2005

Making a Difference in an Age of Political Cynicism

Shippen Bright — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:23:44 PST

In 2000, four citizens in the State of Maine got together to formulate an anti-invasive aquatic plant piece of legislation that galvanized grass roots support, became a top media story and in 2001 came into law by one vote. Subsequently the legislation has been held up as national model and as a result of a presentation made to the North American Lake Management Society’s annual conference regarding the legislation Ship Bright was appointed to the Federal Invasive Species Advisory Committee by the Bush Administration.

Industry's Challenge with Aquatic Invasive Species

Mari Lou Livingood — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:19:12 PST

Over the past several decades, there has been a heightened national concern regarding the impacts of invasive species on our natural resources. Aquatic invasive species are now considered by some experts to be the second most important threat to biodiversity after habitat destruction. Cornell University researchers estimate the negative economic impact of non-native plants alone is approximately $137 billion annually. Unfortunately, this survey included pathogens, bacteria, and unrelated invasive species that impact land and water resources. It will be important for a University to invest its resources to come up with a real picture on the economic impacts of both land and aquatic invasive species for industries to develop initiatives and programs to help stop the transport of invasive species both nationally and internationally.

Managing Pathways - Preventing Invasions

Bob Pitman — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:13:35 PST

Many invasive species have moved unintentionally through human assisted pathways causing significant environmental and economic impact. Identifying pathways likely to spread species and preventing introductions is inconsistent from office to office and between agencies. Industry’s Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) planning has been modified slightly as a management strategy to remove hitchhiking species from any pathway. HACCP planning is a straightforward method to identify problems and minimize the threat of pathway introductions through strategic removal of contaminating hitchhikers at critical control points. Industry has used this tool since the 1960s. Recently, it has been recognized for its value in pathway management. HACCP’s five linked planning forms systematically evaluate risks and focuses science-based risk removal procedures for maximum affect at key pathway junctions. This presentation describes HACCP planning and how implementing this preventative concept can block unintended introductions on a large-scale basis.

The National Park Service’s Exotic Plant Management Teams: A Rapid Response to Controlling Invasive Species

Todd Neel — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:07:57 PST

Today, exotic plants infest approximately 2.6 million acres in the national park system, reducing the natural diversity of these special places. Drawing funds from the Natural Resource Challenge, the National Park Service (NPS) Biological Resource Management Division (BRMD) established rapid response Exotic Plant Management Teams (EPMT) to control exotic plants. Modeled after the approach used in wild land fire fighting, EPMTs provide highly trained, mobile strike forces of plant management specialists who assist parks in the control of exotic plants.

Stream Restoration Research along Blue Hen Creek at the University of Delaware Experimental Watershed

Gerald Kauffman — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:05:20 PST

Undergraduate and graduate students conducted research into experimental stream restoration techniques along Blue Hen Creek. This 200-acre headwater tributary flows for a mile through the University of Delaware Experimental Watershed before entering the White Clay Creek National Wild and Scenic River in Newark, Delaware. The objective of the research was to evaluate stream restoration techniques that would 1) work well along small tributaries (less than 5 square miles) in the hilly, rocky piedmont of northern Delaware and southeastern Pennsylvania, 2) be low cost making use of native materials such as onsite rocks and trees, and 3) have low technology demands utilizing techniques that could be installed by hand by volunteers without heavy equipment.

Impacts of Channelization Along the Northern Connecticut River, Vermont and New Hampshire

John Field — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:02:45 PST

Over 30 percent of the northern Connecticut River was straightened and channelized in the 19th Century for log drives. The practice of channelization continued until at least the 1960s for flood control purposes along some tributaries. Erosion and sedimentation problems persist on the Connecticut River to this day as the river continues to respond to these past management practices. Channel enlargement along the straightened reaches is largely complete except for where rock revetments were constructed in an attempt to arrest this widening. In these areas, scour can be observed around the revetments as the river channel continues to approach an equilibrium condition within the straightened reaches. Sharp bends in the channel created where straightened reaches reconnect with more naturally meandering portions of the channel are currently the sites of active erosion. Erosion pressures will remain until a more natural smoother bend develops so attempts to armor the bends in their current configuration will not likely meet with longer term success. Recognition of where these erosion pressures exist will help identify high priority areas for riparian buffer restoration.

