In New England we place great importance in the local decision making process. These local decision makers are primarily elected or appointed or may be volunteers. They may or may not have the direct assistance of a planning or environmental professional. They often do not have, or lack access to, the proper resource information and education on which to base their decisions. Yet, these local officials are responsible for evaluating development, subdivision, residential, industrial, commercial and recreational projects, all of which can have significant impact on a community's natural resources. They are also responsible for the implementation of land use and zoning regulations and the development of the community's master plan which affects the future land use of their community. Thus, while local decision making is the key to watershed based community resource protection, the information and education required to make informed decisions is often lacking or severely limited.
In an attempt to address these complex issues, various pilot projects and method manuals have recently been developed to assist local officials and interested citizens in finding or assembling the information necessary for planning and decision-making. These valuable tools include methods for evaluating the functional values of freshwater and coastal wetland systems, handbooks on community natural resource inventories, approaches to educate community officials on the relationship between impervious surfaces (paving) and non-point source pollution and the development of methods to perform critical lands analysis. In addition, volunteer-derived data has allowed for a more in-depth exploration and understanding of local surface water conditions. These processes have been summarized and, when necessary, modified to demonstrate how a local group would approach an inventory in the context of a watershed based assessment and analysis.
The advent of desktop Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has brought a new and potentially powerful inventory, analysis and educational tool to watershed investigators and decision makers. Although GIS natural resource applications are currently being developed and explored on a statewide and regional scale there has been less effort to transfer and utilize the technology at the local level. While the scope of our training does not include instruction on GIS software (although some NERMC cooperators can offer supplemental GIS training at low cost), examples of GIS-derived analysis are presented to allow the participant to be able to understand the potential and limitations of the current technology. The use of GIS in educating the local communities, especially exploring and visualizing the extent, impacts and benefits of various protection and management alternatives, can greatly enhance the local decision making effort.
This watershed based inventory and analysis process offers a proactive approach for decision making, resource protection, and stewardship. It can be used to encourage the community to become involved in defining what resources are important and why. It also provides the information required to develop protection and management strategies.
Rapid and Intensive Habitat Assessments
A habitat assessment is the estimate and measurement of certain physical characteristics
of the river in order to determine the overall quality of the habitat for benthic
macroinvertebrates. Examples of these characteristics include the:
A Rapid Habitat Assessment is primarily visual estimates of these characteristics. An Intensive Habitat Assessment is more quantitative -- the characteristics are measured rather than estimated -- and the river reach is monitored more intensively.
Habitat assessments are carried out at reference sites (which represent the least-impaired conditions in a region) and impact sites (which represent the sites that might be affected by human activities). They are also carried out in conjunction with benthic macroinvertebrate collection.
The results at the impact sites are scored and compared with those at the reference site. If the habitat quality of all the collection sites is comparable to the reference site(s) and to each other, then differences in kinds and numbers of aquatic life would be due to water quality conditions, perhaps caused by a pollution source. If habitat quality differs among sites, differences in kinds and numbers of benthic macroinvertebrates may be due to natural variations in habitat characteristics or to alterations of the river caused by various human activities. In either case, an assessment of habitat quality at the collection sites is essential to interpreting the results of benthic macroinvertebrate assessments.
Training covers the basic importance of each of the habitat characteristics, how to visually estimate or measure each one in the field, how to score the results, and how to interpret the comparison to the reference site.
Streamside and Intensive Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessments
A benthic macroinvertebrate assessment involves the collection, identification,
and analysis of the aquatic animals without backbones that spend at least part
of their life cycles on the river bottom.
Streamside Assessments take place entirely in the field. Identification is to major group level (mostly classes and orders, some families). Relative abundance (dominant, common, rare, or none) and diversity for each group is estimated. The total number of critters is categorized in numerical ranges. Results are interpreted relative to guidelines and categorized as severely, moderately, or slightly/not impaired.
