Early findings suggest that the near-stream riparian environment provides critical functions and habitat for diverse populations of organisms. Using large, operational experimental plots we are able to demonstrate statistically significant initial responses to a complex suite of treatments for selected vegetation and environment parameters. It remains to be determined if the experimental design will be robust for long-term temporal trends in vegetation and microclimate, or synthesis with companion studies focusing on invertebrates or aquatic-dependent fauna. Meaningful interdisciplinary inferences are more likely achieved if integration is explicitly incorporated into study design and implementation, rather than post-study component synthesis. Conducting a large-scale interdisciplinary study with adaptive management implications requires a strong commitment to collaboration between management and research partners.