2012 uplift report: quantifying ecological benefit

Uplift Report 2012

2 — The Freshwater Trust Uplift Report 2012 The Freshwater Trust Uplift Report 2012 — 3

Quantifying the benefits of restoration projects in this way can provide a more robust picture of a project’s value. In fact, we are now doing these calculations on projects before implementation to determine potential ecological uplift prior to committing significant resources to a project. We are doing this to ensure we apply resources to project sites and restoration actions that achieve the most benefit.

In the future, this new ability to quantify project benefits can aid conservation groups and funders in better directing grant dollars and other environmental investments. Traditionally, grant seekers — like The Freshwater Trust — submit project proposals to grant makers that describe the actions to be taken, the cost to implement and a general rationale for why the project is needed. This method makes it challenging to distinguish between similar projects in a competitive environment where the need is great and the funding is limited. Using the scientific tools described in this report, we imagine that conservationists will be able to estimate ecological uplift for projects and improve rationales for project location and design.

We have quantified most of our work in 2012 with regard to ecological uplift. We are committed to doing this every year so that we may begin to understand and evaluate the actual effectiveness of our actions and their benefits to our rivers and streams.

The Freshwater Trust measured and quantified the ecological uplift of its projects with powerful tools, built using the best thinking and data available to the various developers and partners. That said, the underlying science and modeling methods remain iterative. Over time, as The Freshwater Trust and others use these tools to evaluate project benefits, the monitoring of ongoing project performance will provide an essential feedback loop for refining the formulas, calculation methodologies and modeling logic used by the tools. In this way, not only will uplift calculation continue to improve, but so will restoration practices, project design and our general understanding of aquatic ecosystem functions.

The following tools are discussed in this report:

Salmon Calculator Water Temperature Transaction Tool (W3T) Shade-a-lator Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT)

Quantifying Ecological Uplift: Why it is Important

The Freshwater Trust is a non-profit organization with a mission to preserve and restore freshwater ecosystems. With nearly 30 years of on-the-ground experience, we have always looked for innovative ways to fix imperiled rivers and streams.

Like all groups in this field, The Freshwater Trust has traditionally evaluated and reported on projects in terms of dollars spent, trees planted, gallons of water restored instream or acres of floodplain reconnected, etc. In 2012, our approach is evolving, just like the science we use to

measure ecological benefit. Using recently developed — and in some cases, still developing — tools for calculating the ecological uplift of restoration projects, we are advancing a new system for communicating the value of our work.

What do we mean by ecological uplift? Simply put, “uplift” refers to the environmental gain of a project — the quantifiable environmental benefit of the restoration actions we take. For example, when we plant trees next to a stream, we can now model the solar radiation that will be blocked by mature trees and calculate kilocalories per day of solar load avoided. How do we reflect that in our analysis and reporting of our projects? First, let’s look at how we might have reported a tree planting project in the past:

ExamplE FRom ThE paST: plaNTiNg pRojECT WiThoUT UpliFT mETRiCS

acres Trees planted Total cost

10 5,000 $50,000

ExamplE USiNg NEW SCiENCE & ToolS: plaNTiNg pRojECT WiTh UpliFT mETRiCS

acres Trees planted Total costKilocalories/day

of solar load avoided

pounds/year of phosphorus

reduced

Weighted linear feet of salmon

habitat restored

10 5,000 $50,000 50,000,000 50 100

Tracking the number of trees planted does not measure or report the impact of trees on habitat function.

Healthy and functioning habitat is critical to improving wild fish populations.

Table of Contents

Ha

nm

i mey

er

Front & Back Cover images:all images sean O’COnnOr, FreesOlO COlleCtive; exCept FOr BOttOm Center, Hanmi meyer

sean O’COnnOr, FreesOlO COlleCtive

Salmon Calculator .......................................................................................................................................................4

Shade-a-lator ................................................................................................................................................................5

Water Temperature Tracking Tool ..............................................................................................................................6

Nutrient Tracking Tool ................................................................................................................................................. 7

Case Study: Rudio Creek ............................................................................................................................................8

Uplift from 2012 projects ..........................................................................................................................................10

map of 2012 projects .................................................................................................................................................11

Measuring the width of a stream is an important factor in determining baseline habitat conditions.

se

an O

’CO

nn

Or, F

re

esO

lO CO

lleCt

ive

tH

e Fr

es

Hw

at

er t

ru

st

Healthy streamside vegetation is critical to improving habitat for aquatic species.


