WATERSHED INVENTORY AND ASSESSMENT Module 7, part A – Issues and Description

WATERSHEDINVENTORY AND

ASSESSMENT

Module 7, part A – Issues and Description

Developed by: Desotelle Updated: Dec 2004 U3-m7a-s2

Watershed Inventory and Assessment

Issues and Description it’s about land use

Inventory Indicators that

measure watershed functions

Assessment (evaluation/monitoring)

Issues and

Description

Identify

Needs

Project Organization

Assessment Team

Public Input

Baseline

watershed

information


Issues and Description Unit

Identify needs What is a watershed assessment? Issue identification

Organization Project management Community component Assessment team

Baseline watershed information Baseline assessment Components for detailed characterization


Why inventory and assess a watershed?

Holistic picture of the watershed, as a dynamic system

Better understanding of the ecological integrity, historical changes, and future needs

Identifies impacts to water resources Knowledge for protecting and/or restoring

resources through the development of action plans and monitoring strategies


What is a watershed assessment?

Evaluation of how well a watershed is working Steps for the watershed include:

identifying issues examining the land use history describing features (ecological, biological,

chemical, physical, social) evaluating various resources (unique lands,

steep slopes, cold water fishery, endangered species, forest types, etc.)


Conditions for assessment?

Incorporate natural resource planning to antiquated land use plan?

Desire to protect an undisturbed resource? Threat to a valuable resource? Need to restore a lost resource? Determine which features and processes are

working well and which are not.


Organization

Goal of management plan is to protect, preserve, restore natural resources through Assessment – What is happening in the

watershed? Planning – What needs to be done Implementation – How do you get there? Evaluation – Did you make it?


Identify Project Manager

Project coordination Facilitator at

stakeholder meetings Assists with data

gathering Compiles

assessment and evaluation results

MN Sea Grant, 2004


Community Component

Build support for project

Solicit input Identify issues and

needsMN Sea Grant, 2004

Desotelle Consulting, 2004


Assessment Team

Stakeholders of watershed Federal, state, local agencies and Tribes Private sector Nonprofits Citizens Scientists, educators

Build a partnership Form committee(s)

Technical advisory committee Citizen advisory committee


Watershed Components

Functions for water resources and land use

Indicators, a measurement of functions

Valuation of functions (i.e., excellent, good, fair, poor condition)

Incorporation into watershed management plan Peterson Environmental and

Desotelle Consulting, 1997


Example of Functions and Indicators Associated with Land Use

Land use Forestry Crop-land grazing

Urban areas Mining Road networks

Habitat Function

Channel modificationPool quantity/ quality

Channel modificationPool quantity/ quality

Flow alterationChannel modification

ChannelmodificationPool quantity/ quality

Flow alterationChannel modificationPool quantity/ quality

Water quality Function Temperature

TurbidityFine sediments

TemperatureDissolved oxygenTurbidity

TemperatureDissolved oxygen

TurbiditySuspended sedimentsHeavy metals

TurbiditySuspended sedimentsFine sediments


Baseline watershed information

Define watershed & subwatershed boundaries Measure existing impervious cover Assemble historical monitoring data Assess existing mapping resources Conduct an audit of local watershed protection

capability


What is a watershed?

A watershed is the A watershed is the area of land that area of land that

drains to a particular drains to a particular lake, wetland or lake, wetland or

stream.stream.MN Sea Grant NEMO Program


Watershed Delineation

Map outlining watershed boundary

Topographic map used help find watershed dividing lines

Basis for overlays (i.e., land use, water resources, political jurisdictions, etc.)

Center for Watershed Protection, 1998


Watershed Boundaries


Impervious Surfaces

Indicates land uses causing pollution

Inhibits groundwater recharge

Prevents natural processing of pollutants

Accumulates pollutants

Express routeMN Sea Grant NEMO Program

Developed by: Desotelle Updated: Dec 2004 U3-m7a-s18ADAPTED FROM SCHUELER, ET. AL., 1992

Relationship between% Imperviousness and Water Quality

7070

6060

5050

4040

3030

2020

1010

00 STREAM DEGRADATION

WA

TE

RS

HE

D IM

PE

RV

IOU

SN

ES

S(%

)

DEGRADED

PROTECTED

IMPACTED

National NEMO Program and Center for Watershed Protection


Existing to potential impervious surface

> 25%

10 to 25%

<10%%

PERCENTIMPERVIOUS

Kingsbury Cr34%

Knowlton Cr30%

MN Sea Grant NEMO Program


Historical monitoring data helps

High quality data can reduce costs of baseline monitoring

Developing watershed goals Future watershed monitoring Calibrating a watershed model Provide relative quality of subwatersheds


Key issues to explore

Settlement patterns Direct impacts to

stream channels Riparian vegetation

patterns and change Natural and human-

caused disturbance such as floods and fire

Fish presence and distribution

Resource use through time


Assess existing mapping resources

National NEMO Program


Audit local watershed protection capability

Examination of the capability to implement watershed protection tools

Analysis of local plans, ordinances, funding, staff, review processes

Implementing the results of an inventory and assessment is only as good as the programs that can provide the services


References

Cowardin et al. Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States. 1979. FWS/OBS-79/31.

Shaw Samuel P. and Fredine C. Gordon. Wetlands of the United States. 1971. Circular 39. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Center for Watershed Protection. Rapid Watershed Planning Handbook. 1998. http://www.cwp.org.

EPA Surf your watershed http://www.epa.gov/surf Indiana Dept of Environmental Management, Office of Water Quality

http://www.in.gov/idem/water/planbr/wsm/iwpg/chap4.html Minnesota Forest Resources Council. Sustaining Minnesota Forest Resources:

Voluntary Site-Level Forest Management Guidelines for Landowners, Loggers, and Resource Managers. 1999. www.frc.state.mn.us

Oregon Watershed Assessment Manual http://www.oweb.state.or.us/publications/wa_manual99.shtml

Rosgen, Dave. Applied River Morphology. 1996. Wildland Hydrology, Pagosa springs, CO. Illustrations by Hilton Lee Silvey .

Snyder, Doug. A GIS Based Wetland Assessment Methodology for Urban Watershed Planning. 1997. Minnesota Board of Soil and Water Resources.

Documents

WATERSHED INVENTORY AND ASSESSMENT Module 7, part A – Issues and Description