User Guide for pdf.qxd
Contents
1. road construction Where do you live in the watershed l Who are your watershed 1 neighbours both upstream and downstream pP What is the sum of all the activities Ihat occur in your watershed Want lo Pede a difference li rban development Try wo rking together ER channelization n 41 42 When a community has the information from a riparian health inventory it is a small step to setting some goals and developing management plans useful for individual landowners and the broader watershed A riparian health evaluation sets a benchmark so the effect of management choices can be considered A single health evaluation provides a rating for one point in time Like a health check up for us once may not be enough To monitor trends measure effects of management and to account for natural variation it is useful to repeat health evaluations at periodic intervals such as every five years It s a way of knowing and showing you re on the right track li dividends of a watershed scale Healthy functioning watershed would be leave your children When a community works together fall of your individual efforts pay big riparian areas m an intact something worthwhile to Where to Find Additional Information C Resources Cows Fish Publications The following are available from the Cows and Fish program Awareness Documents Fact Sheets Caring for the Green Zone e2. Mushroom shaped willows Dead trees and shrubs Trees and shrubs missing Unstable shorelines Eroding streambanks Widening of channel Downcutting of channel Altered flow or water levels Poor water quality Increased suspended sediment More frequent and intense algae blooms Declines in fish and wildlife Symptom Of Annual floods High levels of disturbance or use High traffic volume animals people vehicles Landscaping or cultivation Above symptoms plus Too many disturbances too early in growing season use too long use too often Above symptoms plus Trampling and chronic heavy browsing High beaver population Dewatering diversions damming Above symptoms plus Loss or removal of plants with deep binding roots and emergent plants e g cattails Loss of large woody debris Excess energy in the system from watershed changes and channelization Above symptoms plus Drought natural Diversion drainage flow control modified flood timing and magnitude Above symptoms plus Excess soil erosion excess chemicals or nutrients in or near riparian area Lack of plant cover Above symptoms plus Habitat changes e Cumulative impacts of all land uses in area prevention and avoidance of poor riparian health rather than The Riparian Doctor Treatment Options Natural event do nothing Reduce use and traffic Rest the site al
3. a UPLAND je f Gi 2 u RIPARIAN Riparian areas on streams and rivers can be quite wide reflecting high ground water tables flood i history and the profile of the valley h i j Riparian areas on lakes and wetlands include emergent vegetation like cattails as well as the vegetation on the wetter portion of the shoreline Sometimes it isn t easy to determine precisely the border edge and size of the riparian area especially where land use has modified some of the are E What do E healthy Riparian Areas Do When we look at a piece of riparian landscape we focus on what it does for us We think about opportunities to fish graze livestock or a place to find shelter or shade As we begin to understand how key riparian areas are we begin to add water quality water supply fish and wildlife habitat recreation property value and many more attributes to the list of riparian products services or values A long list of benefits is made possible when eight fundamental ecological functions are performed in healthy riparian areas These functions are the foundation upon which everything else is built When all are present these functions mesh together like a finely crafted Swiss watch Riparian health evaluation helps us focus on what produces the benefits a healthy functioning riparian landscape Riparian health represents how well all of these basic functions are being per
4. closer look at the scores for the individual questions RIPARIAN HEAL y FIELD SHEET ee en ee Daje m Co Reach Na siram Riser 5 Sac seins mr ot of ll Pt m Vegetation canopy is reduced l Vegetatise Cover af F inadiplaln und Sirramhanks Q1 and weeds and disturbance F P j 4 species Q2 amp 3 have increased in DUCATU TET i Ple Pp n abundance on the site iimedidte X Tiatechaere Inreeaser Undedrahle Herhaeeamt Speries Shrub species are regenerating Utilization of shrubs is high 9 2 0 rig well Q4 but utilization may be and may be impeding d refereed been ured Slit labdien and Keeper lies too high to sustain them Q5 regeneration and streambank i 3 P l6 rootmass protection That 5 tiliraleen of Preferred irer and mew nn may be resulting in the stream 3 2 f m ja Questions 7 amp 8 show the early beginning to downcut which if b Samdeg Dirade amd Deal Wisely Material o stages of decline in deep binding left untended may sever the 5 032 n 5 2 root mass and an increase in riparian area from its water 7 Sirramirank Ban Mass Preteriien human caused bare ground supply 5 d F E S a r Livestock are exerting The amount of bare ground aG dn A E physical impact at crossings may indicate too much ila and watering points Q10 pressure That is giving x sais tial The stream IS still able to weeds and disturbance peters P ly ae it s iod S
5. L Fitch Page 22 C Bradley L Fitch Pages 23 25 L Fitch Page 27 Michael Gerrand L Fitch Page 28 L Fitch Page 29 Blake Mills L Fitch Pages 31 32 L Fitch Page 33 Sasha Duquette Michael Uchikura Page34 Kelsey Spicer Rawe Jaime lwaasa Michael Gerrand Page 35 Nicole Bach Sasha Duquette Page 38 L Fitch Page 39 Glenbow Archives L Fitch Pages 40 42 L Fitch Pages 45 47 L Fitch Illustrations All illustrations and photographic composites created by Elizabeth Saunders Sandpiper Ecological Research and Illustration Monarch Alberta Page 36 Field sheet concept by Barry Adams Design and Layout Elizabeth Saunders Sandpiper Ecological Research and Illustration Monarch Alberta Printing Graphcom Printers Ltd Lethbridge Alberta 1st Printing January 2003 6500 45 46 Cows and Fish Partners Alberta Beef Producers 216 6715 8 St N E Calgary Alberta Canada T2E 7H7 403 275 4400 Trout Unlimited Canada P O Box 6270 Stn D Calgary Alberta Canada T2P 2C8 403 221 8360 Canadian Cattlemen s Association 215 6715 8 St N E Calgary Alberta Canada T2E 7H7 403 275 8558 Alberta Environment 9820 106 St Main Floor Edmonton Alberta T5K 2J6 780 427 6310 Alberta Agriculture Food and Rural Development AAFRD 206 JG O Donoghue Bldg 7000 113 Street Edmonton Alberta Canada T6H 5T6 780 427 3885 Producers and Community Groups Cows and Fi
6. and unstable banks which can persist downstream of the reach and potentially upstream as the stream readjusts Reduced water storage and retention leading to lower flows or flow ceasing during parts of the year e Decreased ability to trap sediment on the floodplain and deal with water quality issues Impairment in the ability of the reach to rebound from natural and human caused impacts and e Decreased productivity forage shelter and biodiversity values Flood water in this incised channel has nowhere to go and all the water and energy are compressed m the channel Riparian areas are built and maintained by water Proper functioning depends on a regular supply of water The degree to which water is removed or added directly affects riparian health Dewatering a riparian system during the critical growing season affects e the maintenance and persistence of riparian plant communities e the stability of banks and shorelines e fish and wildlife habitat and forage production and the maintenance of shelter Riparian areas are adapted to and depend on the volume and timing of annual peak flows and levels The degree to which upstream reaches and tributaries are controlled by dams or diversions influences and affects delivery of water to downstream areas Water may arrive at times other than when plants require it or at levels higher than the system is capable of handling To answer this question
7. invasive weeds 0 6 disturbance species 2 3 woody regeneration 6 6 wood utilization 0 3 vegetation alteration 2 6 site alteration 4 12 bare ground 4 6 water manipulation 6 9 TOTAL 28 57 49 Stream Health Assessments Score vegetation cover 6 6 invasive weeds 6 6 disturbance species 2 3 woody regeneration 6 6 wood utilization 13 dead wood oo root mass deep roots 6 6 bare ground 6 6 site alteration 6 6 compaction 3 3 floodplain accessible 9 9 TOTAL 54 57 95 Score vegetation cover 6 6 invasive weeds 4 6 disturbance species 0 3 woody regeneration 4 6 wood utilization 0 3 dead wood 33 root mass deep roots 4 6 bare ground 2 6 site alteration 6 6 compaction 1 3 floodplain accessible 6 9 TOTAL 36 57 63 Score vegetation cover 6 6 invasive weeds 0 6 disturbance species 0 3 woody regeneration 2 6 wood utilization 0 3 dead wood did root mass deep roots 2 6 bare ground 4 6 site alteration 2 6 compaction 2 3 floodplain accessible 6 9 TOTAL 27 57 47 Stream Health Assessments Score vegetation cover 6 6 invasive weeds 0 6 disturbance species 0 3 woody regeneration 6 6 wood utilization 2 9 dead wood 3 3 root mass deep roots 6 6 bare ground 6 6 site alteration 6 6 compaction 3 3 floodplain accessible 9 9 TOTAL 47 57 82 Score vegetation cover 6 6 invasive weeds 0 6 disturbance species 1 3 woody regeneration 4 6 wood utilization 2 3 dead wood 31 root mass de