Tool DEVElopERSOregon Department of Environmental Quality

Oregon State University, Departments of Bioresource Engineering & Civil Engineering

Salmon Calculator Quantifying increased salmon habitat through stream restoration

The Salmon Calculator is designed to quantify ecological changes that directly impact salmon habitat. The Salmon Calculator helps us model, on average, how well a given stream reach supports salmon. Put a different way, the Salmon Calculator uses data from a given reach of stream (say 1,000 feet long), and weights the number of feet that

demonstrate ideal habitat function. If 10% of a 1,000 foot reach is optimal, then that reach receives a score of 100 weighted linear feet. Change is calculated as the difference between pre-project conditions (baseline) and modeled conditions 20 years after project work.

Inputs into the Salmon Calculator are physical characteristics of the stream and terrestrial areas (see sidebar for model inputs). Based on the inputs, the Salmon Calculator measures the ecological functions of a stream with regard to its ability to create and maintain salmon habitat. The Salmon Calculator then consolidates those ecological functions into one salmon habitat score. The score is a percentage of functional habitat per linear foot of stream, which is recorded as weighted linear feet.

The Salmon Calculator was developed as part of Counting on the Environment, a Natural Resources Conservation Service grant project managed by Willamette Partnership. The development of the Salmon Calculator began as part of the Oregon Department of Transportation bridges project and was further refined by Parametrix, Inc.

While robust, the Salmon Calculator remains a work in progress. Willamette Partnership is also working on a more comprehensive functional stream assessment tool that may further improve our ability to calculate stream function for salmon. In the meantime, we are using the Salmon Calculator and gaining valuable data that will help inform the next generation of scientific tools.

A Solar PathfinderTM (left) measures the amount of sun hitting the stream in a given location at a given time on a given day. A densiometer (right) measures the canopy cover over a stream. Both instruments are used to determine the solar impact on a stream.

moDEl iNpUTSDistribution & abundance of aquatic & riparian native & nonnative vegetation

Stream width & depth

Substrate characteristics

Flow & depth characteristics

Aquatic features such as log jams, pools, riffles, glides, alcoves, gravel bars & cascades

Floodplain connectivity

Barriers to fish movement

Land use

Floodplain slope, width & soil type

Amount of large wood

Historical frequency & duration of flooding

Shade-a-latorQuantifying avoided solar load through riparian restoration

Riparian shade, provided by streamside trees, blocks the sun’s rays from hitting the surface of the water, reducing the amount of energy entering the river. In effect, this shade prevents the water from heating up. Anadromous fish, such as salmon and steelhead, are extremely sensitive to water temperature. Healthy riparian buffers help ensure healthy fish habitat.

Using pre-project data (see sidebar for model inputs), Shade-a-lator calculates the current amount of solar radiation hitting the surface area of a stream. Once vegetation is planted, Shade-a-lator models the amount of solar radiation hitting the stream based on the new vegetation’s maturity. The difference represents that project’s uplift in terms of solar radiation blocked or avoided by streamside shade. Shade-a-lator expresses this uplift in energy units of kilocalories per day.

Shade-a-lator is a module of Heat Source, a stream assessment tool used by Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ). It was developed in 1996 as a Master’s Thesis at Oregon State University in the Departments of Bioresource Engineering and Civil Engineering. ODEQ currently maintains the Heat Source methodology and computer programming.