A Model of Stream Channel Incision, Missouri River Tributaries in Nebraska and Iowa

Christopher Lant — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:01:26 PST

Stream channel incision has significant implications for aquatic and riparian ecology, as well as river engineering and management. Understanding the geomorphic processes and cause-and-effect linkages at work in a basin experiencing channel incision is essential for effective stream restoration and planning. This applied study focused on the degraded tributaries of the Missouri River from Gavins Point Dam (RM 811.4) to the confluence with Platt River (RM 594.60).

Instream Flow Studies and Watershed Management Plan for the Souhegan River

Piotr Parasiewics — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 06:57:48 PST

A goal of the Souhegan River instream flow assessment and Water Management Plan is the determination of Protected Instream Flow (PISF) values for designated reaches. PISF values must be established that protect legislatively mandated Instream Public Uses, Outstanding Characteristics, and Resources entities, which may constrain water use by Affected Water Users in the Souhegan River basin. Consideration of PISF levels in relation to current and projected water use patterns in the basin will be an integral component of the Water Management Plan. Under leadership of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and in collaboration with Normandeau Associates Inc. the Northeast Instream Habitat Program at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, is mapping the Souhegan River for specific fish habitats to develop a water management plan. Besides habitat mapping study includes scuba diving in impoundments, monitoring for mussels, dragonfly nymphs and fish and computation of physical habitat model. The influence of water levels in riparian and emergent wetlands on aquatic habitat and endangered species are modeled by scientists from Normandeau Associates. The hydrological analysis, including concurrent flow measurements, simulation of pre-colonial time series and ground water monitoring are conducted by UNH hydrologists. The collected data and models will support multi-criteria decision analysis, which is a foundation for Water Management Plan for Souhegan River. There are many groups of stakeholders involved in development of the Plan and the study team coordinates with involved parties and the State. The pilot program of the State of New Hampshire for the determination of instream flows for designated river segments is the culmination of years of discussions on the need for, geographic scope of and method of instream flow regulation statewide. The pilot program will evaluate both the scientific methodology for establishing an instream flow as well as the institutional framework developed to provide technical oversight and to solicit input from all stakeholders. The Souhegan River that was affected by humans in many ways from recreation to water withdrawals as well as water returns from a wastewater treatment plant is the first project area within this program.

Alternative Streamflow Augmentation Schemes Assessment for the Restoration of the Quinebaug River

Neil Fennessey — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 06:56:22 PST

A decision support system (DSS) simulation model consisting of eight lakes and reservoirs is used to explore alternative streamflow augmentation policies being considered for the Quinebaug River. The DSS modeling effort is part of a multidisciplinary Study exploring ways to enhance and restore the river habitat along the mainstem of this 175 square mile watershed, which is located in south-central Massachusetts and northeastern Connecticut. As part of the study, we developed and tested a novel pulse streamflow augmentation strategy. The pulse characteristics (magnitude, frequency and duration) were devised by constructing Continuous Under Threshold (CUT) curves (Capra et al., 1995). CUT curves are developed from the frequency and duration characteristics of habitat time series negative run lengths. The habitat time series were developed from site-specific, ungauged site streamflow daily time series constructed using the QPPQ Transform (Fennessey, 1999) and a Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) streamflow rating curve developed using MesoHABSIM techniques (Parasiewicz and Goettel, 2004). The efficacy of this stream flow augmentation policy is compared with the more typical New England fishery habitat recommendation that prescribed continuous releases be made to sustain target instream flows.

The Search for Sustainable Regulation Policies for Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River

Eugene Z. Stakhiv — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 06:54:52 PST

Restoration of an International River Basin

Alfredo Martinez — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 06:53:41 PST

The Rio Grande River flows from its headwaters in southern Colorado, south through New Mexico, turning southeast at El Paso, Texas, where it becomes the international boundary between the United States and Mexico until it drains into the Gulf of Mexico. The Rio Grande is a “National Historic River.” The Rio Grande is managed according to interstate and international agreements that apportion its water through the operation of reservoirs and diversion systems. Downstream of Elephant Butte Reservoir, New Mexico the waters of the Rio Grande are used primarily by irrigators on both sides of the border. The City of El Paso, however, under contractual agreements with the local irrigation districts treats Rio Grande water to supplement the city’s drinking water supply. This paper provides an overview of the hydrologic challenges of making the Rio Grande “wet” once again through the El Paso-Ciudad Juarez region on the U.S.-Mexico border. Currently water is released downstream only during the irrigation season, which during normal-flow years extends from late February to early October. Every aspect of water delivery in the stretch of the Rio Grande from Elephant Butte Reservoir and El Paso, Texas is managed through the use of engineering structures that divert water for irrigation or municipal uses. In the past 100 years, the response to declining flow within the actual river has turned a once meandering stream to an efficient conveyance channel. The historical water flow and water quality data recorded at various gauging locations downstream of the Elephant Reservoir to Fort Quitman, Texas are reviewed and analyzed to determine the impacts and structure of the existing delivery system. Key issues discussed include the implications to the efficiency of water delivery, flood control, sedimentation buildup in the river channel, and water quality. An extensive literature review of hydrological data, field visits, and interviews with local stakeholders is being conducted to evaluate the current structure. The main objective of this work is the development and assessment of scenarios that would allow the river to remain “wet” through the year in the El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico portion of the Rio Grande while minimizing the impact to the existing water delivery structure. A review and analysis of hydrological data will help to demonstrate potential long-term consequences of water development in other rivers.