8. River is in the Large River category Riparian health evaluation knits together physical soils and hydrology and vegetation features because no one factor or characteristic provides a complete picture of site health or trend in health These evaluations rely heavily on vegetation characteristics because many vegetation features integrate the effects of soil and hydrologic factors which form and operate in riparian areas Plants are more visible than soil or hydrologic characteristics They may provide an early indication of riparian health help you see the past history of use and help you to understand the successional trend on the site There is a close relationship between physical and vegetation features Riparian reaches with significant changes in hydrology and soil will show changes in plant community structure and potential Changes in vegetation the glue of riparian systems may have a rebounding effect on hydrology and soils as well How Muc is There Many of the measurements deal with the element of coverage that is how much of the riparian area measured is covered influenced or affected by vegetation or structural changes The categories are usually expressed in percentages of the reach area For example in the illustration below weeds cover about 3 of the riparian reach Of the total canopy cover of trees 16 is composed of seedlings or saplings These measurements allow you to assign a scor
9. excess of what the channel can hold to escape into a wider area Floodplains provide temporary storage for high water and an opportunity to slow that water down reducing energy and allowing sediment to be deposited outside of the channel Incisement or downcutting and constructed features like berms and dykes can limit the ability of streams and rivers to access their floodplains during high water events The inability to access a floodplain can result from e Watershed scale cumulative effects of vegetation removal drainage and roading which affect runoff e Local drainage scale changes including vegetation removal dams water additions roading and culvert installations occurring upstream of the reach and sometimes downstream e Reach scale changes including vegetation removal beaver dam removal channelization and culverts Natural events including landslides beaver dam wash outs and extreme flood events and Flood and erosion control works Incisement of a stream channel and the inability of a river to periodically access its floodplain can result in A lowered water table that affects current Can the stream or river access it s Hoodplain Area available for floodwater During flooding this river can access a wide floodplain to store water an reduce energy vegetation and the potential of the reach for p x some types of vegetation ncreased stream energy with more erosion sediment
10. in lakes and wetlands with accumulations of sediments and nutrients water level fluctuations and a speeding up of the ageing process If we acknowledge that riparian areas change and that we are responsible for some of these changes it is a step towards setting goals for tomorrow s riparian areas Sometimes looking back gives us a vision of where we need to go Goal setting begins by asking three questions Where were we Where are we today Where do we want to be Where We Were There is no simple answer to the question how healthy were riparian areas in the past What is available to help us includes the written accounts of the observations by explorers surveyors fur traders naturalists and the Northwest Mounted Police Some early artwork exists and early photographs of the last part of the 1800s provide another visual window We know from historical accounts that there were disturbances like buffalo grazing fire drought and floods affecting riparian health From those same records we understand that beaver populations were much higher historically than now The effect of beavers on riparian health was probably positive especially Past 1801 through the maintenance of higher water tables that would have enhanced the amount of woody vegetation By looking at riparian sites today we can also gain insight into vegetation potential what could have existed on the site Based on all of these bits of evidence we can specul
11. refill and recharge aquifers e reduces the rate of evaporation and e provides shelter and forage values 80 Cover b o TUN mi i runoff and sediment As vegetation cover diminishes the amount of runoff and sediment increases That can affect water guality The amount and type of vegetation present determines how well these services are performed and quantity runoff and sediment Weeds are alien species they have been imported from elsewhere and their introduction causes both economic and environmental harm Invasive plants include noxious or restricted weeds Weeds invade riparian areas where disturbance has created bare soil The presence of weeds can indicate a threat to health No weeds indicate the riparian area is well vegetated there is no bare soil and there is no seed source Several weeds indicate space is available and there is a threat of quick invasion Many weeds signal the system is degraded Invasive plants may contribute marginally to some riparian functions but their negative impacts reduce overall health They are not present in early spring to trap sediment or protect banks and shorelines from runoff Their presence inhibits other important and beneficial species that contribute to bank and shore stability biodiversity and primary productivity disturbance caused vegetation Examples of bisturbance caused plants Carrere TTA lelio T Foxtail Barleu St
12. water from smaller ones A watershed is the collecting basin for water received as rain or snowmelt It can be the sum of many streams channels drainages wetlands ponds and lakes Sometimes the pathway that water takes is on the surface in the form of rivers streams and lakes The pathway can also be subsurface movement of water That can be harder to track but still connects pieces together to form a watershed All of us are part of a watershed and are connected to one another Riparian health opened my eyes to stuf I hadnt thought about ike too many boat docks and Riparian health evaluation can help communities appreciate the current condition of riparian areas in their care and create a pathway for management changes These evaluations link people in a watershed together to work on a common goal of improving or maintaining riparian health Many communities have created a map using riparian health water quality or land use information The map helps to eaches 4 This assessment helped me see what riparian health is answer the question where are we today This step can be a way to ae NY HEN T T 1 P p order all of the issues and create a priority for managing them It is a 1 ee ie m rad BEG d signal to others that your community wants to move forward to resolve g n td i t Pi picture 1 problems and restore health it might be a way for you to get some help c SED UOI ji p own place
13. you need a watershed view of the extent of upstream dams and diversions With greater control of flow the more likely the volume or delivery time of water will be affected often to the detriment of riparian function and riparian heal Significant changes to water flows and levels affects riparian vegetation 23 PL Riparian Characteristics Measured There is an overlap in measurements between different sizes and types of riparian systems This table provides a sense of what characteristics are measured for each type and size of riparian system Riparian System Streams amp small rivers Large rivers Lakes wetlands Vegetative cover of floodplain shoreline or bank Invasive plant species weeds Disturbance related plant species E Preferred tree and shrub establishment and regeneration E SNES SES n Utilization of preferred trees and shrubs Decadent and dead wood E Shoreline or bank root mass protection E Human caused bare ground 3 Compaction Pugging hummocking rutting Shoreline bank and vegetation altered by human activity ES NES NES SES SES SES Floodplain accessibility SES NES ES SES SESS ES Water manipulation dewatering control of flows levels Pipestone Creek and the Owl River are examples of systems in the Streams and Small Rivers category Lower Therien Lake and the wetland complex next to it are examples of the Lakes and Wetlands category Ihe Red Deer
14. Riparian Health Assessment and Inventory Riparian Areas and Grazing Riparian Health Training Management Invasive and Disturbance caused Plants in Riparian Areas Literature Review Riparian health and water quality Function design and management of riparian buffers 2001 Sandy Holmes Cows and Fish Report No 011 Invasive Weed and Disturbance caused Undesirable Plant List Looking at my Lakeshore Riparian Health Checklist Looking at my Streambank Riparian Health Checklist Value of Wetlands Biodiversity and Riparian Areas Life in the Green Zone Lakes and Wetlands Water Quality and Riparian Areas Economics of Riparian Areas Riparian Demonstration Sites A guide to selection and CARING FOR THE Cy Riparian Health amp Classification Tools Riparian Health Assessment for Streams and Small Rivers Field Workbook Riparian Health Assessment for Lakes and Wetlands Field Workbook Classification and management of riparian and wetland sites in gaye ope Alberta W H Thompson and P Riparian Profile and Reference L Hansen Sites Manuals amp Forms Alberta Lotic Wetland Health Assessment for Streams and Small Rivers Survey User Manual and Form Crops Creeks and Sloughs Tools for Riparian Management The Cows and Fish Process Facing the Issues Getting Past the Talk Working with Communities Cows and Fish Brochure Alberta Lentic Wetl