Intensive Assessments include the preservation of samples and identification of critters in a lab to mostly family level. The number of critters in each family is counted. Various data summaries are calculated which quantify total numbers, diversity, pollution tolerance, feeding ecology, and community composition. Results are compared with those of a reference (least impaired), either qualitatively or by scoring the results of each summary and comparing with the score for the reference site. Based on this comparison, the site is considered non-impaired, moderately impaired, or severely impaired.
Benthic macroinvertebrates are important indicators of the health of our rivers because they are an integral part of the river ecosystem and directly reflect the broad range of physical, chemical, and biological conditions that make up its health. When something disrupts ecological processes, the benthic macroinvertebrates respond. So, they can tell us how our activities -- both disruptive and healing -- affect the river's health. For flowing waters, they may be the best single indicator of whether we're meeting the Clean Water Act objective.
Training covers basic river ecology, the importance of biological monitoring, field collection and identification techniques, sample preservation, lab identification of families, and data interpretation.
Rapid and Intensive Habitat Assessments
A habitat assessment is the estimate and measurement of certain physical characteristics
of the river in order to determine the overall quality of the habitat for benthic
macroinvertebrates. Examples of these characteristics include the:
A Rapid Habitat Assessment is primarily visual estimates of these characteristics. An Intensive Habitat Assessment is more quantitative -- the characteristics are measured rather than estimated -- and the river reach is monitored more intensively.
Habitat assessments are carried out at reference sites (which represent the least-impaired conditions in a region) and impact sites (which represent the sites that might be affected by human activities). They are also carried out in conjunction with benthic macroinvertebrate collection.
The results at the impact sites are scored and compared with those at the reference site. are scored. If the habitat quality of all the collection sites is comparable to the reference site(s) and to each other, then differences in kinds and numbers of aquatic life would be due to water quality conditions, perhaps caused by a pollution source. If habitat quality differs among sites, differences in kinds and numbers of benthic macroinvertebrates may be due to natural variations in habitat characteristics or to alterations of the river caused by various human activities. In either case, an assessment of habitat quality at the collection sites is essential to interpreting the results of benthic macroinvertebrate assessments.
Training covers the basic importance of each of the habitat characteristics, how to visually estimate or measure each one in the field, how to score the results, and how to interpret the comparison to the reference site.
Overview:
· What is the potential of erosion or pollution production to occur given
the characteristics of the site (soils, slope etc.), site history and contributing
areas above the site?
· Is there evidence of sediment or related NPS pollution being generated
on the site?
· Are there measures in place for limiting or preventing NPS pollutants
from being generated (Best Management Practices) and do they seem to be working?
· If NPS pollution is generated on the site could it easily move off
of the site or are there buffers in place?
· Is there evidence that material has moved off of the site?
· Is there a transport route that would allow this material to get to
the water?
· Is there any evidence of impact on the receiving water?
The basic approach of this watershed evaluation system is summarized above.
This method provides a systematic approach for the student or layperson to evaluate
the seriousness of erosion, sedimentation or runoff problems. For each type
of impact site, specific questions relate visual indicators, impacts, best management
practices and land use activity. Site worksheets have been developed for a range
of agricultural activities, logging operations, construction sites, shoreline
areas, residential developments, roads, parking lots, and boat ramps. You can
evaluate a site and then move down to the receiving water or you can start at
the water and move up the watershed. The evaluation can be done at existing
sites to determine actual or potential pollution problems or it can be used
to estimate potential impacts of proposed land use changes.
Training for the method covers interpretation of topographic maps,
soil maps, and aerial photographs. Watershed delineation and shoreland surveys
techniques are also covered. Major emphasis is on watershed processes, land
use activities that generate nonpoint source pollution, visual indicators of
pollution, and best management practices (their design and how to tell if they
are working). Interpretation of the survey results is also discussed. During
training and after surveys are done, participants are networked with the professionals
and agencies that can assist with confirming or mitigating discovered problems,
and preventing future problems.
revised 12/13/02 by mfwalk NERMC Home