Corps biologists CRAM to assess wetlands
By Greg Fuderer CARLSBAD, Calif. - California is estimated to have lost more than 95 percent of its wetlands due to development and other causes. Achieving no additional net loss of wetlands is one of the primary responsibilities of federal agencies under the Clean Water Act, but pursuing that goal is a costly and time-consuming endeavor. An effective tool available to monitor wetland condition for the purposes of monitoring no-net loss, as well as identifying preservation or other conservation activities is the California Rapid Assessment Method, or CRAM.  California Rapid Assessment Method, CRAM, can be viewed on the Web through an interactive tracker. (Graphic created from gis.wetlandtracker.org)
“It can help us decide what types of mitigation are appropriate for a permitted project,” she said. “It can help design a restoration site through assessing reference sites, set success criteria and direct management activities; and it can be used to monitor how successful a restoration effort is.” According to cramwetlands.org, CRAM allows regulators to cost-effectively assess the performance of wetland and riparian restoration projects, mitigation projects, and the status and trends of ambient conditions within watersheds. The Web site defines CRAM as a Level 2 assessment method, whereas three levels are acknowledged: Landscape Assessment, Rapid Assessment (CRAM) and Intensive Site Assessment. Landscape Assessments, Level 1, use remote sensing data and reconnaissance-level field surveys to inventory wetlands and riparian habitats. Intensive Site Assessments, Level 3, provide site-specific quantitative field data – such as vegetation transects – to test hypotheses about causes of habitat conditions. CRAM, a rapid assessment method, uses field diagnostics and existing data to assess the conditions at a particular wetland or riparian site. It allows trained biologists to assess a site in a period of a couple of hours using visual indicators and minimal field measurement. CRAM assigns scores in four value areas: Landscape context and buffer, hydrology, physical structure and biotic structure. “Previous methods to collect data were very time-consuming and labor intensive,” said Dr. Aaron Allen, chief of the District’s Ventura Regulatory Office. “Within one day we can have an assessment of the habitat,” Allen said regarding CRAM. CRAM’s quick turnaround fills a gap in the Corps’ capability to monitor wetland condition in a rapid, cost-effective manner, according to Allen. “CRAM is a good tool to assess the impacts associated with a project, to develop appropriate mitigation and to measure the success of a mitigation site,” Allen said. The method also serves as a quality check for Corps projects, according to Mattson. “CRAM’s ultimate benefit is as a tool to monitor whether or not mitigation sites fulfill objectives which ensure no net loss of function and values,” she said. | 
