Funding Program: Contaminant Biology
Statement of Problem: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) manages over 96 million acres of land with complex boundaries in overlapping states. With the addition of Rocky Flats (Colorado) in July 2007, the NWRS includes 548 refuges. The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer this national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans. The Clean Water Act ([CWA] 33 U.S.C. 1251-1376), section 303(d) requires States to identify impaired waterbodies and establish regulatory programs to address and/or limit contaminant loading to those waters. States are also mandated to establish total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) of pollutants to minimize further degradation of impaired waterbodies to protect beneficial uses (e.g., wildlife, recreation, agriculture). TMDLs commonly target anthropogenic sources such as agriculture, silviculture, industry, and urban centers (e.g., stormwater runoff). In addition, discharges from natural and managed wetlands or other aquatic habitats (e.g., meadows), which contribute to water-quality-limited waterways, are also affected by load-limit regulations. Water management on the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) usually mimics the natural hydrological processes for the local area. The regulatory requirements associated with TMDLs represent one of the ultimate challenges for adaptive management for refuge managers. States prepare and implement TMDL implementation plans that allocate contaminant load limits among all discharges within a watershed (including wetlands to maintain or improve water quality). Although wetland and water management on refuges may be greatly affected by establishment and implementation of TMDLs, many refuges are poorly prepared to respond to existing and proposed TMDL listings. Specifically, TMDLs may force alterations of refuge water management programs (e.g., no wetland drawdowns after April 1st) and these changes, in turn, can affect the quantity and quality of refuge aquatic habitats. As a result, a refuge would fail to achieve habitat and/or wildlife objectives related to legal mandates for refuge purposes (National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act, as amended 668dd-668ee); addressing FWS trust responsibilities (migratory birds [Migratory Bird Treaty Act], T&E species [Endangered Species Act], and interjurisdictional fish [710 FW 1.5H], and select marine mammals [Marine Mammal Protection Act]); and/or maintaining/restoring biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health (601 FW 3-Biological Integrity, Diversity, and Environmental Health). Moreover, the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act, as amended, mandates protection of water quality on units of the NWRS. New or expanding invasive plant problems (e.g., reed canarygrass, purple loosestrife, cocklebur) likely will develop or expand from altered water regimes for aquatic habitats, especially considering predicted climate change in the future. TMDLs may also impact FWS-coordinated efforts for resource management with conservation partners in larger landscapes beyond refuge boundaries as identified in July 2006 document entitled Strategic Habitat Conservation-Final Report of the National Ecological Assessment Team.
Objectives: The primary purpose of this national application is to develop a comprehensive Water Information Management System (WIMS) to identify impaired water bodies that enter or are contained within FWS lands, or are affected by discharges from those lands using the State TMDL criteria. Results from this effort will provide a template allowing for FWS refuges and hatcheries to identify areas of concern and develop a means to prioritize those issues for corrective actions or alternatives, especially during planning process (e.g., CCPs for refuges). The outcome will be valuable in adaptive management plans for other DOI land management bureaus. Water-quality data on impaired water bodies within State and federal databases will be queried and imported into WIMS. Overall, this project will develop a standardized mechanism for the FWS to: 1) assess threats to fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats on individual refuges where there are established and proposed TMDLs; 2) identify water bodies that may be affected by discharges from refuges in states where there are established or proposed TMDLs; 3) identify areas where remediation alone will reduce or eliminate impairment; 4) identify locations needing management actions (best management practices) to address water-quality impairments on individual refuges; 5) identify and prioritize locations requiring on-refuge investigations to determine sources and processes that lead to water quality impairments and improvements.