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A Large-Scale, Multiagency Approach to Defining a Reference Network for Pacific Northwest Streams
Stephanie Miller1, Peter Eldred2, Ariel Muldoon3
1Aquatic and Riparian Monitoring Program, US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97333, USA. smiller@blm.gov.
Environmental Management
|October 1, 2016
Summary
Standardizing aquatic monitoring helps set realistic expectations by identifying minimally disturbed reference sites. Consistent methods improve data sharing and link land management, like road density, to stream health.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Ecology
- Water Resource Management
Background:
- Aquatic monitoring programs exhibit diverse objectives and designs, posing challenges in assessing conditions and setting resource expectations.
- Defining reference conditions, representing minimally disturbed areas, is a common strategy but often relies on subjective site selection.
- Inconsistent methods for data collection and site characterization hinder inter-agency cooperation and the development of comparable assessment tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To illustrate a standardized approach for creating a consistent and transparent reference network for multiple stream resource agencies.
- To demonstrate how reference sites can link landscape-level management practices to in-channel ecological responses.
- To encourage dialogue on standardized protocols for inter-agency data evaluation and sharing.
Main Methods:
- Development of standardized methods for data collection, site characterization, and reference site selection.
- Utilizing a case study to link upslope management practices (e.g., road density) to in-channel responses (e.g., fine sediment levels).
- Proposing a framework for creating a transparent reference network applicable to the global monitoring community.
Main Results:
- Management practices, specifically high road densities, were correlated with increased fine sediment in streams.
- The proposed methods facilitate the creation of a larger, more robust dataset when data is collected consistently across agencies.
- Standardized protocols increase the ability to share data and foster cooperation among different assessment programs.
Conclusions:
- Standardized physical and biological field protocols are crucial for enhancing data comparability and inter-agency collaboration in aquatic monitoring.
- A transparent reference network, based on consistent site selection and data collection, improves the assessment of aquatic resource conditions.
- Linking landscape management to in-channel responses through reference sites provides valuable insights for water resource management.
