Alberta Large River Users Manual
Contents
1. FAC FACW FACW OBL Figure 1 A schematic example of a typical riparian zone cross section showing near channel landform features Note FAC facultative OBL obligate UPL upland etc refer to categories of frequency a species is found on wetland Reed 1988 Form current as of 6 13 03 4 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals DATA FORM ITEMS Record ID No This is the unique identifier allocated to each polygon This number will be assigned in the office when the form is entered into the database Administrative Data A1 Identify what organisation is doing the evaluation field work A2 Identify what organisation is paying for the work A3a Identify any Indian or M tis Reserve on which work is being done A3b Identify any National or Provincial Park Preserve or Sanctuary on which work is being done A3c Identify any local Ecological or Municipal Reserve Exclude national or provincial reserves on which work is being done A3d Was the work done on Private or Deeded Land Simply answer Yes or No A4 Observers Name the evaluators recording the data in the field A5a Date that the field data was collected Use the format month day year A5b Record the year that the field data was collected A6a Identify any grazing lease or grazing reserve on which work is being done A6b Give any grazing disposition identifying number A6c Give any other grazing name e g Community Pastur2. US Environmental Protection Agency USDI Fish and Wildlife Service and USDA Soil Conservation Service Cooperative Technical Publication Washington DC USA 76 p 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 46 p Hansen Paul L Robert D Pfister Keith Boggs Bradley J Cook John Joy and Dan K Hinckley 1995 Classification and management of Montana s riparian and wetland sites Miscellaneous Publication No 54 Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station School of Forestry University of Montana Missoula Montana USA 646 p Huel Denis 1998 Streambank stewardship your guide to caring for riparian areas in Saskatchewan ISBN No 1 896793 20 7 Saskatchewan Wetland Conservation Corporation Regina Saskatchewan Canada 43 p Form current as of 6 13 03 16 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals Huel Denis 2000 Managing Saskatchewan Wetlands a landowner s guide ISBN No 1 896793 26 6 Saskatchewan Wetland Conservation Corporation Regina Saskatchewan Canada 68 p Johnson R R and S W Carothers 1980 Riparian habitats and recreation interrelationships and impacts in the Rocky Mountain region Produced under agreement 53 82 FT 0 125 of the Eisenhower Consortium for Western Environmental Forestry Research Fort Collins Colorado USA 109 p Kent Donald M 1994 Applied wetlands science and t
3. to 50 of average river discharge during the critical growing season is removed 0 More than 50 of average river discharge during the critical growing season is removed 14 Control of Flood Peak and Timing by Upstream Dam s Natural riverine ecosystems adapt to and depend upon the volume and timing of annual peak flows which are determined by the watershed water yield and variability of the local climate Humans have installed dams on many rivers for agricultural and industrial purposes and to mitigate the damages caused by the natural flooding to human development on the floodplain The effects of these dams are debits against the functional health of the natural system In this context the health of the river system relates directly to the fraction of the watershed which remains undammed Thus this item includes all tributaries which flow into the river upstream of the reach being assessed Scoring 9 Less than 10 of the watershed upstream of the reach is controlled by dams 6 10 to 25 of the watershed upstream of the reach is controlled by dams 3 25 to 50 of the watershed upstream of the reach is controlled by dams 0 More than 50 of the watershed upstream of the reach is controlled by dams 15 Human Alterations to the Riverbanks Such human activities as residential development road construction farming railroad construction water diversion weirs boat ramps rip rap and levees along the immediate riverbanks negative
4. 50 of total woody coverage consists of exotic undesirable woody species 11 Riverbank Root Mass Protection Score 6 More than 85 of the riverbank has a deep binding root mass 4 65 to 85 of the riverbank has a deep binding root mass 2 35 to 65 of the riverbank has a deep binding root mass 0 Less than 35 of the riverbank has a deep binding root mass 12 Human Caused Bare Ground Score 6 Less than 5 of the reach contains human caused bare ground 4 5 to 25 of the floodplain contains human caused bare ground 2 25 to 50 of the floodplain contains human caused bare ground 0 More than 50 of the floodplain contains human caused bare ground 13 Dewatering of the River System Score 9 Less than 10 of average river discharge during the critical growing season is removed 6 10 to 25 of average river discharge during the critical growing season is removed 3 25 to 50 of average river discharge during the critical growing season is removed 0 More than 50 of average river discharge during the critical growing season is removed 14 Control of Flood Peak and Timing by Upstream Dam s Score 9 Less than 10 of the watershed upstream of the reach is controlled by dams 6 10 to 25 of the watershed upstream of the reach is controlled by dams 3 25 to 50 of the watershed upstream of the reach is controlled by dams 0 More than 50 of the watershed upstream of the reach is controlled by dams 15
