In western Washington, attempts to balance environmental concerns and forest management have focused attention on strategies for managing forested riparian areas. Forest harvest activities can alter hydrologic and biogeochemical processes and impact adjacent aquatic systems. Surprisingly little quantitative data exist on the disturbance effects on headwater stream ecosystems. Research to quantify some of these effects are being conducted by monitoring nutrient concentration and export (C, N, and metals) from 14 headwater streams (1-15ha in size) under different stages of management and 3 forest stand developmental stages in Capitol State Forest near Olympia, WA. All headwater streams are nested within a larger 2000ha, 3rd-order steam watershed (also monitored for nutrient concentrations and export). Upland soil were monitored with using Ion Exchange Resins along with total soil nutrient analysis. Preliminary results suggest forest management activities left a small but variable legacy of changing nutrient concentrations in the streams. This presentation will focus on stream carbon and base cation concentration related to stages of stand development. There was a positive relationship between concentrations of total organic C and equivilants of charge for base catins across all streams. Concentrations of TOC and base cation in young closed canopy stands were elevated to levels almost double those of young open canopy and mature reference stands.