15. Species a competitive TE Fionn TT y ecco a ui advantage over native plants M P mua uy alo including trees and shrubs OTTE as x Soya OU Healthy with problems If the stress on this reach continues there is a risk of losing several riparian functions Make a record of your present management practices and There are signs of stress but many riparian functions are t is time to carefully watch and pay attention to Changing practices now will be relatively painless compared This riparian area needs attention the red lights are flashing Many riparian functions are impaired or missing Think about how to stabilize these areas to prevent their condition from worsening and management to improve them The COMPLETE Riparian Medical Guidebook This purpose of this guide is to describe the signs and symptoms of riparian ailments If riparian health is failing recognizing a condition through observations or evaluations is a first step to treatment Treatment options help you begin to fight riparian ailments but the emphasis should always be on treatment A Key to Symptoms and Treatments Condition Sediment deposits on riparian area Too much bare ground Poor vegetation cover Compacted soils Excessive soil erosion or movement e Many weeds and disturbance related plants Altered vegetation composition Low forage production Few young trees and shrubs
16. ally in the face of the cumulative effects of all upstream activities Riparian health on your reach of the watershed is affected by what your neighbours do and what activities occur sometimes far from your place in the watershed Watershed level work seems overwhelming because of the scale However there are ways to make watershed scale work manageable The first step is to recognize that we can manage cooperatively what we can t individually That is an old powerful concept called community All of us belong to some community usually at a municipal district or county level it could be a small watershed group on one short stream or on a small lake At those levels every community boundary includes a larger portion of a watershed than that of an individual property owner Add two or three communities together and most of a watershed will be found in those boundaries Mapping the watershed and getting to know your neighbours is the beginning of making the task manageable Now is the time for some riparian awareness helping people understand what riparian areas are how they function their value and the options for managing and caring for them Thinking Like a Watershed Alberta is divided into many watersheds At the big end of the scale there are nine distinct drainages one flows south to the Gulf of Mexico three flow east to Hudson s Bay and five flow north to the Arctic Ocean Each of these drainage basins accumulate
17. and Assessment User Manual and Form Alberta Lotic Health Assessment for Large River Systems Survey User Manual and Form Cows and Fish Resources Community Stories Cows and Fish provides presentations workshops training Upper Little Bow Basin Water extension material riparian pasture walks and riparian health Users Association evaluations We can also share management techniques plus Municipal District of Ranchland help create a pathway for your community to work on riparian Lower Mosquito Creek Water management issues Users Association City of Camrose A Forward and Upstream View 43 44 Where to Find Additional Information Resources Other Resources and Materials Plant I dentification Guide to Restricted and Noxious Weeds in Southern Alberta Contact your local southern Alberta Agricultural Fieldman for this pocket guide Weed Identification in Alberta S Bayley D Bigelow and B Vanden Born Alberta Environmental Protecton Ducks Unlimited Canada Telus and Agriculture Industry 30 pages Weeds of Canada and the Northern United States R Dickinson and F Royer 1999 The University of Alberta Press and Lone Pine Publishing Edmonton Alberta 434 pages An Identification Guide to Alberta Aquatic Plants G Robert Burland 1989 Alberta Environment Pesticide Management Branch 78 pages Northern Range Plants C Stone and D Lawrence 2000 Alberta Agriculture Food and Rural Developmen
18. and faster in well watered ones Changes in the watershed or drainage area which affect amount and timing of runoff will also be a factor in predicting recovery rates What is possible depends on the degree of change on the riparian reach and how many pieces are left to aid recovery This diagram will help you appreciate the riparian revival pathways and also the chance of encountering a dead end What did the riparian area look like in the past sometimes the distant past What direction is the riparian area heading under present management What is the potential of the riparian area if I make management changes upstream impacts 1 1 change in site potential loss of regeneration with downcutting of poplars willows no pieces left pieces left For those reaches or shores where it appears the changes are irreversib e one dio not give up or iv abandon these sites X WA Stabilizing the reach or site z would be the appropriate probable irreversible change in action Asie for advice an vegetation channel characteristics POC OTIC HONE 29 40 The Bigger Picture We can do many things on our own property to fix an ailing streambank or piece of lakeshore Its important we do what we can as individuals but maintaining or restoring a watershed has to be an integrated collection of individual efforts Our individual efforts can sometimes be less than effective especi
19. any organizations and agencies concerned about the health and management of riparian areas Cows and Fish works to foster awareness about riparian areas and how improvements in management can enhance landscape health and productivily for the benefit of landowners and others who use and value these green zones What is Riparian Health and why do we need to measure it i The word health conveys an impression of something in properly E functioning condition things working well If health is applied to us it relates to the ability of our bodies to perform certain functions within a measured set of standards Our bodies undertake functions like respiration circulation digestion filtration cell repair movement and many more If these functions are occurring within some standards we consider ourselves healthy In a similar way landscapes including riparian areas perform certain functions Riparian health means the ability of a reach of stream a lakeshore a wetland or a watershed composed of many different riparian areas to perform a number of key ecological functions We ll describe all of these functions in What do riparian areas do Some examples of these functions include maintenance of biodiversity building habitat creation of primary productivity forage shelter and water quality improvement filtering and buffering water y stem Why do we need to measure riparian h
20. are based on en measurements using your eyes and your judgment The eye is a remarkable measuring device It may seem imprecise but with training and practice the methods are repeatable and reasonably a accurate Extreme precision is not the f goal for health evaluation since it is not an attempt to determine an absolute value but rather a broad impression of riparian condition 21 How do the measurements link to health Riparian health reflects the ability of the site to perform eight basic ecological functions The characteristics we measure help us understand the potential of the site to perform these functions and the degree to which the functions may be impaired In more detailed health evaluation beyond the checklists each characteristic measured has a range of values that translate into the site s potential to perform several functions The breaks between the values indicate significant differences or changes in potential These were arrived at with expert review and opinion the breaks represent inflections or thresholds significant enough to indicate change The characteristics are weighted differently this indicates that all of the characteristics do not contribute equally to ecological function This weighting system reflects the relative importance of the characteristic the influence or relationship to other characteristics and the significance of a characteristic to an ecological function or functions Some cha
