WATERSHED MANAGEMENT Module 23, part B – Ecological Component.

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT

Module 23, part B – Ecological Component

Developed by: Desotelle Updated: 10/2004 U5-m23a-s2

Watershed management organization

Social Component

Ecological Component

Economic Component


Watershed management structure

A strong watershed structure uses sound science facilitates communication and partnerships fosters actions that are well planned and cost

effective stimulates actions and tracks results


Ecological component

Ecological components Definitions Natural Resource Inventory Natural Resource Assessment Tools for Watershed Protection


What is ecology?

Derived from Greek words “oikos” = home and “logos” = study of

Literal interpretation - The study of one’s home Scientific interpretation - The study of the

interactions between organisms and their living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) environments.

The focus of ecology can be global and generalized or local and very specific, but in either case, the common unit of study is called an ecosystem


What is an ecosystem?

Ecosystems depend on inputs of nutrients, water, and light; they include plants, animals, predators, prey, and decomposers that transform the inputs to produce outputs of nutrients, energy, and water.

There are ecosystems within ecosystems. For example, a single decaying log on the forest floor may host an entire ecosystem; just as the watershed in which the log occurs may be considered an ecosystem and the watershed may be a subcomponent of larger ecosystems.


Goal for watershed protection

Ecosystem management: the process of watershed decision-making and management practice that takes into account the best available understanding of the ecosystem’s full suite of organisms and natural processes.

Ecological sustainability: the tendency of a watershed to be maintained or preserved over time without loss or decline. This is achieved when the environmental, social, and economic relationships within ecosystems are balanced over the long term.


Ecology in the organizational set-up

Goal of local watershed management organizations is to protect, preserve, restore natural resources through Assessment Planning Implementation Evaluation

An assessment starts with a natural resources inventory


Natural Resource Inventory (NRI)

A good watershed plan is not a 'wish list' of local concerns - it's a rational list of actions based on accurate information about your watershed.

Inventories and associated assessments are a key step in watershed management because they help guide the discussions about where development or other land uses should occur, and what natural resources should be protected or restored.

A NRI is a collection of data represented by descriptive maps. It can include anything from a simple hand-drawn map to comprehensive GIS-based land cover maps.


Core information needed to conduct a NRI

Base map (political boundaries, roads, watersheds, etc.)

aerial photos (historic and present) topography, soils water resources (lakes, wetlands, streams,

floodplains) natural areas (major and minor ecosystems) open space (farmland, parks, trails, etc.) other community specific information

(cultural, water treatment systems, gravel pits, etc.)


Natural Resource Assessment (NRA)

Analysis of the NRI to aid in decision-making and management efforts.

Combines scientific assessment of the functional values of an ecosystem and goals and values determined by the stakeholders of the watershed management organization


NRA example

Dakota County, MN used an NRA to characterize habitat and species criteria by assigning a weighted score to individual mapped polygons from their NRI. A couple examples of the criteria and their associated values from this complex process are shown in the table.

Ecological Criteria Value (1-100)

Habitat SizeLarge

MediumSmall

1007040

Native Land Cover 80

Non-native land cover 60

Urban land cover 30


NRA map

This map is an example of the result of Dakota County’s NRA. This information can be used to implement watershed protection tools across the county.

A map like this can be produced at any scale and at the political boundary or a watershed boundary.




Planning is the process used to create a document which specifies the goals, policies, and strategies for the watershed using information from the assessment.


Tools for watershed protection

The practice of watershed protection is about making choices during the planning process about what tools to apply, and in what combination to provide an economical, socially acceptable and environmentally effective result.

There are eight watershed protection tools that generally correspond to the stages of the development cycle from initial land use planning, site design, and construction through citizen stewardship.


8 watershed protection tools




Some form of all eight tools will often be implemented in different ways depending on the goals for that watershed.


Watershed planning

The basic goal is to apply land use planning techniques on a subwatershed scale within the watershed to maintain or enhance water quality This includes: redirecting development to least sensitive

subwatersheds preserving sensitive areas maintaining or reducing impervious cover maintaining or increasing forest cover maintaining or increasing water storage


Water planning

WATER WATER QUALITYQUALITYWATER WATER

QUALITYQUALITY

LAND USELAND USELAND USELAND USE

YOU have the YOU have the

AUTHORITY to AUTHORITY to

protect the protect the

water resources water resources

in YOUR in YOUR

community!community!

