champ habitat protocol overview by mike ward, jeremy moberg, boyd bouwes bouwes, n., j. moberg, n....

CHaMP Habitat Protocol

Overview by Mike Ward, Jeremy Moberg, Boyd Bouwes

Bouwes, N., J. Moberg, N. Weber, B. Bouwes, S. Bennett, C. Beasley, C.E. Jordan, P. Nelle, M. Polino, S. Rentmeester, B. Semmens, C. Volk, M.B. Ward, and J. White. 2011. Scientific protocol for salmonid habitat surveys within the Columbia Habitat Monitoring Program. Prepared by the Integrated Status and Effectiveness Monitoring Program and published by Terraqua, Inc., Wauconda, WA. 118 pages.

Available at www.champinfo.org

Genesis of CHaMP Habitat Protocol

•Based on learning from other habitat monitoring programs: ISEMP, EMAP, PIBO, ODFW, AREMP•Methods are based on those previously developed by other programs or disciplines (e.g. total station surveys of channels are common among geomorphologists).•Some elements of methods have been tailored for CHaMP objectives of developing a process-based habitat assessment focused on channel-unit scale measurements that are more relevant to fish biology

Survey Workflow and Site Layout

•One site sampled per 3-person crew per day•Site length approx. 20 bankfull widths•Each site is classified, monumented, and georeferenced•Topographical Survey: Channel geomorphology suveyed with total station (2 crew)•Site and Channel Unit Attributes: Those that are relevant to fish, those that support CHaMP indicators/metrics

Site Level AttributesSite Level Attributes•Site map and human influencesSite map and human influences•Site photo pointsSite photo points•Solar inputsSolar inputs•Riparian structure and densityRiparian structure and density•Stream temperatureStream temperature•Stream dischargeStream discharge•Water chemistryWater chemistry•Macroinvertebrate driftMacroinvertebrate drift

1. Document the presence of human influence by category

2. Identify and relocate survey benchmarks and the extent of the site

3. Map habitat units and major features

Site MapSite map is used to:

Site photos

Taken from the center of the bankfull channel

at transects 1, 6, 11, 16, and 21

Pictures are looking upstream, left bank,

downstream and right bank

Photos of monuments and

temp loggers

Photo show general site change between

years

Solar Path FinderSolar Path Finder

•Solar path finder photos are taken at 5 Solar path finder photos are taken at 5 transectstransects

•Photos are oriented to the south to capture Photos are oriented to the south to capture solar/thermal input to the streamsolar/thermal input to the stream

•Photos are analyzed for thermal inputs for Photos are analyzed for thermal inputs for each month of the yeareach month of the year

Riparian Structure

10 m X 10m riparian plot

•Riparian plots are located on the left and right banks at 5 transects

•Riparian structure and cover is estimated in a 10 by 10 meter riparian plot for the canopy, the understory, and the ground following procedures from Peck et al. 2001

Water/Air Temperature Water temperature logger is deployed at each site attached to a “charismatic mega boulder”

Air temperature logger isdeployed at each site

Data is retrieved annually

Now that is a “Charismatic Mega Boulder” if I ever saw one

Stream Discharge

15 to 20 equally spaced intervals across the stream

Measure stream depth at each interval and velocity measurements at .6 depth from the bottom

Extend surveyors tape across channel

Measure depth and distance from bank

Discharge is measured immediately upstream of the site

Macro Invertebrate Drift & Water Macro Invertebrate Drift & Water ChemistryChemistry

•Drift samples are taken at Drift samples are taken at riffle habitat upstream of riffle habitat upstream of the sitethe site•Drift net and replicate net Drift net and replicate net deployed 3 hoursdeployed 3 hours•Samples are analyzed for Samples are analyzed for dry weightdry weight

•ConductivityConductivity•Phenolphthalein [P] Phenolphthalein [P] alkalinity.alkalinity.•Total [T] alkalinityTotal [T] alkalinity

DriftDrift ChemistryChemistry

Channel Units

Slow-water Pool

Fast-water Nonturbulent

Fast-water Turbulent

Scour Pool

Plunge Pool

Dam Pool

Beaver Pool

Riffle

Cascade

Rapid

Falls/Step

Tier I

Tier II

Channel Unit AttributesChannel Unit Attributes•Fish cover Fish cover •Ocular substrate composition Ocular substrate composition •Pebble countsPebble counts•Embeddedness estimatesEmbeddedness estimates•LWD countsLWD counts•Side channel presenceSide channel presence

Fish Cover•Fish cover is visually estimated for each channel unit•Fish cover categories are:

1. LWD2. Vegetation3. Undercut banks 4. Artificial structures 5. Total fish cover

Substrate•Ocular estimate of each channel unit percentage of substrate composition by size category•210 pebble count representing fast-water habitat•Pebbles are selected and measured•The percentage particles are embedded by sand is visually estimated for pebbles ranging in size from 64 mm to 250 mm.•Subsurface fines are measured at two randomly selected riffles. A net is placed to collect fines as a shovel is used to dig 20 cm into the substrate at 3 randomly selected locations in two riffles. Seives are used to separate and weigh particles less than 2mm and between 2 mm and 6 mm.