21. are now Community groups municipalities counties and watershed groups will find Make sure there is a these workshops useful in understanding the procedures of riparian health visible landmark in assessment and in interpreting the results of watershed level riparian health the photograph and inventories Detailed riparian health inventories require significant levels of remember to take training plus a background in vegetation identification and other aspects of the photograph from riparian landscapes Diving into that level is a serious commitment The the same place at Riparian Health Training Fact Sheet is a good place to start to determine the approximately the level that is right for you same time of year I Take a Picture One of the best things you can do to help see the trend in riparian health is take a picture and follow up with photographs in subsequent years Combined with health evaluations it will HR give you a visual reminder of where E 1 LI Lol p nm m la s l j M k i r i B i E i a rh ud In 1008 this reach of stream had some significant riparian By 2000 some recovery has occurred in terms of fewer health issues but management changes were underway weeds and regeneration of balsam poplars including the establishment of this photo point 32 score What does it all mean A health score of 8096 or greater means the reach has scored in the
22. aspberr Is woody vegetation being used Because woody species have such an important role to play in riparian health measuring use helps us understand whether they will persist in the reach Livestock will often browse woody plants especially in late summer fall and winter Wildlife including beaver make use of woody plants year round Mowing trimming and logging remove woody species Woody plants can sustain low levels of use but heavier browsing or removal can deplete root reserves inhibit establishment and regeneration cause the loss of preferred woody species lead to replacement by less desirable woody species and lead to invasion by disturbance or weed species 9 9 o There is an old stockman s saying If you keep down the shoot you ll kill the root Grazing or browsing too much of the leafy material the collectors of solar energy will wear the plant down and reduce it s ability to store energy in it s roots for the next season Long term heavy use eliminates the best woody plants The number of dead trees and shrubs or the amount of dead branches in their canopies can be a signal of declining health of a riparian reach A number of factors could be contributing to this Large amounts of dead wood may indicate a change in water flow through the system due to either human or natural causes De watering of a reach if severe enough can dry the reach changing vegetation potential from ri
23. ate that prior to settlement riparian areas were mostly healthy Natural events such as floods grazing from native ungulates fire drought beavers and landslides did affect riparian condition and the results of these disturbances d B i Whe re Are We ME Current Health Status amp Future Goals Riparian health is described in the following categories HEALTHY all riparian functions are being performed HEALTHY WITH PROBLEMS many functions are being performed but signs of stress are apparent meant health could vary over time and from reach to reach Because of the natural resilience of these systems and the long return intervals between use or disturbance it is likely that ecological function was restored relatively quickly Where We Are Information on riparian health has been collected in the settled portion of Alberta since 1995 on over 150 streams rivers lakes and wetlands Measurements have been done 4994 randomly so as not to bias the results and reaches are selected that are representative of much larger portions of the riparian landscape More than 1000 reaches have been inventoried representing over 2000 km of riparian areas along streams and rivers and around wetlands and lakes The measurements indicate that about 11 of Alberta s riparian areas are healthy 49 are healthy with problems and 40 are unhealthy Those figures tell us that riparian function is compromised in many of our watersh
24. be subtle libe the infilling of the floodplain and the creation of a new higher bank which doesn t allow the stream access to its floodplain How much of the riparian area has bare ground caused by These riparian areas are very susceptible to erosion and the are soil is a place for weeds to establish Several riparian functions are impaired Stable streambanks and shorelines maintain channel configuration integrity and bank shape When streambanks and shorelines are physically altered erosion can increase moving channel and bank materials water quality can deteriorate and instability may increase within the reach and downstream Altering the shoreline or streambank vegetation can also have an impact on health Removal of woody species or emergent plants e g cattails can increase erosion and disrupt nutrient recycling Planting of non native species or allowing invasion of weeds and disturbance caused plants can inhibit native deep rooted ones Bank alteration can result from livestock hoof shear livestock trails watering sites recreational trails flood erosion control methods irrigation diversions return flows timber harvest crossings fords bridges culverts landscaping and channelization drainage Plants filter and trap sediments to build a riparian soil layer of moist fine textured materials Roots and underground fauna create soil structure and spaces that allow water infiltration and storag
25. ck Is My Lakeshore Lame Take the Next Step Link Measurement to Action Medical Guidebook A Key to Symptoms and Treatments Riparian Revival The Bigger Picture Thinking Like a Watershed Where to Find Additional Information and Resources Acknowledgments Cows and Fish Partners 16 16 25 95 36 of 99 40 43 45 46 11 1 Foreword This booklet has been written for those people who can most offectively influence lakeshores stream and river banks wetlands and other riparian areas with their use and management farmers ranchers cottage owners resource managers and others who work and play in the green zone Consider this an introduction to the concept of health how well are these productive valuable and sometimes fragile green zones performing many critical ecological functions essential to our needs To evaluate health you need some tools and you need to understand how the tools are used The emerald threads of vegetation that border rivers and streams are the riparian areas Riparian areas include the moist green zones that surround lakes and wetlands This Users Guide will take you from the checklists to the measuring sticks of riparian health Riparian health evaluation forms part of a larger package of awareness about riparian areas leading to choices on managing these vital landscapes This work is part of the Cows and Fish program a cooperative effort between m
26. e e Nl lt canopy cover of seedling sapling trees 25 26 The types of plants on the riparian area provide insight into health so plant identification is important Plants provide an indication of trend toward or away from the potential of the site what the site could be Coverage of native plants woody species weeds and disturbance caused species provide clues to trends and to management influences Utilization rates of some plants e g woody species that are key to riparian function provide clues to the ability of these plants to persist The type of plants present is also an indicator of their effectiveness in performing several key functions like binding banks and shorelines together against the forces of erosion Riparian System um AWAL llow d Vi Vegetation Type Native Preferred Other Grasses Trees Shrubs Shrubs Forbs Large River E G P P Small Stream E E G G Intermittent Stream E E E E Introduced Grass p Disturbance Species Bunch Grass Canada Thistle RAT Kentucky I Bluegrass What is the right stuff Willow and bunch grasses provide deep binding root mass while Kentucky bluegrass and Canada thistle do not A Guide to the Right Riparian Stuff Weeds Legend E Excellent these species have all the necessary properties of deep binding and large root mass appropriate to ri
27. e This is the sponge that supports riparian vegetation This sponge is very susceptible to vehicle traffic hoof action and compaction Compaction can be difficult to evaluate and the effect is often related to soil type Evaluating the amount of pugging hummocking and rutting provides some measure of soil compaction from livestock and vehicle use in riparian areas Pugging describes large animal tracks left in soft soil Pugged areas have a honeycomb appearance and an irregular soil surface difficult to walk across Hummocking describes the raised mounds of soil above the surrounding ground Rutting describes deep animal paths or vehicle tracks that indicate significant compaction of riparian soils With extensive animal or vehicle compaction the water holding capacity of the soil is reduced normal plant succession is disrupted and the soil surface is exposed and roughened which increases the possibility of erosion The soft soil of this wet meadow has been compacted and reconfigured through hoof action into pugs and hummocks Vehicle use when this wetland was mainly dry created ruts which compacted soils reducing the water holding capacity Think of riparian areas as a sponge which collects stores and slowly releases water Compaction of the soil that makes up the sponge inhibits this bey function Al 22 Floodplains the riparian area that lies beyond the channel provide a safety valve that allows water in
