Developing Delaware River Ecosystem Assessment ModelDREAM
A new technique for analyzing stream reaches and archiving stream data for an entire river basin.
Jerry V. Mead, Ph.D.
Assistant professor and Leader of Watershed and Systems Ecology Section
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
Planning and Science
Draft web interface
Web-served geodatabase
Archive baseline and project data;
Archive modeling and associated metadata;
Allow users to access and assess information quickly.
Water temperature
Storm water
Carbon storage
Total phosphorus
Brook trout growth potential
Atrazine
1:1 (no change)1:2 (worst than reference)
Stream order
7-9
4-6
1-3
Evaluating multiple-environmental targets
How will the tool work?
Problem! So many streams!
?~29,000 km2
+
Generalized stream reachNHD data base
30 m riparian zone
Split into 120 m long reaches
Channel width
%Forest cover (30 meter resolution)
®1:1,966,745
% Forest cover
0
15
25
35
45
55
65
75
85
95
%Forest cover (1 meter resolution)
impervious
grass/herb
forest
Field measurements of forest cover
30 meters30 meters
120 meterreach
= point survey of land cover = 120 per reach X 33 reaches
% Forest cover (measured)
# C
ases
Error in model estimates of riparian forest cover
1 meter 30 meterResolution of forest map
100
50
25
75
Indicator Description Source Total PhosphorusE Land use in the watershed McNair unpublished;
Fischer et al. 2008 Total Suspended Solids E Land use in the watershed McNair unpublished;
Fischer et al. 2008
Carbon stocksX Based on forest inventory (good for climate-change mgt.) Murdoch et al. 2007
Forest litter inputsX Riparian vegetation and litter inputs to stream Mead et al. 2009
Stream channel widthX Developed using 190 locations in the basin Mead et al. 2009
Water temperatureX Developed using 101 gages in basin Mead et al. 2009
Richness of MacroinvertbratesX # of mayfly (E), stonefly (P) , caddisfly (T) taxa in a stream reach Fischer et al. 2008
Stream fish growth potentialX Non-native/native X (cold, cool, and warm water species) Mead et al. 2009
Intolerant stream fish diversity Major determinant of native fish biodiversity; sensitive to variety of disturbances,
Horwitz et al. 2008
NJ Fish IBI program
Stream salamander abundance and diversity
Sensitive to variety of disturbances. Horwitz et al 2009; Flinders et al. 2008
Louisiana Waterthrush (Seiurus motacilla) habitat
Riparian quality indicator and areas at risk (Figure 3) Prosser and Brooks 1998
Known sites of Species of special concern
Factor in site prioritization Natural Heritage Programs & unpub. data
Models or environmental indicators included
Fish bioenergetics models
• Brook trout Hartman et al. 2008 • Yellow perch Kitchell et al. 1977 • Juvenile American shad Limburg 1995
• Brown trout Dieterman et al. 2004
• Smallmouth bass Shuter and Post 1990
• Common carp Opuszynski et al. 1989,
Specziar 2002, Stecyk and Farrell 2002
Native fishes
Non-native fishes
Climate change
With high carbon emissions scenario
Brook Trout
(Savelinus fontinalus)juvenile Am
erican shad
(Alosa sapidissima)
Yellow Perch
(Perca flavescens)
Smallm
outh bass
(Salmolnus m
icroptera)Com
mon carp
(Cyprinus carpio)
Brown Trout
(Salmo trutta)
% C
hang
e in
gro
wth
fro
m c
urre
nt c
ondi
tion
Conclusions• Technique assessed riparian zones rapidly. ~3hrs for
~340,000 stream reaches;
• 30 meter maps not accurate enough for riparian assessment (under-estimated). 1 meter resolution maps over estimated forest cover by 15%;
• Delaware has heavily deforested coastal zone (average 28% forest cover). Increasing forest cover from south to north.
• The Environmental Planning Tool approach is extremely effective at estimating riparian forest cover for an entire river basin at the reach (120 m long) scale.
Developing the Tool
•Watershed groups help develop tool;
•Watershed groups use tool as demo;
•Tool disseminated and put online;
•Form a review board for tool expansion.
Thank you!