Substrate, embeddedness, and subsurface fines

•Ocular estimates of substrate categories for each channel unit•210 pebble count representing site fast-water habitat•Pebbles are selected and measured•The percentage particles are embedded by sand is visually estimated for pebbles ranging in size from 64 mm to 250 mm.•Subsurface fines are measured at two randomly selected riffles. A net is placed to collect fines as a shovel is used to dig 20 cm into the substrate at 3 randomly selected locations in two riffles. Seives are used to separate and weigh particles less than 2mm and between 2 mm and 6 mm.

LWD•LWD is tallied according to 9 class sizes that allow for good comparison to other protocols•LWD is tallied by channel unit•LWD not associated with a channel unit is counted at the site level•Jams consisting of 5 qualifying pieces are enumerated for the channel units and at the site level•LWD in jams are tallied as individual pieces •Method allows for broad cross-walking between protocols

Side Channels

Side channels between 16 and 49% of the flow will be mapped, channel units identified, and channel unit attributes will be collected

Side channels with less than 16% of flow will be noted and estimates of width and length will be made. No channel unit data will be gathered.

Topographic Survey

• Collection of (X,Y,Z) points relative to 2 known points

• 500-1000 points/site• Points captured at

grade breaks

• DEM and TIN development to provide informative, accurate and precise information about channel topography

Total Station, Data Logger, Tribracht, Tripod

Example of a Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN)

Example of TIN created using the CHaMP protocol overlaid on an aerial photo taken from a drone. B) Creation of the planform and delineation of habitat units of the site.

River Bathymetry River Bathymetry Toolkit (RBT)Toolkit (RBT)

Suite of GIS tools for processing high Suite of GIS tools for processing high resolution DEMs of channels resolution DEMs of channels

River Bathymetry River Bathymetry ToolkitToolkit

The goal is to characterize in-stream The goal is to characterize in-stream and floodplain geomorphologyand floodplain geomorphology

ArcGIS ToolbarArcGIS Toolbar

Input DataInput Data

DEMDEMBathymetry or bare Bathymetry or bare

earthearth

Primary FunctionsPrimary Functions

Generate banks and Generate banks and centerlinecenterline

Remove the overall valley trend - Remove the overall valley trend - DetrendingDetrending

Primary FunctionsPrimary Functions

Create cross Create cross sectionssections

Generate cross Generate cross section metrics section metrics

and graphsand graphs

Primary FunctionsPrimary Functions

Longitudinal Longitudinal profileprofile

Export toExport toHEC-RASHEC-RAS

Detrending in the RBTDetrending in the RBT

Objective: Remove the overall Objective: Remove the overall valley trendvalley trend

Original DEMOriginal DEM Detrended Detrended DEMDEM

Valley profileValley profile1910 – 1924 m1910 – 1924 m

Detrended Detrended profileprofile

99.1 – 100.2 m99.1 – 100.2 m

Detrending in the RBTDetrending in the RBTPurpose: Provide a planar surface for Purpose: Provide a planar surface for

analyzing in-stream characteristicsanalyzing in-stream characteristics

Original Original DEMDEM

DetrendDetrendeded

High to low High to low elevationelevation

HigHighh

LowLow

Equal elevation at Equal elevation at water surface water surface

(100 m)(100 m)

100 100 mm

100 100 mm

1924 m1924 m 1910 m1910 m

Detrending in the RBTDetrending in the RBT

Allows Allows interactive interactive

flooding flooding

Depth mapping Depth mapping without flow without flow modeling modeling

Leading to Leading to habitat habitat

mappingmapping

PoolPool

RifflRifflee

Detrending OutputDetrending Output

Detrended grid

Banks and centerline

Bankfull Bankfull SliderSlider

Cross Section ExplorerCross Section Explorer

Longitudinal Longitudinal ExplorerExplorer

• Channel Dimensions• Channel Unit

Frequency• Residual Pool Volume• 2-D Flow Model• Froude Number• Velocity Heterogeneity• Channel Unit

Complexity• Channel Score• DEM of Difference

New RBT Metrics for CHaMP