28. e to sixteen measurements make up a riparian health assessment These measurements relate to the ability of the riparian area to perform key ecological functions that translate into health Riparian health assessment is a survey that landowners resource managers and others can use to quickly check the health status of an area Field workbooks and field forms are available for riparian health assessments of streams and small rivers lakes and wetlands and large rivers RIPARIAN HEALTH ASSESSMENT FIELD SHEET I arl ise ile m rade Keuch a E ream Hiver She Description Sores or Qui L Vxgetntiive C over of Floodplaim ped Streamhank 4 F n u ldmusve Plami Species i 3 F j cover 3 2 I 0 density A Disturbance increaser Undesirahle Herbaceous Species a E 5 Utilization of Preferred Trees and Shrubs E 2 i D amp Maidine Dhccisd nt and Lad Way Maiertal Ka 2 a4 4 75 7 S reamikank Roo Mass Protection 4 Fs Riparian Health Assessment M A Humncan sused Hare Croumd a if DLE T MM ac GREEN AT Health ni ree ETE Hll Ripper a aT Pi this one is for Streams and Small Rivers some questions may not apply possible scores are the maximum available for each question actual Scores are those you measure a description is provided of what is measured and how t
29. ealth Because we don t all see the same thing When we look at a riparian area what we see and how we interpret our observations is often based on our backgrounds experiences and perceptions Even though we may be standing on the same streambank or lakeshore we don t often see all of the same things or the total picture Because of our own unique focus we interpret the scene differently and sometimes argue with others over their perception of the riparian picture versus our own a NON e i e J 1 D POS 27 L l y Li e e F riparian area please listen If you have a T o m AITA r J C n l rian Show me the Riparian Area Lots You ve seen them crossed them and walked in them you may live on of water 1s one Riparian areas are the green zones around lakes and wetlands the emerald threads of vegetation that border rivers and streams and the lush fringe in valleys Riparian areas are transitional they exist between the surface water of a river wetland or lake and the surrounding drier upland Think of them as wetter than dry but drier than wet Riparian areas are rarely uniform and show lots of variation What is common to all of them is the interaction of water soil and ve
30. eds The results for Alberta are mirrored by the measurements for Saskatchewan and numerous states including Montana and Idaho Lights are flashing these results suggest we have issues to deal with that go well beyond what could be expected in the natural variation of riparian health Where We Need to Be Healthy riparian areas sustain us especially their ability to store filter and buffer water combined with their agricultural and biodiversity values Sustaining ourselves will require maintaining healthy riparian areas and restoring many that have declined in health What should our goals be for riparian health Clearly we all want these landscapes to be resilient stable and provide us a long list of ecological services whether we are livestock producers farmers anglers bird watchers cottage owners hikers or downstream water drinkers Riparian health can vary across the province from stream to stream and around a lake ranging from healthy to unhealthy Some of this variation relates to how riparian areas evolved However our use of these landscapes represents an additive and cumulative effect which has often compromised resiliency That effect could be a consequence of what has happened on the reach or what has happened upstream or downstream Additional variation in riparian health is due to our use of these areas In some cases that use has lead to a decline in condition Our goals need to reflect that agriculture urban d
31. ep roots 4 6 bare ground 4 6 site alteration 6 6 compaction 1 3 floodplain accessible 6 9 TOTAL 37 57 65 Score vegetation cover 4 6 invasive weeds 4 6 disturbance species 1 3 woody regeneration 2 6 wood utilization 0 3 dead wood 2 3 root mass deep roots 4 6 bare ground 2 6 site alteration 2 6 compaction 0 3 floodplain accessible 9 9 TOTAL 30 57 53 When you look at all of these lake and stream examples ils good LO remember that health assessments were made by evaluating hundreds of meters of shoreline and streambank not just the portion shown in the hoto ra hs P grap 35 36 The step of measuring riparian health is really just the end of the beginning When you look at the final score you might be pleasantly surprised to find your riparian areas are intact mostly functioning with just a few hot spots You might also be surprised to find what you thought was intact and healthy isn t and you face some real issues The categories of health are the first level of diagnosis Take a reading with the riparian thermometer If the reading is 80 or higher Your riparian area is performing well Congratulations Ask yourself how you can maintain this condition share that information with others If the reading is between OO and 80 being performed dont jump off the bridge management to later For the next level of diagnosis take a If the reading is below 00
32. er Guide to Riparian Areas A User s Guide to Health Authors Lorne Fitch P Biol Norine Ambrose What s in this Guide In this User s Guide to Health you ll find An introduction to riparian area health Help in determining what is a riparian area Information on what riparian areas do and why this is important to us Awake up call for riparian health How to tune your eye so you know what is measured and how to use the results of riparian health evaluation Taking the next step where to begin to improve riparian area health Standing back and looking at the bigger picture the watershed Where to find additional information resources and advice Citation Fitch L and N Ambrose 2003 Riparian Areas A User s Guide to Health Lethbridge Alberta Cows and Fish Program ISBN No 0 7785 2305 5 Table of Contents Xp e e Foreword Introduction What is Riparian Health and why do we need to measure it Show me the Riparian Area What do Healthy Riparian Areas Do Key Ecological Functions Products Services and Benefits Riparian Health A Wake Up Call Riparian health Why Does it Matter Where are We Current Health Status and Future Goals Tuning Your Eye Diagnosis for Riparian Health Riparian Health Questions Common Concepts behind the Measurements What are the Key Pieces How Do Check the Health of my Riparian Area Is My Crick Si
33. evelopment transportation networks recreational use industrial uses and water management will have impacts and we cannot return to presettlement conditions However we should see progressively better riparian health as we adopt better land use practices phase out some land uses and restore function to riparian landscapes We will find that maintaining and restoring riparian health will have significant benefits We will either get the future we planned for Future 2011 2030 or the one we didnt plan for 15 16 Tuning Your Eye Diagnosis for Riparian Health Riparian health evaluations tune your eyes and allow you to see the components or pieces that contribute significantly to health or when missing or degraded impair ecological functions the foundation of health Riparian Health Questions What is measured These characteristics are evaluated to assess the health of riparian areas along streams and rivers or around lakes and wetlands How much of the riparian area is covered by vegetation Vegetation reduces the erosive force of raindrops and the velocity of water moving over a floodplain along a streambank or onto a lakeshore Think of vegetation like a mesh umbrella that slows and blunts the force of moving water Vegetation cover e reduces erosion gt 05 cover traps sediment and stabilizes banks and shores absorbs and recycles nutrients e allows water to infiltrate to
34. formed C d A watch keeps the time for us thats the service It does this through the correct meshing of many interconnected parts We depend on riparian areas to do many things for us Their ability to do these things also depends on the correct meshing of a complex series of interconnected functions What do Riparian Areas Do Key Ecological Functions Sediment adds to and builds soil in riparian areas Sediment aids in the ability of soils to hold and store moisture Sediment can carry contaminants and nutrients trapping it improves water quality Excess sediment can harm aquatic animals like fish and insects Erosion is balanced with bank building the effects of erosion are reduced by adding bank and shore elsewhere Increase stability resilience and recovery Maintain or restore profile of channel extends width of riparian area through higher water tables e Watershed safety valve storage of high water on the floodplain during floods Reduce flood damage by slowing water and reducing erosion e Slow flood water allowing absorption and storage in underground aquifer Increased amp il neuter PE aem E Fa Lil s k E End e peas rtt Recher Aquiters Store hold and slowly release water Maintain surface flows in rivers and streams and levels in lakes and wetlands through storage and slow release Maintain high water table and extend width of produc