5. and provide soil binding properties other functions i e productivity and wildlife habitat will be impaired and their presence should be a management concern No single factor or characteristic of a wetland site can provide a complete picture of either site health or the direction of trend This evaluation is based on assessment of sixteen channel and riparian vegetation factors It relies heavily on vegetative characteristics as integrators of factors operating on the landscape Because they are more visible than soil or hydrological characteristics plants may provide early indications of riparian health as well as successional trend These are reflected not only in the types of plants present but also by the effectiveness with which the vegetation carries out its riparian functions of stabilizing the soil trapping sediments and providing wildlife habitat Furthermore the utilization of certain types of vegetation by animals can indicate the current condition of the riparian area and may indicate trend toward or away from potential natural community PNC In addition to vegetation factors an analysis of site health and its susceptibility to degradation must consider physical factors soils and hydrology for both ecologic and management reasons Changes in soil or hydrologic conditions obviously affect functioning of a wetland ecosystem Moreover changes in physical characteristics are often but not always more difficult to remedy than vegeta
6. appropriate reach size and location for river health assessments are 1 the need for the reach boundaries to be relocated for future repeatability and 2 the need to include adequate area and channel length to ensure a representative sample of the variability within the system The above needs can be met by basing reach size and location on a map grid which is related to the average width of the floodplain being assessed Future reassessment of the site requires the ability to relocate the same site Due to the dynamic nature of most river systems it is impractical to tie long term reference points to many physical features found on a floodplain landscape Instead a reach can be bounded by the upstream and downstream sides or east west depending on which direction is most nearly perpendicular to the valley of a square in a map grid The size of the grid squares can be based on the average width to the closest quarter mile 0 4 km of the floodplain over a ten mile 16 0 km section which includes the site in question For example If the average floodplain width is 0 69 miles 1 1 km then lay out a 3 4 mile 1 2 km grid on the map system which aligns with the established Public Land Survey section and quarter section lines The assessed reach should extend laterally away from the river to the floodplain upland boundary on each side The map should show the river channel and lateral extent of the riparian zone The evaluator should sketch the general
7. are those individuals less than 1 5 ft 0 45 m tall or which lack reproductive structures and the relative stature to suggest maturity Note Observers should take care not to confuse short stature resulting from heavy browsing with that due to youth Scoring If the site has no potential for shrubs except for the species listed above to be excluded replace both Actual Score and Possible Score with NA If the observer is not fairly certain potential exists for preferred shrubs then enter NC and explain in the comment field below 3 More than 5 of the preferred shrub species cover is seedlings and saplings 2 1 to 5 of the preferred shrub species cover is seedlings and saplings 1 Less than 1 of the preferred shrub species cover is seedlings and saplings 0 None of the preferred shrub species cover is seedlings and saplings 4 Standing Decadent and Dead Woody Material The amount of decadent and dead woody material on a site can be an indicator of the overall health of a riparian area Large amounts of decadent and dead woody material may indicate a dewatering of the riparian site due to either human or natural causes Dewatering of a site if severe enough may change the site vegetation potential from riparian species to upland species In addition decadent and dead woody material may indicate severe stress due to high levels of browsing Finally large amounts of decadent and dead woody material may indicate climatic impacts or disea
