stream measuring & mapping training workshop august 3, 2014
TRANSCRIPT
Stream Measuring & Mapping Training Workshop
August 3, 2014
Outline for Today Introduction to the Huron River Watershed Council and the Adopt-A-Stream Program
Why Measure and Map?
The measurements
Team organization
To the stream!
The Huron River Watershed Council…The Huron River Watershed Council…
…is a nonprofit coalition of communities and residents.
…was established under state law in 1965.
…protects the Huron River and its tributary streams, lakes, wetlands, groundwater and
watershed.
…is a nonprofit coalition of communities and residents.
…was established under state law in 1965.
…protects the Huron River and its tributary streams, lakes, wetlands, groundwater and
watershed.
What does HRWC do?What does HRWC do?
Citizen education & stream monitoring Work with local governments
Stormwater RequirementsPlanning
Mass media education and information Stream restoration projects Run a statewide monitoring network (MiCorps) Defend the river, wherever it is needed
Citizen education & stream monitoring Work with local governments
Stormwater RequirementsPlanning
Mass media education and information Stream restoration projects Run a statewide monitoring network (MiCorps) Defend the river, wherever it is needed
Huron River Watershed
• 900 square miles • 63 communities• 7 counties • >525,000 people
• 900 square miles • 63 communities• 7 counties • >525,000 people
What is a Watershed?
A watershed (or basin) is the area of surrounding land that drains into a river or creek.
Adopt-A-Stream Program
River RoundUp
Aquatic Insects Tell Us the Condition of the River
AndHabitat conditions can help us understand the aquatic insects
Outline for Today Introduction to the Huron River Watershed Council and the Adopt-A-Stream Program
Why Measure and Map?
The measurements
Team organization
To the stream!
Measuring and Mapping
Diagram from Aquatic Entomology by W.P.McCafferty and A.V Provonsha
You will be assessing the quality of the stream habitat.
The measurements you take will be used to. .
look for immediate problems
document changes in quality
interpret the biological data
compare sites
Measuring the severity of human impacts to the physical environment of the stream
• Channel cutting and widening; erosion• Sedimentation (too much sand and fine particles)• Channelization- loss of microhabitats• Loss of vegetation- riparian and instream
Major cause: Hydrology alteration
•Impervious surface
•Flashiness
Outline for Today Introduction to the Huron River Watershed Council and the Adopt-A-Stream Program
Why Measure and Map?
The measurements
Team organization
To the stream!
Logistics of “Measuring and Mapping”
• Attend this training
• Join a team
• The team picks a date for the event
• Do the event (2-3 hours)
• Return the gear
What You’ll Look For
Shape of channel & bank
Substrate for hiding places
150 feet of Transects
The way the water flows (Pools, Riffles, Bends)
Bare or eroded banks
Plants in stream and on bank
300 feet of Observations
What is a transect?
Stretch the tape measure across the stream
Transects – Depth and substrate
•10 transects, 15 feet apart.
• Measure depth and bottom type at intervals across each transect.
•Aim to have 10-15 measurements per transect (divided up evenly)
Boulder -- more than 10” length or width or diameterBigger or equal to adult head
Cobble -- 2.5 - 10”Size of a fist Child’s head
Rock -- 1 - 2.5”Half of a finger Size of a small fist
Gravel -- up to about an inchChild and Adult Fingernails
Sand -- fine particles, all about the same tiny size, gritty
Fines: Clay or Muck -- finer than sand and not gritty, can’t even see individual grains
Overview
(Tape measure)
Hashmark is a “substrate check”
Active Edge
Transects – Waters edge width, active channel width
The waters edge width is the width of the water.
The active channel is the area of normal water flow.The active channel edge is the bottom edge of vegetation on the bank.