YOU have the YOU have the

AUTHORITY to AUTHORITY to

protect the protect the

water resources water resources

in YOUR in YOUR

community!community!

LOCAL OFFICIALS

LOCAL OFFICIALS


Watershed planning

Scientifically the organization should consider: Predict what may happen to water resources

with future land use changes. Select the most acceptable and effective land

use planning techniques to maintain or enhance water quality (e.g., zoning, transfer development rights, public land acquisition, education).

Politically the organization should consider: Develop a future land use pattern for

subwatersheds that meets stakeholder’s goals. Devise a management structure to implement

the plan on an on-going basis.


Land conservation

The basic goal is to conserve natural and cultural areas in a subwatershed in order to sustain the integrity of its ecosystems and maintain desired human uses. Five types of land areas to consider conserving include: critical habitats for plant and animal communities aquatic corridors along streams and shorelines hydrologic reserves to sustain predevelopment

flow patterns in water bodies water pollution hazard areas that have potential

to pollute water resources cultural/historic areas providing a sense of place


Land conservation

Photo Copyright 1999, Center for Watershed ProtectionPhoto Copyright 1999, Center for Watershed Protection

Photo Copyright 1999, Center for Watershed Protection Photo Copyright 1999, Center for Watershed Protection


Land conservation

Scientifically the organization should consider: What fraction of the watershed needs to be

conserved? How should conservation areas be delineated?

Politically the organization should consider: What are the highest priorities for land

conservation? What incentives can be used to encourage

stewardship of private lands? Does a land trust exist to accept and manage

conservation areas (long-term management)?


Aquatic buffers

The basic goal is to apply special protection where land and water meet in the form of a buffer. Buffers can be placed along a stream, shoreline, or wetland to: filter pollutants (i.e.,sediments, nutrients,

toxicants, bacteria) stabilize soils and reducing channel erosion store flood waters maintain temperature regime maintain habitats provide aesthetics and recreational enjoyment


Aquatic buffers

Habitat

Diversity

Habitat

Diversity

Defense

Against

Polluta

ntsDefense

Against

Polluta

nts

Additional

storm

wate

r sto

rageAdditi

onal

storm

wate

r sto

rage

NO Habitat

NO Habitat

NO Storage

NO Storage

NO Defense

NO Defense

Northland NEMO Program


Aquatic buffer

Scientifically the organization should consider: What is the buffer providing How wide should it be? How much pollutant removal is to be expected

by the buffer network? Politically the organization should consider:

How will the buffer network be managed? Long-term maintenance?


Better site design

The basic goal is to foster better site designs that can provide greater protection to a subwatershed. This may include: Development designs that minimize lot sizes and

cluster them together while leaving the remaining lands open space (cluster design).

Constructing more green infrastructure – keep runoff on-site as much as possible with rain gardens, grass swales, green roofs, etc.

Design streets and rooftops so stormwater runoff is directed not to a storm sewer without pretreatment.


Better site design

Same number of housing units 10-50% less impervious surface

Up to 50% open space Water resources protected

Schematic from Randall ArendtSchematic from Randall Arendt


Better site design

Scientifically the organization should consider: Will better site design maintain or increase infiltration

of runoff in the watershed? Will better site design maintain or enhance the water

resources? Politically the organization should consider:

What ordinances should be changed or created to promote better site design and what is the timeframe?

What incentives can be used to encourage developers to utilize better site design?


Erosion and sediment control (ESC)

The basic goal is to reduce sediment loss during construction and to ensure that conservation areas, buffers, and forests are not cleared or otherwise disturbed during construction The period when vegetation is cleared and a site

is graded to create a new landscape is the most destructive and it is very difficult to enforce and maintain best management practices.

Sediment-loading rates from construction sites are 5 to 500 times greater than those from undeveloped land (USEPA, 1977).



Photo Dane County WI

Minnesota Erosion Control Association

Minnesota Erosion Control Association



Scientifically the organization should consider: Is a higher level of ESC practice or more

frequent inspection needed to protect a subwatershed?

Politically the organization should consider: How well do current ESC programs reinforce

other watershed protection tools? What incentives can be used to minimize the

amount of clearing at development sites?