8. drawn originally Observers are allowed to move polygon boundaries create new polygons or consolidate polygons if the vegetation geography location of fences or width of the riparian zone warrant If polygon boundaries are changed the changes must be clearly marked on the field copies of the 7 5 minute topographic maps The original polygon numbers should be retained on the map for cross reference The outer boundaries of riparian polygons are at the wetland vegetative type outer edges These boundaries are sometimes clearly defined by abrupt changes in the geography and or vegetation but proper determination often depends on experienced interpretation of more subtle differences Identification of plant communities by vegetation type Thompson and Hansen 2001 Hansen and others 1995 will be useful both in site selection and later in determining appropriate management These may be in a mosaic difficult to map An area may have a mix of herbaceous communities shrubs and forest These communities have diverse resource values and may respond differently to a management action but it is seldom practical to manage such communities separately Community composition can be described as percentages of component types Management actions can then be keyed to the higher priority types present Selection of a Reach to Evaluate Form current as of 6 13 03 3 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals Two considerations in determining
9. position and extent of important riparian plant communities In most cases polygons should be at least one half mile 0 8 km in length Because along most river systems the channel acts as a barrier to movement polygons will usually be limited to the riparian zone on a single side If the evaluator determines that cross channel access is not restricted both sides may be included in a single polygon In addition to reach length riparian zone width must be considered The riparian zone is that generally green and relatively flat area influenced by water from a stream and its floodplain The contrast between a riparian zone and adjacent upland is most notable in late summer when many of the upland herbaceous plants have gone dormant The area to be assessed includes any terraces dominated by facultative wetland and wetter plant species Reed 1988 the active floodplain streambanks and areas in the channel with emergent vegetation Figure 1 Reference to Reed s list of plants found in wetlands should not be necessary to determine the area for evaluation The evaluator should simply focus on that area which is obviously more lush dense or greener by virtue of proximity to the stream lt lt Lateral Extent of the Riparian Zone Floodprone Area _______ Active Floodplain s gt Upper Terrace See lt gt Upland pecies r FACU UPL eT 2 U iba l Drier Riparian UPL il ha Wetter Riparian Species Species
10. to indicate the trend of the vegetative community on the polygon Trend refers in the sense used here not specifically to successional pathway change but in a more general sense of apparent community health By definition trend implies change over time Accordingly a precise trend analysis would require comparison of repeated observations over time However some insights into trend can be observed in a single visit For example the observer may notice healing revegetating of a degraded streambank and recent establishment of woody seedlings and saplings This would indicate changing conditions that suggest an improving trend If such indicators are not apparent select the category status unknown 18 Comments and Observations Add any necessary commentary to explain or amplify the data recorded Do not leave this space blank Describe any unique characteristics of the site and other observations relating to the vegetation LITERATURE CITED Adams Barry and Lorne Fitch 1995 Caring for the green zone riparian areas and grazing management Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Project Lethbridge Alberta Canada 37 p Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre 1999 Natural regions and subregions of Alberta Internet website http www gov ab ca env parks anhic abnatreg html Edmonton Alberta Canada TSK 2J6 American Fisheries Society Western Division 1980 Position paper on management and protection of western riparian stream ec
11. 5 of the riverbank has a deep binding root mass 0 Less than 35 of the riverbank has a deep binding root mass Form current as of 6 13 03 13 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals 12 Human Caused Bare Ground Many human activities disrupt the proper functioning of riparian ecosystems by exposing the soil surface to erosive forces reducing water holding capacity allowing the invasion of weeds and other undesirable plants and reducing production and wildlife habitat For this item estimate the amount of area within the reach which is bare i e not covered by plants large rocks gt 2 5 in 6 cm woody debris litter and duff or moss and lichens as the result of human activities which have disrupted the soil surface Examples of such activities are farming cattle trails ATV trails other recreation uses logging mining etc Do not include such natural examples of bare ground as recent alluvial bars Stream channels that go dry during the growing season can create problems for polygon delineation Some stream channels remain unvegetated after the water is gone If the total vegetative cover of the channel is no more than 15 it is considered a non vegetated stream channel and is excluded from the polygon Exceptions to this minimum of 15 canopy cover include channels with the vegetation removed by human causes such as grazing logging and construction These are considered exposed soil surface bare ground Tho