35. getation A combination of the following clues will help you solve the mystery of what is riparian present seasonally or regularly and that water is either on the surface or its close to the surface ee TL ogee mw eo 1 mal ee Riparian areas are called many things These are some of the terms used to describe them shores floodplain bottomland bogs muskeg slough wetland seep floodprone marsh pothole and spring Lentic riparian areas are associated with still water Ros UNT AE L systems like lakes and wetlands Lotic riparian areas are found along rivers and streams have been modified by abundant water as in Vegetation is present that responds to requires high water tables stream and survives in or lake processes like abundant water sediment deposition and lush productive vegetation Riparian areas are part of a larger continuous landscape that grades from wet to dry They are the thin green line in that landscape transition Despite their small size 2 596 riparian areas are a key piece of the landscape because they are F the buffer the edge and the border between uplands and the AQUATIC aquatic zone Riparian areas buffer the impacts of uplands on the aquatic area as well as protect uplands from erosion To measure the health of the riparian area and it s ability to be the critical buffer you need to understand what is riparian RIPARIAN AQUATIC
36. he channel low summer flows non native species and bare ground low frequent algae ial levels Fish are a good measure of riparian health because they rely on riparian areas for habitat water peers qua ity inad maintaining TUE END RES 1 Tc stream lows and lake levels If fish populations are in decline riparian health might be one of the issues to g resolve Riparian Health Checklist To find out if your concerns are valid first determine what type of riparian area you have Are you on a river a stream a wetland or a lake You could start with E a simple checklist If you are concerned about a lake or wetland use our imm Lakeshore Riparian Health Checklist Looking at My Lakeshore Fact Sheet if it is a stream or river use our Streambank Riparian Health Checklist Looking at My Streambank Fact Sheet Checklists help you understand if some of the symptoms are present that indicate declines in riparian health Checklists don t measure health but give you a clue as to issues and concerns A checklist will help you determine if there are enough concerns to go to the next level of health evaluation tnd Pisa ST hae ol 29 30 Riparian health assessment puts your initial observations into a format that allows you to understand the significance of your concerns and to measure the condition of the riparian area against a standard This is what your doctor does when you have a checkup Nin
37. inkweed Kentucky Bluegrass invasive plant species How much of the riparian area How much of the riparian area 18 covered by weeds E amples af nmwerstve weeds Nodding Thistle Canada Thistle M najweed H eund X Torey ic d Leafy spurge Tocudf Lax is covered by Disturbance caused species are plants which are absent or present in small amounts in undisturbed areas but invade reaches with high levels of use or disturbance A large cover of these plants either native or introduced indicates an alteration of the normal plant community that would be expected to occur on the site Like invasive plants disturbance caused species are well adapted to an environment of continual stress where the competitive advantage of better riparian species has been diminished These species have more value than invasive plants but are usually e shallow rooted and less productive e have limited value for bank binding and erosion prevention and inhibit other preferred plants 17 18 Most but not all riparian areas can support woody vegetation trees and shrubs Trees and shrubs have an important and key role in riparian condition Their root systems generally are excellent bank and shoreline stabilizers and play a key role in the uptake of nutrients that could otherwise degrade water quality The canopies formed by trees and shrubs protect soil from erosion provide shelter to wildlife and l
38. ivestock and modify the riparian environment Even when dead the trunks provide erosion protection and structural complexity which plays a role in modifying stream valleys A good indicator of the ecological stability of a riparian reach is the presence of woody plants in all age classes especially young age classes Without signs of regeneration of preferred woody plants those species that contribute most to riparian condition and stability the long term stability of the reach is compromised Some trees and shrubs just aren t the right stuff They don t do as good a job of gluing banks and shores together they reflect a history of disturbance e g rose snowberry and some are exotic aggressive species e g Russian Olive Tamarisk we don t need or want in riparian areas Beaver activity for 1 food and dam building is an example of utilization of woody species Many animals browse woody plants including domestic livestock Ate Is woody vegetation present and maintaining itself These poplar seedlings and saplings represent new age classes of trees that will replace the older individuals in the background Examples of Preferred Trees AE shrubs What will replace these trees in the next few a Pee cottemvod aspen poplars Krees conifers years Shrubs willows doood saskatoon chokecherng alders hazelnut p cherry cranberry 1 i MESUR r
39. low recovery Redistribute animal human or vehicle use Change timing or season of use Reduce or remove hard surfaces Above treatments plus Spot treatment on invasive weeds Develop management plan for property Above treatments plus Temporary fencing to allow regeneration Limit livestock use in spring and fall e Manage beaver population Examine water management for area Above treatments plus Stabillization to allow natural recovery Reestablish natural meander and flow patterns Monitor for recovery Above treatments plus Trap more runoff with greater plant cover Block drainage ditches and stop draining wetlands Examine water management in watershed Above treatments plus Reduce nutrient inputs in or near waterbody Keep plant cover including cattails and bulrushes for filtration and nutrient uptake Add buffer zones next to riparian area Above treatments plus Restore habitat by restoring vegetation communities through changes in use Protect key habitat areas If only it was that easy to look up a riparian condition and find one solution 37 Prevent potential problems by maintaining the healthy reaches of stream or portions of shoreline that way you don t have to treat the symptoms Encourage protect and promote native vegetation to enhance recovery restoration and maintenance of health Monitor your progress be patient with restoratio
40. n and recovery efforts and repeat what works 38 No matter what the score or the category of health taking the next step is about using riparian health evaluations to help you set some goals These goals might look like this Reduce the pressure or stress that is causing health to decline don t let conditions get worse Fix the broken pieces to restore structure and function do it while the problems are small and before they become larger Work with your neighbours to make sure your efforts meld together ona larger scale If we can recognize the stresses reduce the pressures be patient and let the system rebound conditions will improve assuming most bey pieces are still intact If some of those key pieces e g woody vegetation have gone missing recovery wi be more difficult and take more time Riparian R eviva l The restoration of riparian area health is a series of pathways that In most cases riparian area health didn t change begin with some basic questions overnight The unravelling of riparian areas and the decline in health are changes that have been going on for decades largely unnoticed unobserved but cumulative in effect It s part of our history of development The rate of recovery will be based on where we start and where we What are the characteristics physical and vegetative now live Water is the driver of riparian areas so recovery will be slower in arid areas
41. nction Riparian health evaluations provide a standard method to allow landowners resource managers and others to quickly assess current health and to identify the presence scale and magnitude of issues and problems Hamy ame MUTAM 2005 Hiculth A amp sscssrani Name ame Slee 12995 Hilh Assceancel Lights go on Assessment can be a catalyst to begin thinking about management changes j mrm a mur to correct declines in riparian health or to verify and continue Riparian health evaluations can be repeated over management that time to monitor changes that may result from natural maintains health variation or management actions and choices Riparian health evaluations are an educational tool to allow those that use manage and value riparian areas to better understand key functions identify a way to measure those functions and to serve as a vehicle for better communication among riparian users Sometimes even the cows join in Riparian health matters 14 Riparian areas change naturally over time What we do in them and in the watersheds that surround them can speed up many of those changes Sometimes the speed and degree of change is greater than the natural resiliency and healing rate of riparian areas Development can cause streams to erode their banks faster flows may fluctuate more and downcutting can dry up productive riparian areas These changes are compounded