Shade-a-lator has been in use and improving for more than a decade. With The Freshwater Trust’s projects, its refinement will continue.

moDEl iNpUTS Upstream & downstream boundaries of the stream reach

Aspect ratio to the sun

Wetted width of the stream

Bank slope

Extent of existing riparian trees & plants

Modeling time period, including the time of year the model is run & the number of days the model is run

Surrounding topography

Large instream wood structures help develop pools and create cool water refugia for rearing wild fish.

Measured in weighted linear feet (WLF) of functional habitat for aquatic speciesUpliFT for SalmoN haBiTaT

ExamplE: hoW iT WoRKS

1,000 feet stream reach

100 WLF (10%) of functional habitat


400 WLF (40%) of functional habitat

BE

FoR

E

Res

tora

tio

na

FT

ER

R

esto

rati

on

Uplift gained through Restoration

Salmon habitat Restored

Units of measure = Weighted linear feet (WLF) Restoration actions

Before (baseline) 100 • Construct instream engineered log jams

• Plant streamside vegetation• Reconnect floodplains• Increase pools & riffles

after (post-project) 400

Uplift 300

Uplift = Change in weighted linear feet of salmon habitat ( Wlf)

FresHwaters illustratedmary edwards pHOtOgrapHy

se

an O

’CO

nn

Or, F

re

es

OlO C

OlleC

tiv

e

leFt: s

ean O

’CO

nn

Or,

Fr

eesO

lO CO

lleCt

ive

rig

Ht: t

He F

res

Hw

ater t

ru

st


Solar load avoided

Units of measure = kilocalories per day (kcal/day)

Restoration actions

Before (baseline) 10,000,000 • Plant streamside vegetation

after (post-project) 4,500,000

Uplift 5,500,000

Uplift = Change in kilocalories ( kcal) of avoided solar load

Solar Load Blocked Solar Load

ExamplE: hoW iT WoRKSMeasured in kilocalories per day (kcal/day), which is a measurement of energyUpliFT for aVoiDED SolaR loaD

Projections based

on tree maturity

BEFoRE Restoration

aFTER Restoration

Tool DEVElopERSCounting on the Environment

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Oregon Department of Transportation

Parametrix, Inc.

Willamette Partnership


Rotational grazing is a best management practice that can reduce nutrient and sediment load to a stream.

FresHwaters illustrated

CalCUlaTiNg RUNoFF SURFaCE RUNoFF =

Rd = daily rainfall

s = retention parameter

The retention parameter (s) is variable and is dependent on a number of site-specific physical characteristics, including: soil type, land use, management practices, slope and soil water content.

( Rd – 0.2 s ) 2

Rd + 0.8 s

Water Temperature Transaction Tool (W3T)Quantifying decreased water temperature through streamflow restoration

ncreasing flow can buffer water temperature and increase velocity through a stream reach. This can limit the water’s exposure to the local temperature to keep the water from warming. Additional temperature benefits can be achieved if the increased flow is cooler than water in the existing stream reach.

The Water Temperature Transaction Tool (W3T) uses river and landscape characteristics to estimate hourly solar radiation and overall heat loss or gain from the water. W3T also incorporates tributary inputs and meteorological information. From these inputs, W3T calculates temperature changes in a river reach.

W3T is based on a steady flow approach requiring baseline data (see sidebar for model inputs); W3T models water temperature based on energy transfer to and from the water across the air-water

interface and bed-water interface. It also accounts for transport of heat energy in the downstream direction.

Water temperature reduction from increased flow can be determined by comparing baseline conditions with modeled conditions after flow has been restored. The difference in water temperature represents the temperature uplift from restoring flow to that reach.

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation contracted with Watercourse Engineering to develop the W3T calculator.

Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT) Quantifying reduced nitrogen, phosphorus and sediments from riparian improvements and agricultural practices

major water quality concern across the country is the abundance of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus in our freshwater systems. Too much nitrogen and phosphorus promotes

excessive plant and algae growth, choking out other aquatic species.

Large sediment loads that carry these nutrients can also harm aquatic systems. They can settle into streambeds and fill in the spaces between the rocks and gravel — spaces that are essential for salmonid spawning. Sediment-filled streambeds also cut streams off from groundwater, a valuable source of cold water essential to creating refugia for many fish species.

