A Healthy Watersheds Assessment for the Mobile Bay Drainage Area

A Healthy Watersheds Assessment for the Mobile Bay Drainage AreaPresentation to the Southeastern Water Pollution Biologist Association November 15, 2012Laura Dlugolecki, US EPA Office of Water, ORISE

US EPAs Healthy Watersheds InitiativeA systems approach to maintenance of the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nations waters (CWA Section 101(a))Protection of aquatic ecosystems within a spatio-temporal context that acknowledges their dynamics and interconnectivity (dependence) in the landscape hydrologic dynamics, habitat connectivity, natural disturbance regimes, climate changeState-scale implementation of strategic watershed protection priorities that leverages programs and resources across state agencies

EPA Healthy Watersheds ApproachMaintenance of aquatic ecological integrity by protecting our highest quality watersheds or those intact components of watershedsA systems approach that includes landscape condition (eco green infrastructure), water chemistry, biotic condition, and critical watershed functional attributes (hydroecology, geomorphology, & natural disturbance patterns)Identification of Healthy Watersheds state-wideImplementation of state-wide strategic protection priorities that leverage programs and resources across state agenciesInform priorities for ecological restoration

What are the Characteristics of a Healthy Watershed?Habitat of sufficient size and connectivity for native aquatic and riparian speciesGreen infrastructure network of native vegetation in the landscape that maintains natural hydrology and nutrient and organic matter inputs to aquatic ecosystemsBiotic refugia or critical habitat (e.g., deep pools, seeps & springs for survival during droughts)Natural hydrology (flow regime, lake water levels) that supports aquatic species and habitatNatural transport of sediment and stream geomorphology that provide natural habitatFunctioning natural disturbance regimes (floods, fires)Water quality that supports biotic communities & habitatHealthy, self-sustaining aquatic biological communities

Restoration alone is not the answerThe cost of repairing damaged ecosystems is high and restoration is not always successful

EPA Region 3, 2006Maintain existing healthy watersheds and increase their numbers over time

Raise the visibility and importance of protecting high quality watersListing of impaired waters and focus on cleanup important---but so is protection of high quality waters

Overarching Goals of the Healthy Watersheds Initiative6COMPONENTS OF NATURAL SYSTEMS

Month050100150200250300FLOW (cfs)J F M A M J J A S O N D

Water QualityBiologyGeomorphologyConnectivity / Energy PathwaysHydrologyThese 5 components have been used to describe the way rivers and other natural systems function. The health of the systems depends upon the health of all 5 components and the connections between them. The challenge is often how do I improve the health of one aspect of the system without damaging or impacting another part of the system? FOR EXAMPLE - If we re-establish connectivity by removing a dam. 7 Integrated Healthy Watershed Assessments8

88State/Tribal/Regional-scale implementation of strategic watershed protection priorities that leverages programs and resources across state/tribal agencies and with other partners

Healthy watersheds protection is integrated into EPA Water Programs (e.g., Wetland Mitigation Rule, source water protection, TMDL Recovery Potential Screening Tool, NEP CCMPs, 319)

State conservation priorities, areas of special concern

Healthy Watersheds Assessments can support and inform many other programs9- Congressional report on the CWA stated that the term integrity refers to maintenance of the natural structure and function of aquatic ecosystems rather than simply improving WQ in a narrow sense9Build case for conservation in specific areasHelp identify outstanding/exceptional resource watersInform DNR-county land and water management plan developmentUse vulnerability information to build public support for protectionCommunicate economic benefits of protecting HWs to market the importance of environmental programsPrevent future impairments in vulnerable waters and help target restorationIdentify nutrient reduction needs in HWs as part of statewide nutrient reduction strategyInform in-lieu-fee wetland mitigationPrioritize runoff management grants that protect HWsPrioritize watershed monitoringContribute to instream flow assessment

Applications of WI HWI AssessmentWATERSHED ASSESSMENT TOOL

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11HydrologyGeomorphologyConnectivityWQBiologyThe WAT has produced Mns first Watershed Health Assessment Report Card. For each watershed, both a total score and the individual component scores are shown. It is hoped that these scores will enable land managers to better understand the many factors that contribute to watershed health.

The interactive tool is expected to be available soon.Healthy Watersheds Integrated Assessment in Vermont

Developing an Index for watershed HealthCollaborative process with state partners, based on stakeholder and expert inputFor the Vermont example, a composite index of watershed health was constructed by averaging the normalized indicator scores for each attribute For attributes with more than one indicator, a sub-index was first calculated. The sub-indices were then averaged to obtain the overall health index score. Depending on the specific management objectives, it may be appropriate to place more weight on some ecological attributes than on others. Developing a Watershed Health Index

Data Inputs:Landscape Condition: Active River Area (TNC), Contiguous habitat block analysisHabitat Condition: # of dams, % total class 1 and 2 wetlandsGeomorphology: VT has geomorphic assessment programWater Quality: National Wadeable streams Assessment, state dataBiological Condition: TALU, macroinvertebrate and fish data for stateHydrology: data on hydrologic modification VulnerabilityVulnerability assessment currently captures the risk of future exposure to climate change and land use changeExamine future projections of downscaled climate data and projected population growth (land use change and water use demand)Develop an index of vulnerabilityStrategic Protection and Restoration

16Vermonts Healthy Watershed Assessment Management Priorities

Protecting Healthy Watersheds in the Mobile Bay Watershed

A Holistic Approach to Protecting the BayMobile Bay provides a wealth of ecosystem services that benefit Alabama citizens including water purification, seafood harvest, nutrient cycling, carbon storage and recreational opportunities. The health of Mobile Bay depends upon the health of its supporting upstream watersheds.The assessment will allow the state of Alabama to prioritize protection and restoration efforts that protect critical aquatic ecosystems and bay health.Partnership with Mobile Bay NEP, ADEM, DCNR, EPA, GSA, TNC, and othersIdentify protection priorities in the watersheds that drain into Mobile BayHelp inform restoration priorities in these watershedsGain a better understanding of the MB drainage watersheds connectivity to MB and importance of protecting those watersheds

Long-Term Goal: Proactive Protection (avoid future problems & create ecological support network for restoration) + Restoration (targeted to ensure sustainability)

20Objectives of the MB AssessmentHeld organizational meetings in the summer 2012Identified team leads and membersIdentified data sets at state and MB levels (October 2012)Acquiring Data . Just getting started

Will have stakeholder meeting in early 2013 to discuss preliminary resultsExpected Completion of Assessment: May 2013

21Status of the Assessment

Example Output: Management Priorities for Mobile Bay Drainage Basin

23Communication tool, report cardIdentify reference or benchmark watershedsInform antidegradation, identify ORNWsImprove monitoring programs, identify data gapsInform watershed-scale wetland permitting & mitigationIdentify river corridor protection areasInform local land-use decision makingInform climate adaptation plansInform restoration prioritiesInform future CCMP prioritiesIdentify areas for collaborative, cross-agency efforts

Potential Uses of HW Assessment Healthy Watershed Initiative National Framework and Action Plan (2011)

Identifying and Protecting Healthy Watersheds Concepts, Assessments, and Management Approaches (Feb 2012)

The Economic Benefits of Protecting Healthy Watersheds (2012)

Fact Sheet, Newsletter, other resources/examples on the web site, www.epa.gov/healthywatersheds (updating and re-designing)

Key DocumentsThank You! Questions?Please visit our website!www.epa.gov/healthywatershedsContact: Laura GabanskiGabanski.Laura@epa.govLaura DlugoleckiDlugolecki.Laura@epa.gov

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