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Environmental monitoring is the systematic collection of information used to assess the current condition and trend of an environmental or performance indicator. Monitoring can be as simple as returning to a restoration site to be sure a culvert is still functioning properly. Or, it can be as complex as assessing multiple parameters in a watershed to determine overall watershed health over time.
When monitoring populations, monitoring estimates how many individuals are in a specific population and how that number changes over time. Factors that affect the status and trend in populations such as habitat conditions, water quality, watershed health, predation, harvest, and climatic conditions are also monitored. Monitoring should reliably and efficiently measure those factors needed to describe relationships between populations, habitats, restoration actions, natural processes, and management.
Environmental monitoring can be broken into multiple categories: baseline, compliance, status and trend, effectiveness, and validation monitoring.
Baseline Monitoring
This type of monitoring works to characterize current conditions at a site, such as existing biota, and chemical or physical conditions. This information is then used in future project planning and for future comparisons after projects are implemented.
Compliance Monitoring (OWEB’s Post-project Status Reporting)
This category includes monitoring individual projects, such as a culvert replacement or large woody debris placement. Methodologies that might be used for this type of monitoring include photo-points and GPS latitude/longitude readings.
Status and Trend Monitoring
The purpose of this monitoring is to determine the condition (spatial variability) of physical, chemical, or biological attributes across a given area and then evaluates over time how those conditions change and impact watershed health. The spatial scale for status and trend monitoring is large and can vary from watershed scale, to Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU), to the entire Pacific Northwest (PNW).
Effectiveness Monitoring
OWEB is working on a strategy to implement a monitoring program which will focus on gauging the effectiveness of projects OWEB funds. This effectiveness evaluation will consist of at least two major elements: effectiveness of the project achieving its objectives and the contribution a project makes to a larger cause (eg. Oregon Plan, species recovery, watershed health, etc.).
Validation Monitoring
Paired or Intensively Monitored Watersheds (IMWs)
OWEB is developing a program that will establish test-case watersheds for paired sampling designs that can serve as indicators for other watersheds in the regional area. Work with watershed councils, tribal, federal, state, private, and non-governmental organizations will help shape this program. A group known as the Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership will play a role in the effort as well.
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