municipal wetland mapping by mike gracz
DESCRIPTION
Community-Based Watershed Management Forum, March 2012, Juneau Alaska. Southeast Alaska Watershed CoalitionTRANSCRIPT
Wetlands and Watershed PlanningMike Gracz
Ecologist Kenai Watershed Forum
Ph.D. CandidateUniversity of Minnesota
cookinletwetlands.info
Overview
• General Background
• History– Wetland Mapping to Predict Function
• Applications– Public Awareness: Avoidance of Fill Activity– Habitat Analyses– Wetland Assessment in Homer
• Lessons Learned
Watershed PlanningStrategy
• Wetlands:• Important Water Resource• Valuable Ecosystem Services • Permitting Process
Alaska Watershed PlanningDifferences
• Wetlands:• High Cover• Relatively Pristine• Peatlands
Overview
• General Background
• History– Wetland Mapping to Predict Function
• Applications– Public Awareness: Avoidance of Fill Activity– Habitat Analyses– Homer Wetland Assessment
• Lessons Learned
Map-Based Watershed-Level Management Tool
NWI: Registration errors
NWI: Incomplete
NWI: Not predictive of wetland function
A New Classification A New Classification Predictive of FunctionPredictive of Function
Locally RelevantLocally Relevant
A New Classification A New Classification Predictive of FunctionPredictive of Function
Locally RelevantLocally RelevantWetland Management ToolWetland Management Tool
A New Classification A New Classification Predictive of FunctionPredictive of Function
Locally RelevantLocally Relevant
Wetland Management ToolWetland Management Tool
Watershed-level AssessmentsWatershed-level Assessments
A New Classification A New Classification Predictive of FunctionPredictive of Function
“First Principles” of wetland function(Brinson 1993, 1995)
Hydrology + Geomorphology = Wetland Function
H + G ∝ W
Cook Inlet Classification >NWI >
(National Wetland Inventory)
LLWW(Tiner 2003, 2011 version of HGM)
Results
Overview
• General Background• History
– Wetland Mapping to Predict Function
• Applications– Public Awareness: Avoidance of Fill Activity– Habitat Analyses– Homer Wetland Assessment
• Lessons Learned
Wetland Management Strategies
• Avoid
• Minimize
• Mitigate
Overview
• General Background
• History– Wetland Mapping to Predict Function
• Applications– Public Awareness: Avoidance of Fill Activity– Habitat Analyses– Homer Wetland Assessment
• Lessons Learned
Coho Salmon Analysis
Kasilof R.
Kenai R.
Anadromous Waters Catalog (AWC)
Coho Salmon Analysis
New streams connected to AWC
Coho Salmon Analysis
Connected Open-Water Wetlands
Coho Salmon Analysis
All Adjacent Wetlands
Coal Creek
Slikok Creek
Coho Salmon Analysis
All Wetlands
Sandhill Crane Nesting
Caribou Summer & Calving
Overview
• General Background
• History– Wetland Mapping to Predict Function
• Applications– Public Awareness: Avoidance of Fill Activity– Habitat Analyses– Homer Wetland Assessment
• Lessons Learned
Homer Wetland Management Project
• Mapping• Assessment• General Permit?• Local Ordinance?
Homer Wetland Management Strategies
Homer Wetland Management Strategies
Overview
• General Background
• History– Wetland Mapping to Predict Function
• Applications– Public Awareness: Avoidance of Fill Activity– Habitat Analyses– Homer Wetland Assessment
• Lessons Learned
Alaska is Different
• High wetland cover• Peatlands• Functioning in “reference standard condition”
Alaska is Different
• High wetland cover• Peatlands• Functioning in “reference standard condition”• Maintenance rather than
restoration of lost function
Alaska is Different
• High wetland cover• Peatlands• Functioning in “reference standard condition”• Maintenance rather than
restoration of lost function • Assessment not on disturbance gradient
Alaska is Different
• High wetland cover• Peatlands• Functioning in “reference standard condition”• Maintenance rather than
restoration of lost function • Assessment not on disturbance gradient
• Assessment for mitigation = biggest challenge
Alaska is Different
• Maintenance rather than restoration• Assessment not on disturbance gradient
•Assessment for mitigation = biggest challenge
Maybe not so different: • Local control requires commitment• Unexpected outcomes most effective
Cook Inlet Wetland Management Tool
Mike [email protected]
cookinletwetlands.info907-235-2218
Special Thanks:Matt LaCroixPaul GlaserPhil North
Robert RuffnerBill Rice
Mary PriceClaudette MacDonaldDavid Wigglesworth
Karyn NoyesJerry Tande
Doug Van PattenJohn DeLappLisa Rabbe
Valerie RingoldRichard RegerAndy Reeve
Frankie BarkerMary Moffett
Field Crew:Karyn Noyes
Mike MacMillianMatt LaCroix
Doug Van PattenLogan Sander
Katy RiceTessa HovlandGayle Martin
Technical Support:Chris CloughBill Holloway
Dan ReganLaura Shelton
Doug Van PattenMike Mungoven
Stephanie KobylarzKaryn NoyesMary MoffettGeoff CobleDon Siegel
Birgit HagedornSusan Klein
Julie EngebretsenMonica McTeague
Funding:US Environmental Protection Agency
US Army Corps of EngineersUS Fish and Wildlife Service
Kenai River CenterUniversity of Minnesota