12. ALBERTA LOTIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT FOR LARGE RIVER SYSTEMS Survey USER MANUAL The user manual is intended to accompany the Alberta Lotic Health Assessment For Large River Systems Survey Form for the rapid evaluation of riparian areas along large river systems those with channels wider than 50 ft 15 m Another form entitled the Alberta Lotic Wetland Health Assessment For Streams and Small Rivers Survey is available for use on smaller rivers and streams ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Development of these assessment tools has been a collaborative and reiterative process Many people from many agencies and organizations have contributed greatly their time effort funding and moral support for the creation of these documents as well as to the general idea of devising a way for people to look critically at wetlands and riparian areas in a systematic and consistent way Some individuals and the agencies organizations they represent who have been instrumental in enabling this work are Dan Hinckley Tim Bozorth and Jim Roscoe of the USDI Bureau of Land Management in Montana Karen Rice and Karl Gebhardt of the USDI Bureau of Land Management in Idaho Bill Haglan of the USDI Fish and Wildlife Service in Montana Barry Adams and Gerry Ehlert of Alberta Public Lands Division Lorne Fitch of Alberta Environmental Protection and Greg Hale and Norine Ambrose of the Alberta Cows and Fish Program BACKGROUND INFORMATION Introduction Public and private land managers a
13. Human Alterations to the Riverbanks Score 9 Less than 10 of the bank length has been restructured by human activity 6 10 to 25 of the bank length has been restructured by human activity 3 25 to 50 of the bank length has been restructured by human activity 0 More than 50 of the bank length has been restructured by human activity 16 Floodplain Accessibility Score 6 More than 85 of the floodplain is accessible to flood flows 4 65 to 85 of the floodplain is accessible to flood flows 2 35 to 65 of the floodplain is accessible to flood flows 0 More than 35 or less of the floodplain is accessible to flood flows Overall Polygon Health Rating Calculation The sum of scores assessed for all items is calculated as the Total Actual Score and the sum of all possible item scores is calculated as the Total Possible Score These Totals are entered into the Health Rating Formula shown to derive a percentage Health Rating for the polygon The percentage Rating is then categorized into a Health Category as defined below Health Rating Formula Health Rating Total Actual Score Total Possible Score X 100 Health Category 80 to 100 Proper Functioning Condition Healthy 60 to less than 80 Functional At Risk Healthy but with Problems Less than 60 Nonfunctional Unhealthy Comments and Observations Form current as of 6 13 03 19 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms
14. Lethbridge Alberta 340 pp USDA Forest Service 1989 Ecosystem classification handbook ECODATA USDA Forest Service Northern Region Missoula Montana USA Windell John T Beatrice E Willard David J Cooper Susan Q Foster Christopher F Knud Hansen Lauranne P Rink and George N Kiladis 1986 An ecological characterization of Rocky Mountain montane and subalpine wetlands USDI Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Report 86 11 National Ecology Center Division of Wildlife and Contaminant Research Fish and Wildlife Service US Department of the Interior Washington DC USA 298 p Form current as of 6 13 03 17 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals LARGE RIVER HEALTH ASSESSMENT FIELD SCORE SHEET 1 Cottonwood Regeneration from Seed Score 6 15 of the cottonwood cover is established seedlings and saplings 4 5 to 15 of the cottonwood cover is established seedlings and saplings 2 Up to 5 of the cottonwood cover is established seedlings and saplings 0 None of the cottonwood cover is established seedlings and saplings 2 Regeneration of other Tree Species Score 3 More than 5 of the other tree cover is seedlings and saplings 2 1 to 5 of the other tree cover is seedlings and saplings 1 Less than 1 of the other tree cover is seedlings and saplings 0 None of the other tree cover is seedlings and saplings 3 Preferred Shrub Regeneration Score 3 More than 5 of the preferred sh
