet those standards, and widespread water quality sampling is carried out to identify areas where TMDLs are being exceeded. We examined a variety of available water quality and riparian monitoring data to see if the use of PFC-driven practices has improved water quality of streams within the Elko BLM District. Several riparian and water quality indicators showed trends over time, and one, riparian zone width, showed a difference in trend for reaches receiving PFC-driven management. Our conclusions are tempered by challenges with the available data and appropriate study design. The currently available
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