ABSTRACT
N ORMAL stream life can be compared to that of a "balanced aquarium."96 That is, nature continuously strives to provide clean, healthy, normal streams. This is accomplished by maintaining the stream's flora and fauna in a balanced state. Nature balances stream life by maintaining both the number and the type of species present in any one part of the stream. Such balance ensures that there is never an overabundance of one species. Nature structures the stream environment so that plant and animal life is dependent upon the existence of others within the stream. Thus, nature has structured an environment that provides for interdependence, which leads to a balanced aquarium in a normal stream.