Practical Approaches to Invasive Aquatic Species Management in Massachusetts' Lakes and Ponds

Myron Gildesgame — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:58:57 PST

Local officials often need a more thorough understanding of lake management issues related to control of nuisance aquatic vegetation; project proponents frequently need to develop more informed lake management proposals; and state agencies need a more consistent approach to reviewing and permitting these projects. To address these common problems, Massachusetts environmental agencies developed the Generic Environmental Impact Report (GEIR) on Eutrophication and Aquatic Plant Management. This presentation highlights key features of the GEIR and other recent efforts to address these problems and provides an overview of practical, citizen-based measures to identify and remove pioneer infestations before they become ecologically troublesome and fiancially infeasible to manage.

Overcoming Obstacles in the Control of Water Chestnuts in an Urban Setting

Alicia Zoeller — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:33:18 PST

The City of Holyoke, Massachusetts, United States is the site of a major infestation of water chestnuts, Trapa natans. This infestation has provided lessons in the importance of partnering, education, outreach, cooperation, and solving logistical problems in the control of aquatic invasive species in an urban setting.

Refuge Stops Aquatic Invader-at Landscape Scale

Beth Goettel — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:23:27 PST

The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge and its many partners and volunteers have completed a sixth very successful field season helping citizens throughout the Connecticut River watershed protect their aquatic ecosystems from the invasive aquatic plant water chestnut (Trapa natans). With financial support from the Secretary of Interior’s Cooperative Conservation Initiative, a 20-acre infestation at Log Pond Cove in Holyoke, Massachusetts was prevented from setting seed by machine harvesting where the water was deep enough and with herbicide in shallow areas. In addition, the refuge enlisted 134 volunteers and cooperators, who spent 700 hours handpulling 25 tons of the plant, clearing the 28 water bodies where it is known to occur in the Ct. River watershed in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont.

Not Immune: Maine Confronts Hydrilla (Hydrilla Verticillata)

John McPhedran — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:01:57 PST

Up until summer 2002, only one invasive aquatic plant species, variable water-milfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum), had been documented in Maine waters. Since then, however, two invasive aquatic plants often cited as North America’s nastiest have shown up in two small ponds in southern Maine. Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) was confirmed in fall 2002 and Eurasian water-milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) in fall 2004. This paper focuses on Maine’s response to the hydrilla infestation in Pickerel Pond, Limerick, Maine since the Eurasian water-milfoil work is only beginning as of this writing. Key components of Maine’s response to hydrilla are early detection, communication, containment, surveillance of neighboring waters, and control of the inpond plant population.

Classification of the Aesthetic Value of Urban Rivers

Ales Bisjak — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:57:53 PST

Environmental goals of the European Water Framework Directive (hereinafter called: WFD) (The European Parliament and the Council, 2000), adopted by the European Community in 2000, foresee the achievement of the Good Ecological Status of all surface water bodies by the year 2015. Goals should be achieved by the way of applying the measures, such as restoration or rehabilitation works. In the context of the modern care of the river environment, rivers in urban environment areas should be considered as a special category. European project URBEM (Urban River Basin Enhancement Methods), funded by the European Commission in the 5th Framework Programme for the implementation of the WFD and developed in co-operation of partners from 5 EU countries (Great Britain, Germany, Austria, Portugal and Slovenia), has aimed to prepare a tool for the needs of municipal administration in the decision-making process in relation to renewal and rehabilitation schemes of urban corridors. As a part of the project, the partner from Portugal has in co-operation with other partners in the project drawn up a draft method for a combined expert and survey assessment of the aesthetic value of urban rivers (URBEM, 2004). The aim of the method is to provide an assessment of the visual environment of urban rivers in order to facilitate decision-making when prioritising the approach to rehabilitation of urban rivers. In comparison to the existing methods for valuation of the hydromorphological state of rivers, which are based on the assessment of the anthropogenic alterations or ecological deficit of the hydromorphological process in the river corridor, the URBEM method provides an assessment of the river corridor in a wider sense: ecological, spatial and social. In Slovenia, the method was tested on three urban rivers in the capital city of Ljubljana. In the course of testing, several strengths as well as weaknesses of the proposed method were identified.

