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Developing Monitoring Tools for Headwater Intermittent Streams
Objective:
Develop field protocols and identify physical and biological indicators of hydrologic permanence for headwater streams
Approach:
- Evaluate novel and existing physical measures for assessing hydrologic permanence of headwater streams.
- Identify biological assemblages (algae, bryophytes, invertebrates, and amphibians) that are indicative of the degree of hydrologic permanence.
- Provide states, regions, and tribes with tools to better classify and assess conditions of headwater streams.
Why This Research Is Needed:
Headwater streams lie at the aquatic-terrestrial interface and represent most of our nation's stream miles. Alteration and loss of headwater streams have occurred without an understanding of the potential consequences to larger downstream waterbodies. Headwater streams provide better resolution of land use effects on streams because they drain smaller areas with less land use heterogeneity than their larger counterparts. However, drying is common in headwater streams and may confound the ability to use traditional assessment methods. Understanding associations between assemblage structure and hydrologic permanence is the first step in developing biocriteria for our nation's most abundant running waters.
EERD Experience:
- In 2003-4, a pilot study was conducted across 61 sites in Regions 4 and 5.
- Held three training workshops at Regional Meetings and three field exercises.
- The study was expanded in 2004-5 to also include additional sites in Regions 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10.
Expected Outputs/Outcomes:
The USEPA will have the tools to begin assessing condition appropriately for the majority of streams and stream miles in the United States.
Product:
Field Operations Manual for Assessing the Hydrologic Permanence and Ecological Condition of Headwater Streams. The purposes of this manual are to: 1) document procedures that were developed and used by EERD for the assessment of the physical and biological characteristics of headwater streams; and 2) provide a catalog of procedures to other groups with an interest in headwater stream assessment.
Contact: Ken Fritz (fritz.ken@epa.gov) (Cincinnati, OH)