The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of river and stream dynamics, describe possible stressors that may lead to channel instability, and provide guidelines and methods for monitoring streams and rivers. Because there are great differences in budget, staffing, and management needs and objectives between managed lands, we provide procedures for three levels of monitoring protocols. The three levels progress from low-budget methods where minimal expertise in fluvial geomorphology is required, to higher-level methodologies requiring greater expertise, a larger budget, and more time. We recognize that personnel range from people having no formal training in fluvial geomorphology to people holding graduate degrees in the field. In the past decade, there has been increased emphasis on stream water quality, monitoring, and restoration from government and nongovernment associations. With this, people from a wide variety of backgrounds have become involved in monitoring and sampling of streams. While, indeed, many methods for sampling and monitoring are simple, the design of a study and interpretation of data are not simple—they require a sophisticated understanding of stream systems. Improper study design and interpretation has led to, in many cases, the collection of useless data, or worse, the implementation of land use plans or stream restoration projects that made problems worse. Because of this, we have put considerable emphasis in the overview of fluvial geomorphology to describe how stream processes relate to channel form and the dynamics of these complex, highly interconnected systems. Understanding how a stream works, how it relates to other