42. o measure it on other pages your observations will allow you to assign a score different questions are weighted differently based on the relative contribution to health add up the individual scores and compare to the possible score 113 Riparian Health Inven tory Riparian health inventory is an in depth measurement of riparian health Inventories are conducted by resource specialists with extensive training and knowledge of riparian systems Approximately 80 parameters are measured to provide a comprehensive and detailed evaluation of riparian health These detailed measurements are used to determine watershed condition aid in preparation of management plans and provide a tool for monitoring A summary of an inventory may be provided in the same format as the field sheet of a riparian health assessment LY UJ Interested in more information on how to do these measurements You might consider taking in a riparian awareness presentation It will help you understand riparian areas better and allow you to use a checklist to start you down the road That s getting your feet wet Wading into it will require some training in riparian health assessment You will learn the basics of evaluating the riparian health of a stream river wetland or lake With the knowledge from a workshop and some experience from field training you will be you began and able to apply riparian health assessment procedure on your own place where you
43. on office 780 489 2002 htto www ducks ca contact ab html Vincent Lake Working Group www healthyshorelines com Acknowledgments Funding The Cows and Fish program gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided to the development of Riparian Areas A User s Guide to Health by the following agencies and initiatives Alberta Environment Alberta Sustainable Resource Development Alberta Agriculture Food and Rural Development Agriculture and Agri Food Canada PFRA Canadian Adaptation and Rural Development Fund Technical Support The following people are field practitioners of riparian health evaluation and contributed their ideas and experience to this document Greg Hale Michael Gerrand Michael Uchikura Kerri O Shaughnessy Kelsey Spicer Rawe Nicole Bach Suzanne Witham Sasha Duquette Jamie lwaasa Barry Adams Darlene Moisey and Gerry Ehlert Dr Paul Hansen William Thompson and Bob Ehrhart through their research teaching publications and leadership provided inspiration and support for the development of riparian health evaluation tools for Alberta Credits Cover Source photography L Fitch Photographic composite created by E Saunders Photographs Pages i 10 L Fitch Page 12 Glenbow Archives L Fitch Page 13 Barry Adams L Fitch Page 14 Glenbow Archives Pages 15 16 L Fitch Page 17 Jaime lwaasa L Fitch Page 18 Michael Gerrand L Fitch Pages 19 21
44. ou You can see the scores for each measurement on the field sheet At the bottom is a percentage based on your actual score and the total possible Functions Perlormed HE Trap sediment Y Build and maintain banks Y Store flood water and energy V Recharge the aquifer V Filter and buffer water V Reduce and dissipate energy V Maintain biodiversity V Create primary productivity Y Trap sediment Build and maintain banks Store flood water and energy Y Recharge the aquifer Y Filter and buffer water Reduce and dissipate energy X Maintain biodiversity Create primary productivity v Trap sediment X Build and maintain banks x Store flood water and energy X Recharge the aquifer Filter and buffer water X Reduce and dissipate energy X Maintain biodiversity X Create primary productivity X f Is My Crick Sick Is My Lakeshore Lame Here are several riparian health examples to help you tune your eye Lake and Wetland Health Assessments Score vegetation cover 6 6 invasive weeds 0 6 disturbance species 3 3 woody regeneration 6 6 wood utilization 2 3 vegetation alteration 6 6 site alteration 12 12 bare ground 6 6 water manipulation 9 9 TOTAL 50 57 88 Score vegetation cover 6 6 invasive weeds 2 6 disturbance species 1 3 woody regeneration 4 6 wood utilization 2 3 vegetation alteration 4 6 site alteration 8 12 bare ground 6 6 water manipulation 9 9 TOTAL 42 57 14 Score vegetation cover 4 6
45. parian to upland species Flooding of a reach or a persistent high water table from beaver dams crossings that restrict flow or man made dams can kill and eliminate some riparian species Heavy use of browse can stress woody plants resulting in their eventual death Physical damage from rubbing and trampling if chronic can result in the death of woody vegetation and Climatic impacts drought weather severe winters disease and insect infestations can affect woody vegetation In all these cases a high percentage of dead wood reflects declining vegetation health This can lead to reduced streambank integrity increased channel incisement excessive bank and shoreline erosion and reduced shelter values deep rooted vegetation Kentucky bluegrass roots have very limited bank holding capabilities Only deep binding roots such as those of willows can protect shorelines from ice wind and wave erosion A water level increase from a beaver dam flooded and killed these willows browsed rubbed and trampled by livestock Are streambanks and lakeshores held together with Streamside vegetation maintains the integrity and structure of the streambank by dissipating energy resists erosion and traps sediment to build and restore banks On lakeshores and wetland margins vegetation resists wave action ice movement and traps sediment Root systems bind soil particles together and provide the glue tha
46. parian type or size G Good species meet most of the requirements for holding bank and shore materials together F Fair plants have marginal ability to perform stabilizing function P Poor vegetation unable to hold banks or shore together under normal circumstances Trees e g cottonwoods aspen conifers birch Preferred Shrubs e g willows saskatoon dogwood alder silverberry chokecherry Other Shrubs e g rose snowberry buckbrush shrubby cinquefoil Native Grasses Forbs e g sedges cattails tufted hairgrass other bunch grasses and sod forming grasses Introduced Grasses e g Kentucky blue grass timothy smooth brome Disturbance Species e g common dandelion stinkweed foxtail barley plantains Weed Species e g knapweeds Canada thistle leafy spurge Riparian health can often be linked directly to current management or the effects of previous management The degree to which banks and shorelines have been structurally altered or their vegetation has been changed or modified is an important measure Because water is the driver of riparian systems determining the degree of flow or level manipulation is important Shoreline or fenceline contrasts help us understand that changes have appened to riparian areas Both are measures of how much we have changed the vegetation or structurally altered the bank or shore Most of the characteristics rated in health evaluation
47. r supply domesbc agricufturai industrial needs met reduce risk and cost of supply competibve advantage for business e maintain fsh and wildlife populations amp waste assimilabon drougnt management and amelioration a tourism recreation i ra Li i il LILITI Soil Cre ation il Hi i 1 li di ini Fish Wildlife bu He ring Capacity Aes tl 1etics Tauri amp m recreation individuais in pelocal t t i r PT property ud enjoyment and pleas A in healthy acosy i e compelitye advantage for m c Y J ap Te 9 m m aen m dence mak and costs 4 4 P Leu S B lur i Riparian Health A Wake Up Call Some of the changes to a landscape occur slowly over periods of time beyond an individual s memory Because of this sometimes we fail to notice that change even deterioration has happened This 1890 photograph of Willow Creek is Almost 100 years later this same site on Willow an 1mage of health woody vegetation 1s Creek shows substantial change although some abundant and diverse remnant woody species still persist This 10205 photograph of Sylvan Lake is an image of hea th the water was clear clean E d enjoyed b Hoc aca ARIA d In recent times many central Alberta lakes show signs of water quality problems These changes may affect us our lives livelihood health and recreation When we begin to recognize
48. racteristics like the ability of a stream to access it s floodplain are the foundation Without them most or all other functions could not occur This riparian area is healthy with problems Can you identify the missing pieces Function Tap Bind Banks Store Water Recharge FilterBuffer PISSIpale Biodiversity Primary sediment P Aquifer Energy roductivity Deep roots y y Y y Y y Measurement Floodplain accessible Y Y y y vf v Y Water manipulation X X X X me gt 24 24 v major role in performing this function X majorimpact on or impairment of this function E minor effect or impact 28 i amp How do I check the health of my riparian area You may have already observed several things on a riparian area with which you are familiar Some of these observations may concern you These could be signs that riparian health is declining dead or dying trees shrubs z low forage production many weeds or disturbance species Getting an aerial perspective is a good start to checking riparian health It provides insights on how much change has occurred The Alberta Conservation Association has develo ed a video ra h tool to hel p graprnu p lakeshore owners gain an aeria g perspective of riparian areas few wildlife present die downcutting of t
