The purposes of this study were: 1) to review the land use history of Oak Creek watershed since European settlement. And 2) to consider the human-caused impacts and their effects associated with different land uses. The study area was classified into three land use patterns: residential, agricultural, and forested areas. Since the European settlement in the mid 1840's, the Oak Creek watershed has experienced changes of land use simultaneous with the development of the city of Corvallis and its vicinity. Associated with this, different impacts have occurred on riparian areas. By and large, these impacts were inherent to each land use. / Graduation date: 1993