15. a site and can be done after this evaluation has identified areas of concern Nor does this rating yield an absolute rating to be used to compare riparian systems along flowing waters in other areas or of other types Comparisons using this rating with rivers of different types Rosgen 1996 different orders size class or from outside the immediate locality should be avoided Appropriate comparisons using this rating can be made between segments of one river between neighbouring rivers of similar size and type and between subsequent assessments of the same site A single evaluation provides a rating at only one point in time Due to the range of variation possible on a riparian site a single evaluation cannot define absolute status of site health or reliably indicate trend whether the site is improving degrading or stable To monitor trend health assessments should be repeated in subsequent years during the same time of year Evaluation should be conducted when most plants can be field identified and when hydrologic conditions are most nearly normal e g not during peak spring runoff or immediately after a major storm Management regime should influence assessment timing For example in assessing trend on rotational grazing systems avoid comparing a rating after a season of use one year to a rating another year after a season of rest Pre Assessment Preparation The river health assessment process incorporates data on a wide range of biologic
16. a synthesis and refinement of terminology from Shaw and Fredine 1956 Stewart and Kantrud 1972 Boldt and others 1978 Cowardin and others 1979 American Fisheries Society 1980 Johnson and Carothers 1980 Cooperrider and others 1986 Windell and others 1986 Kovalchik 1987 Federal Interagency Committee for Wetland Delineation 1989 Mitsch and Gosselink 1993 and Kent 1994 Lotic wetlands are associated with rivers streams and drainageways Such wetlands contain a defined channel and floodplain The channel is an open conduit which periodically or continuously carries flowing water dissolved and Form current as of 6 13 03 1 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals suspended material Beaver ponds seeps springs and wet meadows on the floodplain of or associated with a river or stream are part of the lotic wetland Lentic wetlands are associated with still water systems These wetlands occur in basins and lack a defined channel and floodplain Included are permanent i e perennial or intermittent bodies of water such as lakes reservoirs potholes marshes ponds and stockponds Other examples include fens bogs wet meadows and seeps not associated with a defined channel Functional vs Jurisdictional Wetland Criteria Defining wetlands has become more difficult as greater economic stakes have increased the potential for conflict between politics and science A universally accepted wetland def
17. al and physical factors The basic unit of delineation upon which an assessment is made is referred to as a polygon Polygons are delineated on 7 5 minute topographic topo maps by marking the upper and lower ends before observers go to the field The widths of most riparian zones are unknown before the inventory and cannot be pre marked On 7 5 minute topo maps polygons are numbered sequentially proceeding downstream It is important to clearly mark and number polygons on the topo map Polygons must be clearly marked and numbered Polygons are numbered pre field in the office with consecutive integers 1 2 3 In cases where field inspection shows the need to change the delineation or to subdivide the pre drawn polygons additional polygons should be numbered using alpha numerics e g la 1b 2a 2b etc Combination of delineated polygons will be field identified as the hyphenated tags of both combined parts e g 1 2 2 3 etc Upper and lower polygon boundaries are placed at distinct locations such as fences stream confluences or river meanders that can hopefully be recognized in the field If aerial photos are available pre field polygon delineations may be based on vegetation differences geologic features or other observable characteristics Once in the field observers are to verify ground truth the office delineated polygon boundaries If the pre assigned numbers are used be sure the inventoried polygons correspond exactly as
18. and maintenance of natural biodiversity are best served by native species which evolved with the ecosystem Native graminoids are very often reduced or eliminated from a site as the result of long term disturbance Therefore one measure of the health of a riparian site is the amount of cover by these species as a group remaining Specific species will depend on location and observers should indicate which species were included Scoring 3 More than 50 of the reach is covered by native graminoid species 2 25 to 50 of the reach is covered by native graminoid species 1 5 to 25 of the reach is covered by native graminoid species 0 Less than 5 or less of the reach is covered by native graminoid species 10 Exotic Undesirable Woody Species The degree to which the vegetative community consists of exotic undesirable woody species in most cases reflects a degradation of many riparian functions Although these species may contribute to some riparian functions to varying degrees their presence reflects s general reduction in riparian functions overall since they displace more vulnerable and valuable species This item evaluates what percent of the total woody species canopy cover is composed of exotic undesirable woody species The two species listed below should always be included in this item If additional species are included they should be noted List those undesirable woody species present along with their infestation area in the com