Stormwater best management practices

The basic goal is to choose the stormwater best management practices (BMPs) needed to compensate for the hydrological changes caused by new and existing development. maintain groundwater recharge and quality reduce stormwater pollutant loads protect stream channels prevent increased overbank flooding safely convey extreme floods



Pervious Pervious roadwayroadwayPervious Pervious roadwayroadway

Engineered Engineered swalesswalesEngineered Engineered swalesswales

““no mow” no mow” zonezone““no mow” no mow” zonezone

Bioretention Bioretention “circle”“circle”Bioretention Bioretention “circle”“circle”

Rain Rain gardensgardensRain Rain gardensgardens

Pervious Pervious drivewaysdrivewaysPervious Pervious drivewaysdriveways

NaturalistiNaturalistic c landscapinlandscapingg

NaturalistiNaturalistic c landscapinlandscapingg

Cluster designCluster designCluster designCluster design



Scientifically the organization should consider: Which hydrologic variables should be managed in the

watershed (infiltration, channel protection, flood reduction, etc.)?

What are the primary stormwater pollutants of concern (phosphorus, bacteria, sediment, debris, toxicants, etc.).

What are the most effective mix of structural and non-structural BMPs that can meet watershed goals?

Politically the organization should consider: What is the most economical way to provide stormwater

management (modeling, BMPs design, BMP maintenance, monitoring for effectiveness)?


Non-stormwater discharges

The basic goal is to understand how wastewater and other non-stormwater discharges can contribute to pollutant loads and how these flows are treated. These non-stormwater flows include: septic systems sanitary sewers other discharges such as water diversions,

runoff from animal feed lots, car washing, lawn watering, etc.



• Management Considerations• Septic system

maintenance• Prevent dumping into

streets or gutters • Help eliminate or limit

pesticide & fertilizer use

• Dispose of pet waste and household chemicals properly

Ohio State University Extension



Scientifically the organization should consider: Where should a sewer be located in relationship

to the stream corridor? Does it make sense to extend water/sewer

infrastructure into this part of the watershed? What kind of septic system/siting criteria should be required?

Politically the organization should consider: What, if any, programs can be used to improve

compliance for the greatest changes?


Watershed stewardship programs

The basic goal is to increase public understanding and awareness about watersheds, promote better stewardship of private lands, and develop funding to sustain watershed management efforts.



Advocacy for better land management. Education in personal stewardship and training

in the watershed protection tools. Pollution prevention information for business and

industrial operations to prevent pollution. Maintenance of buffer networks, bmps, septic

systems, etc. Indicator monitoring to track the health of the

watershed. Restoration of areas degraded by past

development.



Scientifically the organization should consider: Which mix of stewardship programs is best? Who are the best targets for watershed

education? Politically the organization should consider:

Is my community ready to undertake restoration? How am I going to pay for a stewardship

program?


References

Center for Watershed Protection. 1998. Rapid Watershed Planning Handbook. Center for Watershed Protection. Ellicott City, Maryland. http://www.cwp.org.

Center for Watershed Protection. 1997. The Economics of Watershed Protection. Watershed Protection Techniques, Vol. 2, No. 4. Center for Watershed Protection, Ellicott City, Maryland. http://www.cwp.org.

Honachefsky, William B. 2000. Ecologically Based Municipal Land Use Planning. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, FL. 256 pp.

Know Your Watershed. Putting Together A Watershed Management Plan – A Guide for Watershed Partners. Conservation Technology Information Center, W. Lafayette, IN. http://www.ctic.purdue.edu/KYW/Brochures/PutTogether.html

Ministry of Environment and Energy and Ministry of Natural Resources. 1993. Water Management on a Watershed Basis: Implementing an Ecosystem Approach. Ministry of Environment and Energy and Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario, Canada. 32 pp. http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/programs/3109e.pdf.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2004. A Quick Guide to Using Natural Resource Information. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul, MN. www.dnr.state.mn.us.

Terrene Institute. 1996. A Watershed Approach to Urban Runoff – Handbook for Decisionmakers. Terrene Institute, Inc. Alexandria, VA. 115 pp. (Terrene Institute is no longer in operation – see http://www.enviroscapes.com/images/communit.JPG for a poster concept).

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1997. Top 10 Watershed Lessons Learned. National Center for Environmental Publications and Information. 800-490-9198. http://www.epa.gov/owow/lessons/lessonspdfs/top10.pdf.

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT Module 23, part B – Ecological Component.

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Transcript of WATERSHED MANAGEMENT Module 23, part B – Ecological Component.