Example: Active Channel on Arms Creek
Bank Angle
Transects – Bank angle
Bank Angle
Transects – Bank angle
Transects – Bank angle (undercut banks)
Bank Angle
What You’ll Look For
Shape of Channel – Transects
Substrate for Hiding Places
Bank Angles
150 feet-Transects
The way the water flows (Pools, Riffles, Bends)
Bare or Eroded Banks
Plants in Stream and on Bank
300 feet- Observations
Pools, riffles, bendsPools. An area of water deeper and slower than average. Often found on outside of bends where there is more erosion. 2 bends
pool
pool
This is an idealized rule of thumb
Pools, riffles, bendsRiffle. An area of choppy or turbulent water. Often shallower water than the average depth of stream. Often caused by rocks or obstructions in the water. Sometimes on the inside of bends where it tends to be shallow.
2 bends
This is an idealized rule of thumb
III.Stream Substrate: Embeddedness
Tips:1) Look in a riffle (preferred) or fast moving area2) Pull a cobble or boulder out to see how much of it is buried
Look at the bank bare areas above the Active Edge
Bare areas are shaded and appear to be about 25% of the area between the Active Edge the top of the bank
What % of the banks are bare (showing soil) ABOVE the Active Edge?
ActiveEdge
Shaded area
Where to look for bare areas
V. Bank Stability: % Bare Banks
Survey Protocol for Wadable Streams and Rivers
How is all of this used?
How is all of this used?1) Your direct observations tell us of immediate
problems.
2) Tracking long term changes– 11 Metrics Add up to 200 points
– Divide by 2
– Final Score:
5 (Habitat really poor) –
100 (Habitat is excellent)
Metrics include:
Flashiness Maintained Flow Volume Velocity and Depth Sediment Deposition Embeddedness Habitat Variety
Bottom Substrate, Available Cover
Riparian Vegetative Zone Width Bank Stability Erosion Resistance Channel Alteration
Map
pin
g Y
ou
r S
trea
m You will have access to previous maps.
A new map is only needed if the old one is inaccurate, ugly, or hard to understand.
In that case- do a better job than your predecessor!
TAKE PICTURES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And give them to us!Be sure to include people and faces in your pictures as well as pictures of the creek.
Safety
Measure and map during low water levels
You will need to wait 2 days or so after really torrential downpours. Minor rain doesn’t matter.
Do only what you feel comfortable doing
If you expect to stay dry, wear waders. Tall boots are not good enough on 95% of the streams we are studying.
Doing a study with boots filled with
water is NOT fun.
You may NOT go barefoot
Do NOT wear flip-flops.
You MUST wear waders in Ann Arbor area and also Mill Creek.
What not to wear on your feet
1) Wear Waders OR 2) wear shoes/secure sandals that can get wet
Outline for Today Introduction to the Huron River Watershed Council and the Adopt-A-Stream Program
Why Measure and Map?
The measurements
Team organization
To the creek!
Team Positions
Goal: 3-5 people• 1 Mapper/Picture Taker
• 1 Note taker
• 2-3 Measurers (holding and moving tape measure, taking substrate samples)
In the next 10 MINUTES: Gather with your team by your site name.
Introduce yourselves again
Get your binder from Paul
Make sure your contact info is right.
Everyone take a color map
The binder is holding your blank datasheets
Meet your team
If your whole group is here today, you can fill out the team form (your date, who does what, etc…) Give Paul or Jason a copy of the filled out form
In your whole team isn’t here, in the next two days, email each other to answer the questions on your team form.• Email [email protected] and [email protected] with your final decisions.
Fill out the team form
Planning your datesPlanning your dates
Measurements MUST be done under NORMAL or LOW FLOW conditions. Plan a rain date, and keep it open in case of high water.
ALSO: Please try to do 2 outings if possible! After your first outing, talk to your team about another date that would work and be in touch with Jason and Paul who will assign you a different site.
Day of the event:• Come to back door of this building
• Find the hidden key to the shed
• Get equipment from the shed (make sure you put in your wader/foot size to whoever picks up the equipment)
• Return the hidden key to its location
• Return your equipment ASAP.
• Leave your binder and its contents in the shed
Outline for Today Introduction to the Huron River Watershed Council and the Adopt-A-Stream Program
Why Measure and Map?
The measurements
Team organization
To the creek!
But first, let’s take a walk to the shed.
At the creek, bring your pink datasheet with you.