49. riparian condition it is a start towards changing the trend from one of decline to stability and perhaps improvement in health If you drink water farm or ranch have a lakeside cottage swim fish or watch birds riparian area health is important to you Riparian areas make up a small portion of the landscape but are much more important to us than their small size would indicate 12 for the same reason our own health matters Healthy functioning riparian areas offer us d Resiliency the ability to bounce back from floods droughts and human caused AP problems l Ecological services a long list of goods benefits and values and Stability landscapes that maintain themselves persist and are sustainable Why focus on riparian areas They are the focus because of their agricultural benefits the biodiversity values they represent and for concerns about water quality Some riparian areas have declined in their ability to perform the ecological functions that relate directly to these benefits and values Often the health of these valuable landscapes has changed over time even though that decline isn t obvious We need to understand the current status of riparian areas to improve or maintain their health The first step is to determine the condition or health of the site Once we know the health of a site we have a way to link management actions and changes to improve or maintain ecological fu
50. rvation and Logging on Private Land in Alberta Byron Grundberg and D S Vanderwel 1994 AAFRD Agdex 081 2 26 pages Cattle Wintering Sites Brian West From Alberta Beef Producers PFRA or AAFRD The Dock Primer A Cottager s Guide to Waterfront Friendly Docks Max Burns Fisheries and Oceans Canada 23 pages The Shore Primer A Cottager s Guide to a Healthy Waterfront Ray Ford Fisheries and Oceans Canada 23 pages Caring for Shoreline Properties Pat Valastin 1999 Alberta Conservation Association 29 pages On the Living Edge Your Guide for Waterfront Living Sarah Kipp and Clive Callaway 2002 Living by Water 780 427 8124 http www livingbywater ca Range Pasture Health Assessment Short Form 2000 Working draft prepared by the Alberta Rangeland Health Assessment Task Group Alberta Agriculture Food and Rural Development and Alberta Environment 17 pages See Public Lands Division SRD Cows and Fish Partners Other Contacts for Information Agricultural Service Boards and Conservation Technicians of your local municipality or county Alberta Environmental Farm Plans 1 866 844 2337 Alberta Fish and Game Association Operation Grassland Community http www afga org Conservation ogc htm Alberta Lake Management Society 780 492 1294 http www alms biology ualberta ca Alberta Watersheds website http www albertawatersheds org Cows and Fish Partners see page 46 Ducks Unlimited Canada Edmont
51. sh Program Manager 403 381 5538 North Central Alberta Coordinator 780 679 1289 Southern Alberta Coordinator 403 381 5377 Fax 403 381 5723 E mail riparian telusplanet net Mail c o Fish and Wildlife Division 2nd Floor YPM Place 530 8 Street South Lethbridge Alberta Canada T1J 2J8 www cowsandfish org Alberta Sustainable Resource Development ASRD Public Lands Division Agriculture Centre 100 5401 1st Avenue South Lethbridge Alberta Canada T1J 4V6 403 382 4298 Fish and Wildlife Division 2nd Floor YPM Place 530 8th Street South Lethbridge Alberta Canada T1J 2J8 403 382 4358 Fisheries and Oceans Canada 7646 8th Street NE Calgary Alberta Canada T2E 8X4 403 292 6549 Agriculture and Agri Food Canada Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration PFRA 600 138 4 Avenue S E Calgary Alberta Canada 12G 4Z6 403 292 5638 Alberta Conservation Association P O Box 40027 Baker Centre Postal Outlet Edmonton Alberta Canada T5K 2M4 1 877 969 9091 Workin g with producers and communities on riparian awareness i hg D Y ARA NE ee eee ly E 4 i BN i t We igi ia pil ML i mE nM riparian areas sustain us We invite you to work with Cows and Fish to conserve restore and maintain these vital green zones
52. t 200 pages Plants of the Western Boreal Forest and Aspen Parkland D Johnson L Kershaw A MacKinnon and J Pojar 1995 Lone Pine Publishing Edmonton Alberta 392 pages A Habitat Field Guide Trees and Shrubs of Alberta K Wilkinson 1990 Lone Pine Publishing Edmonton Alberta 191 pages Watershed Information Watershed Restoration Principles and Practices J E Williams C A Wood and M P Dombeck eds 1997 American Fisheries Society Bethesda Maryland 561 pages Stream Corridor Restoration Principles Processes and Practices Federal Interagency Stream Restoration Working Group 1998 Go to http www ntis gov product htm and do advanced search use title 618 pages Community Watershed Toolkit for the North Saskatchewan River Watershed From North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance 6th Flr 9803 102A Avenue Edmonton Alberta T5J 3A3 780 496 3474 From AAFRD see AAFRD in Cows and Fish Partners Building Community Partnerships 2001 23 pages Getting to Know Your Local Watershed Fiona Briody and Karen Yakimishyn 2002 Agdex 576 8 22 pages General Information The Stockman s Guide to Range Livestock Watering from Surface Water Sources Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute Box 1060 390 River Road Portage la Prairie Manitoba R1N 3C5 Alberta Farm Machinery Research Centre c o Lethbridge Community College Lethbridge Alberta T1K 1L6 Call toll free in Canada 1 800 567 7264 Conse
53. t stabilizes the zone where stream flow and wave energy have the most consistent regular effect Vegetation with deep and binding roots best accomplishes this function especially if there is a diversity of these species found on the reach Most tree and shrub species provide such deep roots Herbaceous annuals and weeds lack this quality Perennial herbs provide it in varying degree Some species such as sedges are excellent streambank Stabilizers while others such as Kentucky bluegrass and timothy have shallow root systems and have limited capability A0 human activity Bare ground is unprotected soil that results from our activities It s an opportunity for invasion by weed and disturbance species into the vacuum caused by those activities Bare ground represents a loss of vegetation to filter and buffer sediment less reduction in energy hence more wind and water erosion and a decreased ability to allow water to infiltrate into the aquifer Sediment deposited during a flood is a natural event and an indication the riparian area is doing what it should trapping this material Human land uses that can cause bare ground include livestock grazing cultivation recreation urban development roads trails timber harvest and industrial activities Significant bare ground caused by human activity indicates a deterioration of riparian health This shoreline has been altered through the clearing of trees Alteration can
54. tive riparian area Reduce amount of contaminants nutrients and pathogens reaching the water Uptake and absorption of nutrients by riparian plants rap sediment reduce water quality issues and enhance amount of vegetation to perform filtering and buffering function 6 A R a d u Ce Dissipate Ener gy Reduce water velocity which slows erosion and sediment transport Resist erosion and slow channel and shoreline movement Aid in sediment capture Create and maintain habitats for fish wildlife invertebrates and plants Connect other habitats to allow corridors for movement and dispersal e Maintain a high number of individuals and species S C r Cate Primary p Vegetation diversity and age class structure creates links to other riparian functions High shelter and forage values Enhance soil development Capture and recycle nutrients ro Juci vii These are the basic functions read on to see how they translate into products services and benefits Functions 1 Trap and store sediment 2 Build banks and shores 3 Store water and energy 4 Recharge aquifers 9 Filter and buffer water 6 Reduce energy T Maintain biodiversity 0 Create primary productivity a Clean water lower nsk af human illness reduced water featment costs fish populations maintained healthier ivestock e greater kvestock weight gains Wate
55. top category called healthy This tells you that all riparian functions are being performed and the reach exhibits a high level of riparian condition Healthy functioning riparian areas are resilient stable and provide a long list of benefits and values A health score from 60 to 7996 puts the reach in the healthy with problems category Many riparian functions are still being performed but some signs of stress are apparent The reach may not be as capable of rebounding from floods and use it may be vulnerable to erosion and some of the potential of the riparian area has been lost This is like an amber warning light indicating there could be problems ahead and management changes should be considered At the same time with effective management changes a return to a healthier condition is within your grasp A health score of less than 60 means the reach is in the unhealthy category Most riparian functions are severely impaired or have been lost The reach has lost most of its resiliency stability is compromised and much of the potential of the riparian area has been sacrificed At this point red lights are flashing and we need to stop and reflect on current management Immediate changes are necessary to keep the reach from declining further and to begin the process of healing and restoration What do the riparian health scores tell me You ve worked it out on your own or you have the results in front of y
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