Nationwide, farming and ranching operations represent large inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus. The Freshwater Trust is working to measure the benefit of conservation actions that limit these inputs while maintaining productive agricultural lands.

The Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT) is a sophisticated modeling tool that allows the user to create a detailed scenario of on-field agricultural practices (see sidebar for model inputs). NTT models the agricultural practices and then estimates the annual nutrient and sediment loads that occur as a result of these actions. NTT can model a wide assortment of conservation actions — from riparian restoration actions to changed practices on farms.

NTT calculates uplift in terms of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment load reductions by comparing baseline conditions of a field to modeled conditions after restoration. The difference represents the uplift from conservation actions.

The Nutrient Tracking Tool was designed and developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service, the USDA Agricultural Research Service and Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research.


Water Temperature Decreased (Daily max)

Units of measure = cfs / oC Restoration actions

Before (baseline) 1.0 20 oC • Introduce cooler water• Increase stream velocity• Deepen channelafter (post-project) 1.5 18 oC

Uplift 0.5 2 oC

Uplift = Change in temperature ( oC) through flow, measured in cubic feet per second (cfs)

ExamplE: hoW iT WoRKS

BE

FoR

E

Res

tora

tio

na

FT

ER

R

esto

rati

on

1.5 CFS(cubic feet per second)


+ 0.5 cfs

18o C (stream temperature)

1.0 CFS(cubic feet per second)


20o C (stream temperature)

Measured in degrees Celsius.UpliFT for TEmpERaTURE through FloW

A river’s length, width and depth are important inputs entered into the Water Temperature Transaction Tool.

moDEl iNpUTS River length, width & depth

Stream bed roughness

Topographical & vegetation features: surrounding zones of vegetation that provide shade & inhibit solar radiation

Inflow water temperatures

Flow volumes

Atmospheric heat exchange, air-water interface & bed-water interface

Tributary inputs

River velocity

Cross sectional area

moDEl iNpUTS Crop type & livestock type

Crop rotations

Fertilizer application rates

Irrigation practices

Livestock access to streams

Pesticide application rates

Tillage practices

Field size & slope

Geographic location

Local weather data

Soil type

Soil phosphorus concentration

sean O’COnnOr, FreesOlO COlleCtivesean O’COnnOr, FreesOlO COlleCtive

se

an O

’CO

nn

Or, F

re

es

OlO C

OlleC

tiv

e

Tool DEVElopERSNational Fish & Wildlife Foundation

Watercourse Engineering

Tool DEVElopERSUnited States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service

USDA Agricultural Research Service

Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research

Vegetation filters runo�

Runo� drains into stream

BE

FO

RE

Res

tora

tio

nA

FT

ER

R

esto

rati

on


Nutrient & Sediment Reduction

Units of measure = pounds per yearRestoration actions

Phosphorus Nitrogen Sediments

Before (baseline) 10.0 100.0 2,000.0 • Plant streamside vegetation

• Implement cover crops, livestock exclusion fencing, etc.

after (post-project) 5.0 25.0 100.0

Uplift 5.0 75.0 1,900.0

Uplift = Change in pounds per year ( pounds/year)

ExamplE: hoW iT WoRKSMeasured in pounds per year of nutrients and sediments reduced through restorationUpliFT for NUTRiENTS & SEDimENTS


Riparian vegetation plantings5

4 Large wood structure

Existing Channel (Before Restoration)

Restored Channel (Historic)

Flow

Existing channel centerline

Project channel centerline

1Channel construction Channel plug

DESigN plaN KEY

3 Pool/pool-glide enhancement

2 Floodplain connectivity

Construct large wood structures: In undisturbed systems, dead wood naturally accumulates in rivers and streams, adding to habitat complexity. During high flow periods, water carves

around and beneath these pieces of wood, creating deep pools where water stays cool. Structures are constructed where they would be expected to occur under natural conditions and are designed to be self-sustaining.

