Adaptive Management Projects

Project Summary: Stream Habitat Quality Monitoring, Watershed Restoration Program (WRP)

Contacts:
Dan Hogan - Research Branch @ UBC
Tom Johnson - MoE Biologist @ UBC
WRP Office - Victoria - Al Marten (Source for background documents)
Steve Chatwin

Background:
The B.C. Watershed Restoration Program is intended to accelerate the restoration of watersheds affected by logging, and particularly focuses effort on local, heavily disturbed sites within logged watersheds. The program will be implemented in co-operation with local communities and local stakeholder or stewardship groups. A planning workshop held in March, 1994 addressed the following four issues:

1. What are the most powerful and efficient experimental designs to permit evaluation of the program and various restoration techniques?
2. What are the most appropriate response variables to monitor within the program?
3. What are the most appropriate restoration techniques?
4. How can technical innovation and community stewardship be captured and incorporated into the program?

This example (Keely and Walters, 1994) is primarily useful for its recommendations on experimental design and monitoring.

This WRP has been designed to follow an active AM approach with continuous monitoring. Although the actual words AM may not be mentioned in the project submission, the program is implicitly AM in the way it is to be implemented. Monitoring will be used to measure the overall effect of the watershed restoration process. The results will be used to determine if the procedures currently used are working or if other options must be developed.

Objective:
The Objective of this program is to determine which factors/techniques provide the most benefits to WR (i.e. cleaning out gullies, fixing roads etc.). It may be that one technique (i.e. fixing roads) gives 90% of the benefit observed, while some of the other procedures used in WRP may be unnecessary. Information gathering will take place at various levels of detail; from broad information (provincial coverage) to specific case studies (site specific - intensive monitoring).

After the research has been assessed, feedback will be given to the project directors for future direction of the program. If results show no difference in treatments, then the program may be altered or discontinued. If the objectives are clearly met, the WRP will be adjusted accordingly.

Experimental Design:
When/if plans are approved, Mr. Johnson will send a copy of the finalized experimental design. He does not know when he will hear back from the FRBC Board. At this point, he is not sure of the program's approval (June 20, 1995).

This program has set up a hierarchical monitoring system consisting of three levels of coverage. Results will be compared over a 5 year period. The different levels of coverage are:

• Level 1 - This is the least detailed level of monitoring. It will take place at a provincial scale for approximately 200 watersheds. A specific routine will be established for the 200 watersheds to follow.
• Level 2 - Intensive Monitoring - This level consists of 12 paired watersheds - a logged watershed with restoration procedures applied and a logged watershed control (no restoration). They will be as closely matched as possible for geography, environmental conditions, geology, logging etc.
• Level 3 - Very Detailed Case Studies - Intensive monitoring will take place for 3 or 4 locations. Each case study will have three physically matched watersheds - a control watershed (no logging), a logged watershed with restoration procedures applied and a logged watershed control (no restoration).

Monitoring:

• Level 1 - Monitoring of geophysical variables. Information gathering will focus on upslope variables. This level of monitoring will consist mainly of gross/indirect measurements, mainly taken from air photos. Some site visits may be required. Response variables that will be studied include: number/extent of landslides, roads, ditching, stream crossings, areas successfully replanted on hill slopes etc.. This level of information gathering could be completed by a number of individuals - little training required.
• Level 2 - A number of response variables will be monitored/measured at this level for the 12 watershed pairs. This level will focus on variables associated with stream ecosystems and their integrator effects. Variables to be measured include: channel morphology, anadromous fish production, sediment output from the watershed, water quality and periodic grab samples. This level will be used to obtain a quick, direct measure of stream impact as a result of logging.

The time of sampling varies depending on the test variable. Some will be continuous such as water quality and sediment measurements. A permanent station will be established for this task and data will be removed periodically. Other variables such as fish production will be measured during the spring for smolt counts. Channel structure will be done on an annual basis. The results will be examined and compared for all 12 sites in order to obtain averages for treatment responses.

*Note - Most of the details/content for this level were the result of a UBC workshop last year (Keeley and Walters, 1994).

• Level 3 - The most detailed monitoring will take place at this level. It will focus on specific, complex variables which are difficult to test such as: sediment generation/source, sediment delivery into the stream, sediment transport and sediment fate within the channel, changes (more detailed surveys) in channel morphology, riparian area recovery, stand structure regeneration/recovery and ecological function of riparian areas (i.e. temp regulation), fish survival and production (more detailed survey of habitat use etc.).

The schedule for monitoring at level three is similar to level 2. Channel structure will be surveyed on an annual basis as well as riparian responses. Water quality will be measured on a continuous basis along with hydrometrics and suspended particulate. An automatic sampler will be connected to the hydrometrics station for monitoring during storms at hourly intervals. Fish surveys will take place more frequently (about half a dozen surveys per year) at this level, measuring variables other/in addition to production.

Time Frame:
The initial portion of the study will take place over 5 years at which time the results will be assessed and the project will be altered accordingly. A length of 5 years was chosen as a result of the corresponding FRBC proposed budget of 5 years for the WRP.

Costs:
The costs for this study are scale dependent (i.e. lower cost if fewer paired watersheds and fewer case studies). The overall operational cost is about 1-5% of the program. The most costly portion of the program are the case studies.

Current Status:
A proposal has been submitted to the FRBC board for review for funding. Not sure when/if the funding will be approved at this time (June 20).

References:

Keeley, E.R. and Walters, C.J. 1994. The British Columbia Watershed Restoration Program: Summary of Experimental Design, Monitoring, and Restoration Techniques Workshop. Watershed Restoration Management Report No. 1. UBC, Vancouver, B.C.

MoF and MoE. 1994. Fish Habitat Assessment (Interim Methods). Watershed Tech. Circ. No. 8. Province of B.C.

Moore, G.D. 1994. Resource Road Rehabilitation Handbook: Planning and Implementation Guidelines (Interim Methods). Watershed Restoration Tech. Circ. No. 3. Watershed Restoration Program, MoF and MoE, Province of B.C.