Developing a Cooperative Wetland Condition Assessment for the
Nanticoke WatershedThe Research Stage
David BleilMD
Department of Natural Resources
Project Goals
• Develop Skills in Wetland Condition Surveying at the Watershed Level.
• Develop a consistent data set of known quality and maximum usefulness.
• Add Wetland Condition to Department’s landscape focus.
• Meet CWA Sect. 305 (b) reporting requirements for unmodified wetlands
Integration of Field and GIS Expertise
• Departmental Reorganization Integration of field evaluation staff and GIS landscape analysis and remote sensing staff.
• Departmental focus on watershed- based integrated resource management
Developing A Cooperative Interstate Venture in the
Nanticoke• Data Sharing
agreements –MSGICC requirements
• Data acquisition for Level 1 assessments
• Prior HGM reclassification of Nanticoke wetlands by NWI.
• Cooperative scheduling of field work & training
• Cooperative protocol development for level 2 & 3 assessment
Working with Volunteers
• Part of the initial plan• Requires resources to recruit, train, organize &
equip -- no free lunch!• Can supplement staff expertise• Builds public support• Liability issues are not trivial
– State vehicle policy– Health & safety
• Volunteers can easily work across political boundaries
Maximizing Data Usefulness across state
agencies• DNR
– Integrated resource assessment – quality of natural systems
– Watershed Restoration Action Strategies
– Green Infrastructure assessment
• MDE– Regulatory focus– Site specific
applications– impacts and restorations
– Water quality monitoring responsibilities
Optimizing Data Usefulness Within State
Agencies• Integration of spatially
random sample design for wetland condition surveys with the MD Biological Stream Survey.
• Integration with the stream condition surveys of WRAS development
• Integration of tiered assessment approach and level 3 vegetation sampling with the Green Infrastructure ground truth assessment.
• Integration of wetland condition field data with GIS analysis.
Lessons learned
To be applied
Water in the wetlands may be visible and measurable
only during portions of a year
Index of condition will be based on vegetation.
Vegetation is impacted by hydrology.
Vegetation impacts hydrology
Now you seeNow you see it…
And now you don’t
Level 1 – GIS Assessment
• Nanticoke study benefited from recent NWI update – data not available statewide yet.
• Limits of accuracy of level 1 set by spatial data quality and currency.– Field verification is required even for “non-
impacted” wetlands– Wetlands are embedded in a dynamic landscape
and react to their surroundings.
Key:
Red Outline= NWI boundaries
Red dots = GPS points
Black line = SHA road
Future needs
• Improved spatial data: resolution, positional accuracy, temporal accuracy
• Extended HGM classification of wetlands maps statewide
• Additional botanical expertise for field staff