Restore native riparian vegetation: Native vegetation is planted along the banks of the creek, providing channel stability, shade for the river, food for insects and fish, and materials for beavers,

birds and other animals to build shelter. While beavers are present in the system, their numbers and influence on the river and floodplain have been greatly reduced. It is anticipated that this project and its restored habitat conditions will support a larger beaver population and perennial dam complexes.

To restore Rudio Creek holistically, The Freshwater Trust also worked with private landowners upstream and downstream of its on-the-ground project site to address instream flow issues. An upstream water leasing agreement and a change to a downstream point of diversion restored 2.0 cubic feet per second (1.3 million gallons per day) of streamflow to Rudio Creek, increasing water quality, lowering temperature in Rudio Creek and contributing cold water to the North Fork John Day.

4

Historic channel realignment (top and bottom left) reverses the effects of straightening and channelizing the stream.

Establishing cross section locations (right) helps assess existing channel conditions.

all im

ages to

the left:

se

an O

’CO

nn

Or, F

re

esO

lO CO

lleCt

ive

Case Study: Rudio Creekn ecologically significant tributary of the North Fork John Day River, Rudio Creek provides

important habitat for federally-listed summer steelhead and spring Chinook. During the early and mid-1900s, a portion of Rudio Creek that runs through a ranch was straightened and channelized, draining wet meadow floodplain habitat to create livestock pasture. This

channelization, coupled with agricultural development of the floodplain throughout the mid-1900s, led to the loss of riparian vegetation and beaver dam complexes. This resulted in a faster flowing stream system with reduced habitat diversity and reduced cold-water storage capabilities.

The Freshwater Trust has restored Rudio Creek to mimic historic conditions to the greatest extent possible. The illustration below details how habitat restoration actions were implemented on a

section of the Rudio Creek project.

Reconstruct historic channel: Reactivation of flow to the historic channel provides habitat diversity and floodplain connectivity

and reverses the effects of straightening and channelizing the stream. Restoring the stream to near-historic conditions increases its length and offers greater potential habitat complexity. Creating bends and wood structures allows for varying water velocities and for different sizes of gravel and cobble — important for native fish — to be naturally sorted and deposited.

increase floodplain connectivity: Reconnecting the stream to its floodplain allows water to spill over and facilitate the growth and

diversity of streamside vegetation. A connected floodplain also reduces the stream’s speed during a flood event, preventing banks from eroding and creating opportunities for secondary side channels to form.

increase pool/pool-glide habitat: Pools provide slow water habitat, spawning sized gravels and shelter for both adults and juvenile fish.

Collecting thorough baseline data allows scientists to more precisely design a restoration project.


sea

n O’C

On

nO

r, Fr

eesO

lO CO

lleCt

ive

Uplift from 2012 project Salmon habitat Restored

Solar load avoided


phosphorus Reduced

NitrogenReduced

SedimentsReduced

Units of measure Weighted

linear feet (WLF)Kilocalories

per day (kcals)Degrees Celsius (oC)

Pounds per year

Pounds per year

Pounds per year

Rudio Creek

Before (baseline) 4,641 50,061,190 26.5 4.6 26.7 111.3

after (post-project) 6,419 8,534,474 25.5 0.1 9.4 107.6

Uplift 1,777 41,526,716 1.0 4.5 17.2 3.7

Restoration actions 3,250 feet of historic channel reconnected 6,588 feet of channel constructed and floodplain reconnected 70 pool-glide habitat complexes created

70 large wood structures built 13,000 native shrubs, hardwoods and plugs planted

1

2

3

5

The Freshwater Trust Uplift Report 2012 — 11

Uplift from 2012 projects

Salmon habitat Restored

Solar load avoided


phosphorus Reduced

NitrogenReduced

SedimentsReduced

Tool used Salmon

CalculatorShade-a-lator

Water Temperature Transaction Tool

(W3T)Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT)