Rio Salado, Salt River, Phoenix, Arizona - An Metropolitan Miracle in the Making

Kathleen Bergmann — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:19:55 PST

The project stretches through 5.5 miles of downtown Phoenix and includes restoration of the Salt above, below Town Lake, and at confluence of the Salt and Indian Bend Wash in Tempe. It includes opening of new wells, a water delivery system, wetlands, a flowing stream, and riparian areas. Recreation and interpretive educational facilities will be a part of the plan as well. The benefits of this partnership include habitat for plants and wildlife as well as a low flow channel to pass flood flows quickly through the metropolitan area. The ability of this project to withstand a flood event has recently been demonstrated and there are many “lessons learned” for future restoration projects.

Restoration of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo in the Juarez Valley: An analysis

Ivan Muniz — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:10:28 PST

The Rio Grande/Rio Bravo flow rate from El Paso/Ciudad Juarez to Fort Quitman/Cajoncitos has changed since the 19th century due to agriculture irrigation on both sides of the border. The river has been modified by agricultural infrastructure, as well as water quality degradation along the border due to wastewater discharges. Aquifers underlying the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo are being exhausted in the El Paso/Ciudad Juarez area as well. For these reasons, the ecosystems have been altered drastically. The vegetable and animal life that depend on the river and its riparian areas have been affected. The river water is legally tied to different users of this vital liquid, but ecosystem, as a user, is not included or considered in the water planning and management. Officially, there is no water allocation to maintain the ecosystems water needs downstream Ciudad Juarez-El Paso. The present condition of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo is considered in the list “of the most threatened rivers” by conservation organizations, however, in México it has not been analyzed sufficiently, from an environmental and ecological point of view. The main purpose of this work is to establish the basis for the ecological restoration of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo in El Paso/Ciudad Juarez-Fort Quitman/Cajoncitos section. The methodology consists of the revision and analysis of the historic hydrological data and the water quality in this region to define a minimum ecological flow rate to the river, supported on hydrological studies; in addition, an inventory of flora and fauna will be made through an exhaustive bibliographical revision, interviews with officials of the Mexican government, representatives of water users of the Irrigation District 009, and people from the Juarez Valley, and field visits. In order to elaborate the scenarios of water reallocation in the region, the Rules of Water Use of International Rivers from The International Association of Law (Rules of Helsinki) of the Conference of Berlin, 2004, is going to be taken, as well as the Project of Modernization and Technical Improvement of Irrigation Districts of the Conchos River. The economic contexts of development of both cities will be studied. Scenarios for water reallocation in the region based on minimum flow maintenance will be formulated to permit the return or repopulation of native species while maintaining historical beneficial uses.

Economic Effects of Riparian Corridors and Upland Wildlife Habitat

Noelwah R. Netusil — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:59:58 PST

This study uses the hedonic price method to examine the relationship between the sale price of single-family residential properties in an urban watershed in Portland, Oregon and (1) the amount of riparian vegetation and upland wildlife habitat on a property, and (2) the amount and quality of riparian corridors within ½ mile of a property. Streams on a property are found to increase a property’s sale price while streams in the surrounding neighborhood have a negative effect. While increasing the overall percentage of riparian corridors and upland wildlife habitat is found to have a positive but declining effect on sale price, a more detailed analysis concludes that the effect depends on the type and quality of resources. The quality and quantity of riparian corridors within ½ mile of properties is being capitalized into the sale price of properties suggesting that restoration efforts will generate benefits to property owners in the study area.

Valuing Restoration of Water-Dependent Urban Amenities

Bonnie Colby — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:54:35 PST

Riparian ecosystems not only provide habitat for wildlife but are also prominent natural resources in semi-arid and arid regions. Riparian corridors near metropolitan areas are heterogeneous, ranging in size and also in treatments: some are straightened and concrete-lined (devoid of vegetation) whilst others follow a ‘natural’ course and are dense with riparian trees. This study investigates whether a homebuyer’s valuation of nearby riparian resources is connected not only with the proximity to the riparian corridor, but also to the size of, and the greenness at the nearest riparian corridor. Greenness is measured using the remotely sensed Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI).