the watershed management process - ub erie summer workshop/week 4/frothingham 20… · the...
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The watershed management
process
The process & tools to work through the
process
Watershed management
Watershed management
Numerous uses for streams and rivers
But…
>1/3 rivers in US are impaired or polluted
Freshwater extinction rates are five times higher than
terrestrial rates
But…
Improvements in the last 30-40 years
More improvements are possible with river
restoration
Bernhardt et al., 2005
Watershed management
Most common goals Enhance water quality
Manage riparian zones
Improve in-stream habitat
Fish passage
Bank stabilization
More NRRSS results…
Bernhardt et al., 2005
Other goals Channel reconfiguration
Dam removal/retrofit
Floodplain reconnection
Project documentation is poor
Post-project monitoring and assessment is even worse and it‘s important for a variety of reasons
Setting project goals and objectives at the beginning of the watershed management process is critical
A watershed management plan can inform specific project design and implementation
Experts have advocated for a standardized method for watershed management
Watershed management More NRRSS results…
Bernhardt et al., 2005 & 2007
Watershed management is continuous and needs a
multidisciplinary approach.
A strong watershed framework:
uses sound science
facilitates communication and partnerships
fosters actions that are well-planned and cost effective
stimulates actions and tracks results
from the US EPA Principles of Watershed Management available on-line at:
http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/acad2000/watershedmgt/index.html
Watershed management: the process
USACE—Watershed planning in civil works projects
(http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/elpubs/pdf/sr34.pdf and http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/emrrp/pdf/sr03.pdf)
USEPA—Watershed Academy (http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/)
Federal Interagency Stream Corridor Restoration Working Group (EPA, Dept. of the Interior, HUD, USDA, DOD, TVA)
(http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/stream_restoration/)
Various State Agencies
Watershed management: the process
Watershed management: the process
Phase 1 getting organized
Phase 2 problem & opportunity identification
Phase 3 developing goals, objectives, &
restoration alternatives
Phase 4 implementing, monitoring,
evaluating, & adapting
from the Stream Corridor Restoration handbook (FISRWG, 1998)
FISRWG, 1998
Watershed management: the process
Phase 1 getting organized
Setting boundaries
Forming an advisory group
Establishing technical teams
Identifying funding sources
Establishing point of contact & a decision structure
Facilitating involvement & information sharing among
participants
Documenting the process
Phase 2 problem & opportunity
identification (data collection & analysis) Definition of existing stream corridor conditions (structure
& function)
Analysis of the cause (disturbances) of altered or impaired
stream corridor conditions
Determination of how management practices might affect
stream corridor structure & function
Watershed management: the process
FISRWG, 1998
Phase 3 developing goals, objectives, &
restoration alternatives Define the desired future condition for everyone on the team
Identify scale considerations
Identify restoration constraints and issues
Define goals and objectives
Restoration alternative selection & design
Watershed management: the process
FISRWG, 1998
Phase 4 implementing, monitoring, evaluating, & adapting Installing restoration measures
Monitoring
Evaluation
Adaptive management
Watershed management: the process
FISRWG, 1998
Watershed management: the process
If it‘s so important, how do we keep track of
the process and progress?
FISRWG watershed planning tool
FISRWG Stream Corridor Restoration
handbook Federal Interagency Stream Restoration Working Group
(FISRWG). 1998. Stream Corridor Restoration: Principles,
Processes, and Practices. By the Federal Interagency Stream
Restoration Working Group. GPO Item No. 0120-A; SuDocs No.
A 57.6/2:EN 3/PT.653. ISBN-0-934213-59-3.
Overview of stream corridors, including physical, chemical and biological
characteristics; Disturbances and developing a watershed management plan;
Applying restoration principles—analysis of corridor condition; restoration
design; restoration installation, monitoring, and adaptive management
Access the handbook here:
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Technical/str
eam_restoration/
FISRWG watershed planning tool
FISRWG, 1998
USEPA watershed planning tool
USEPA Watershed Plan Builder USEPA. 2008. Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to
Restore our Waters. By the US Environmental Protection Agency,
Office of Water Nonpoint Source Control Branch. EPA 841-B-08-
002. Available on-line:
http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/handbook_index.cfm
Focused on threatened and impaired waterbodies, the Clean Water
Act, and TMDLs
Access the Plan Builder here:
http://iaspub.epa.gov/watershedplan/pl
anBuilder.do?pageId=51&navId=39
Plan name
State where your watershed is located
Primary contact info
Select location
on a map and/or
enter HUC or zip
code
Reason for plan (pick
from drop down
menu)*
Indicate if plan is to
meet regulatory
requirements*
Enhance coastal zone
Enhance park/recreational area
Enhance water security
Improve water quality
Manage future planning/development
Satisfy regulatory requirements
Prevent degradation
Protect drinking/source water
Protect endangered species
Restore/protect habitat
Other
*multiple reasons can be selected
Can be linked to
other plans here
Activities from a drop
down menu*
Activities include:
Coastal wetland estuaries
Commercial Fishing
Dams
Mining
Parks
Low & high density residential
Row crop land
Ultra urban
*multiple activities can be selected
Issues from drop
down menus*
Menus address:
Water quality
Air quality
Land & habitat
Other concerns (e.g., exotic species,
dredging, endangered species
*multiple issues can be selected from
each menu
Pollutants of concern
picked from a drop
down menu*
Including:
Inorganic & organic pollutants
Metals
Nitrogen
Nutrients
Temperature
Pathogens
Pesticides
Sediment
Other
*multiple pollutants can be selected
from each menu
Numerous
stakeholders can be
added
USEPA watershed planning tool
1. Build partnerships
2. Characterize the
watershed
Uses the stakeholder
info you put into the
Watershed Plan
Builder
Based on Watershed Plan
Builder responses to, e.g.,
Activities and Pollutants, the
customized outline
recommends characterizing
only certain aspects of the
watershed
(―grayed‖ out sections are not
relevant to your watershed)
USEPA watershed management framework
USEPA watershed planning tool
1. Build partnerships
2. Characterize the
watershed
3. Set goals/identify
solutions
Uses info collected from
stakeholders and results
from the watershed
characterization, plus
the Reasons for the
Plan from the
Watershed Plan Builder
(again, ―grayed‖ out
sections are not
relevant to your
watershed)
USEPA watershed management framework
USEPA watershed planning tool
1. Build partnerships
2. Characterize the
watershed
3. Set goals/identify solutions
4. Design implementation
program
Incorporates all of the information from
previous sections and outlines a road
map for how to implement
your program.
The Watershed Plan Builder outline is
used to identify what components should
be included and to what level of detail.
USEPA watershed management framework
The implementation program includes several features such as the following: 1) A list of the management strategies to be implemented and milestones to track their
implementation
2) A schedule for implementation
3) A list of technical and financial resources needed for implementation
4) A monitoring component to measure the indicators you developed
5) An information/education component, and
6) An evaluation framework for measuring progress and adapting your plan over time.
USEPA watershed planning tool
Links provided
throughout the
outline that
pertain to your
Watershed
Plan Builder
responses,
but many links
are broken
More examples here: http://iaspub.epa.gov/watershedplan/examples.do?pageId=52&navId=40
RiverRAT
River Restoration Analysis Tool
NOAA Fisheries and USFWS collaboratively
developed a suite of resources and tools for
evaluating stream restoration and
management project proposals In response to NOAA‘s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (USFWS), given Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Essential
Fish Habitat (EFH) consultation authorities, and review authority under the Fish and
Wildlife Coordination Act FWCA)
Access the RiverRAT here:
http://iaspub.epa.gov/watershedplan/pl
anBuilder.do?pageId=51&navId=39
RiverRAT
What the RiverRat team recognized: Stream management activities, including some restoration efforts, have
degraded aquatic ecosystems
Site- and reach-scale habitat improvement projects (i.e., piecemeal
projects) have become the default solution to many habitat deficiencies
and the projects are often planned and implemented without proper
consideration of their landscape context, process drivers, or geomorphic
fitness
Failure to recognize these broader scale concerns may lead to poor
project selection and increased potential for project failure
The RiverRAT provides a tool for more efficient, consistent, and
comprehensive reviews of stream management and restoration proposals
All organizations that fund stream projects have an inherent responsibility
to evaluate projects and measure their success relative to stated goals
and objectives
http://www.restorationreview.com/downloads/RiverRAT_Overview_FISC_2010v2.pdf
Three Tools:
Screening Tool
Checklist
Web-based evaluation Tool
RiverRAT
Skidmore, P. B., C. R. Thorne, B. Cluer, G. R. Pess, J. Castro, T. J. Beechie, and C.C. Shea.
2010. Science base and tools for evaluating stream engineering, management, and restoration
proposals. U.S. Dept. Commerce, NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-NWFSC.
All linked to a Science Base for Evaluating Stream Project Proposals
http://restorationreview.com/
Science Base Document
Synthesizes the large body of watershed and
fluvial geomorphic science
Widely vetted
Fosters critical thinking
Not a ‗how to manual‘, but a guide to thinking
about ‗why‘ or ‗what are the alternatives‘
Makes the science available and accessible
to project team members
Glossary of terms
Science Base Document
Section 1 covers the tools
Section 2 fluvial geomorphology & stream
habitat
Flow & sediment regimes; stream processes &
the channel boundary; disturbance; channel
classification & incision; stream ecology
Section 3 project development
Problem identification; setting goals &
objectives; project design, implementation,
evaluation
Project screening matrix
The Risk Matrix is intended to assist reviewers
in making an initial assessment of the level of
risk to habitat resources associated with a
proposed project. The matrix will enable
reviewers to assess the risk posed by the
project should it be permitted and, in
particular, to decide whether the risk is
sufficiently high to merit technical assistance
from specialists in other disciplines.
http://www.restorationreview.com/downloads/Science_and_Tools_for_Stream_Projects_2010.pdf
Project screening matrix
x-axis—stream response potential – the inherent potential for the stream
to express morphologic response to disturbance
y-a
xis
—pro
ject
impact pote
ntial –
assess the
overa
ll im
pact pote
ntial of
the p
roje
ct
Project information checklist
The Project Information Checklist is used to
determine whether the project proposal
contains sufficient information to conduct a
comprehensive review. The checklist identifies
the exact information needed for review to
proceed, enabling the review process to be
faster and more efficient.
http://www.restorationreview.com/downloads/Science_and_Tools_for_Stream_Projects_2010.pdf
Project information checklist
Use of the checklist, by both project reviewers
& project sponsors, is intended to: clarify reporting expectations
streamline the review process
facilitate consistency among project proposals and their
review
promote thorough reporting that enables review
http://www.restorationreview.com/downloads/Science_and_Tools_for_Stream_Projects_2010.pdf
Project information checklist
RiverRat evaluation tool
The River Restoration Assessment Tool
(RiverRAT) provides a framework that guides
reviewers in evaluating a project proposal. The framework encompasses the entire project development
process
It‘s geared toward answering the question ―What are the
potential impacts and risks to resource?‖
It enables a review of project and design integrity with
respect to species or ecosystem recovery.
Project sponsors, stakeholders, and specialists all have
access to RiverRAT
http://www.restorationreview.com/downloads/Science_and_Tools_for_Stream_Projects_2010.pdf
RiverRat evaluation tool
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