Units of measure Weighted

linear feet (WLF)Kilocalories

per day (kcals)Degrees Celsius

(oC)Pounds per year Pounds per year Pounds per year

little Butte Creek

Before (baseline) — 64,677,131 — 1.0 66.0 1,649.0

after (post-project) — 50,875,236 — 0.0 1.0 86.0

Uplift — 13,801,895 — 1.0 65.0 1,563.0

Restoration actions 6,120 native shrubs, hardwoods and plugs were planted

Salmon River Side Channel 3a

Before (baseline) 297 — — — — —

after (post-project) 331 — — — — —

Uplift 35 — — — — —

Restoration actions 654 feet side channel habitat restored; 1 large wood habitat structure at inlet

Salmon River Side Channel 4



Uplift 430 — — — — —

Restoration actions 670 feet side channel habitat restored; 1 large wood habitat structure; 50 pieces large wood placed in side channel



after (post-project) 2,606 — — — — —

Uplift 2,606 — — — — —

Restoration actions 250 pieces large wood placed in side channel; 2 large wood habitat structures;3,760 feet side channel habitat restored



after (post-project) 2,012 — — — — —

Uplift 1,972 — — — — —

Restoration actions 2,685 feet side channel habitat restored; 2 culverts replaced; 40 pieces large wood placed in side channel

Salmon River Side Channel

23a



Uplift 350 — — — — —

Restoration actions 1,148 feet side channel habitat restored; 1 large wood habitat structure at inlet

Rudio Creek

Before (baseline) 4,641 50,061,190 26.5 4.6 26.7 111.3

after (post-project) 6,419 8,534,474 25.5 0.1 9.4 107.6

Uplift 1,777 41,526,716 1.0 *4.5 *17.2 *3.7

Restoration actions 3,250 feet of historic channel reconnected 6,588 feet of channel constructed and floodplain reconnected 70 pool-glide habitat complexes created

Rogue River

Before (baseline) — 44,250,538 — 0.0 1.8 16.5

after (post-project) — 19,156,327 — 0.0 1.4 3.9

Uplift — **25,094,211 — **0.0 **0.4 **12.6

Restoration actions 2,450 native shrubs, hardwoods and plugs were planted

Total Uplift for 2012 projects (for which uplift calculation is possible)

7,170 WlF (restored

salmon habitat)

80,422,822 kcals (avoided

solar load)

1.0 oC (reduced max daily

water temperature)

5.5 pounds (reduced

phosphorus)

82.6 pounds (reduced nitrogen)

1,579.3 pounds(reduced

sediments)

70 large wood structures built 13,000 native shrubs, hardwoods and plugs planted

Habitat Restoration Projects

Flow Restoration Projects

aCKNoWlEDgEmENTS

The Freshwater Trust would like to thank the following partners who developed the tools & calculators to measure the ecological uplift in this report.

Map of 2012 Projects

* Soil data are not available for the project area in Grant County, therefore, a nearby proxy was used to calculate the uplift, making them rough estimates, not exact numbers. The uplift is a result of the removal of grazing livestock from a single field in the project area. The modeled area is 2.3 acres.

** These numbers are from the Phase 1 planting of Rogue River. Additional planting will occur in the spring which will change the estimated uplift. The uplift is a result of planting riparian vegetation. The modeled area is 1.3 acres.

10 — The Freshwater Trust Uplift Report 2012


NoTES

Counting on the Environment

Environmental Research

National Fish & Wildlife Foundation

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

Oregon Department of Transportation

Oregon State University

Parametrix, Inc.

Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research

United States Department of Agriculture

Watercourse Engineering

Willamette Partnership

In addition to quantified project work detailed in this Uplift Report, The Freshwater Trust also completed major habitat restoration work on Still Creek, a tributary of the Salmon River, and protected 13.65 billion gallons of water per day instream across the state.

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONU.S. poSTagE

paiDPORTLAND, OR

PERMIT No. 4313

65 SW Yamhill Street, Suite 200Portland, OR 97204

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

2012 uplift report: quantifying ecological benefit

Technology

potential ecological

quantifying ecological

freshwater trust uplift

project benefits

projects value

uplift metrics acres

similar projects

project location