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Ecological Classification of Rivers for Environmental Assessment: Demonstration, Validation, and Application to Regional Risk Assessment Across Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin
EPA Grant Number: R830596Title: Ecological Classification of Rivers for Environmental Assessment: Demonstration, Validation, and Application to Regional Risk Assessment Across Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin
Investigators: Seelbach, Paul W. , Allan, David , Austen, Douglas , Baker, Edward , Day, David , DePhilip, Michelle , Dolan, Chad , Holtrop, Ann , Lyons, John , Pijanowski, Bryan , Stevenson, R. Jan , Wang, Lizhu , Wehrly, Kevin E. , Wiley, Michael J. , Zorn, Troy
Current Investigators: Seelbach, Paul W. , Aichele, Stephen S. , Bissell, Ed , Brenden, Travis , Clark, Richard D. , Cooper, Arthur , Hinz, Leon , Holtrop, Ann , Lyons, John , Mitro, Matt , Pijanowski, Bryan , Steen, Paul , Stevenson, R. Jan , Stewart, Jana , Wang, Lizhu , Wehrly, Kevin E. , Wiley, Michael J. , Zorn, Troy
Institution: Michigan State University , University of Michigan
Current Institution: Michigan State University , Illinois Department of Natural Resources , Illinois Natural History Survey , Michigan Department of Natural Resources , Purdue University - Main Campus , U.S. Geological Survey , University of Michigan , Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
EPA Project Officer: Goodman, Iris
Project Period: December 1, 2002 through December 31, 2006
Project Amount: $842,547
RFA: Development of Watershed Classification Systems for Diagnosis of Biological Impairment in Watersheds (2002)
Research Category: Water and Watersheds
Description:
Our goal is to couple landscape-based modeling from large, regional data sets and regional Land Transformation Models with a valley segment ecological classification approach already being employed in several Midwestern states. Objectives include completion of a GIS based river segment classification and provision of a comprehensive status and risk assessment of river systems across the upper Midwestern states of Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Approach:We will build on existing pilot work to delineate and validate ecological valley segment units for all river systems in Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Using state resource agency survey databases we will build mathematical models for predicting riverine site habitats and biological reference conditions from mapped landscape and local variables. These models will be used to extrapolate results to unsampled river segments, producing region-wide summaries of current ecological status. Finally, we will couple this modeling system to a Land Transformation Model, and provide spatially explicit risk assessments for the river systems of the upper Midwest.
Expected Results:Our ultimate products will be: 1) a GIS based river classification and modeling system, developed in cooperation with each state resource agency (and coordinated among states) that contains a series of standard landscape maps and a map of ecological river. Also, associated data tables containing attributes linked to segments: raw data, attribute classes, and risk assessment classes; and 2) the illustration of a landscape based approach to modeling, classification, and status/risk assessment of rivers that would be transferable to other regions.
Publications and Presentations:Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 30 publications for this project
Journal Articles:Journal Articles have been submitted on this project: View all 7 journal articles for this project
Supplemental Keywords:hydrologic regime, thermal regime, bioassessment, fish assemblage, hierarchy, monitoring, upper Midwest, survey databases. , Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Water, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, Geographic Area, Scientific Discipline, Waste, RFA, ECOSYSTEMS, Water & Watershed, Aquatic Ecosystems & Estuarine Research, Water Quality Monitoring, Bioavailability, Terrestrial Ecosystems, Aquatic Ecosystem, Watersheds, Ecology and Ecosystems, Environmental Monitoring, State, water quality, fate and transport, watershed management, watershed restoration, ecosystem indicators, nitrogen uptake, aquatic biota, diagnostic indicators, land use, conservation planning, biological impairment, watershed classification, agricultural community, conservation, anthropogenic processes, aquatic ecosystems, biological indicators, nutrient transport, bioassessment, bioindicators, watershed sustainablility, Illinois (IL), anthropogenic stress, ecosystem stress, ecosystem response, watershed assessment, ecosystem monitoring, bioavailable phosphorus, biodiversity, model, restoration planning, Michigan (MI), Wisconsin (WI)
Progress and Final Reports:
2003 Progress Report
2004 Progress Report
Final Report