19. and user manuals
20. be determined from the seedling and sapling canopy cover expressed as a percentage of the overall cover of the group of tree species on the site other than cottonwoods Note Do not count Elaeagnus angustifolia Russian olive in this determination because it is considered an undesirable exotic species Scoring 3 More than 5 of the other non cottonwood tree cover is seedlings and saplings Form current as of 6 13 03 9 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals 2 1 to 5 of the other non cottonwood tree cover is seedlings and saplings 1 Less than 1 of the other non cottonwood tree cover is seedlings and saplings 0 Seedlings and saplings of trees species other than cottonwoods are absent 3 Preferred Shrub Species Establishment and Regeneration Another indicator of a river system s ecological stability and therefore health is the presence of enough shrub regeneration to maintain the lifeform population along the river over the long term Ecological stability is used in the broad sense that over the reach as a whole there is an equilibrium of community composition and structure Four shrub genera Symphoricarpos spp snowberry Rosa spp rose Crataegus spp hawthorn and Tamarix spp salt cedar are excluded from the evaluation of establishment and regeneration These are species that may reflect long term disturbance on a site that are generally less palatable to browsers and that tend to increase un
21. d list of impaired waters E4 Enter TMDL development status EPA approved de listed due to reassessment incomplete at present Obtain from state environmental health agency Form current as of 6 13 03 8 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals E5 E7 Enter probable causes probable impaired uses and probable sources Information can be obtained from current state 303 d list of impaired waters Photograph Data Note Take at least one photo upstream and one downstream at each end of every polygon This applies even to situations where the polygon is at one end of an inventoried reach and one of the photos is taken into a non inventoried area as well as situations in which another polygon is adjacent to the one being inventoried Fla c Record items Ela c for photos at the upstream end or within the upper half of the polygon Record the film roll number use initials and number e g RE 02 and photographer s initials Record the photo frame number s behind the word indicating the direction the photos were facing upstream downstream or other Describe the location at which other photos were shot Describe the view of each photo with reference to direction and polygon features such as streams vegetation boundaries etc For polygons without definite upstream and downstream ends record the locations of photos taken F2a b Indicate whether there are adjacent polygons upstream and or downstream of this polygo
22. d Development Washington DC USA 89 pp Rosgen D L 1996 Applied river morphology Wildland Hydrology Pagosa Springs Colorado USA 246 pp Shaw S P and C G Fredine 1956 Wetlands of the United States Their extent and their value for waterfowl and other wildlife USDI Fish and Wildlife Service Circular 39 Washington DC USA 67 p Stewart R E and H A Kantrud 1972 Classification of natural ponds and lakes in the glaciated prairie region USDI Fish and Wildlife Service Research Publication 92 57 p Thompson William H and Paul L Hansen 2001 Classification and management of riparian and wetland sites of the Saskatchewan Prairie Ecozone and parts of adjacent subregions Riparian and Wetland Research Program the University of Montana Prepared for the Saskatchewan Wetland Conservation Corporation Regina Saskatchewan Canada 298 pp Thompson William H and Paul L Hansen 2002 Classification and management of riparian and wetland sites of Alberta s Grasslands Natural Region and adjacent subregions Bitterroot Restoration Inc Prepared for the Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Program Cows and Fish Lethbridge Alberta 416 pp Thompson William H and Paul L Hansen 2003 Classification and management of riparian and wetland sites of Alberta s Parkland Natural Region and Dry Mixedwood Natural Subregion Bitterroot Restoration Inc Prepared for the Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Program Cows and Fish
23. der long term moderate to heavy grazing pressure AND for which there is rarely any problem in maintaining presence on site Tamarix spp salt cedar is considered an especially aggressive undesirable exotic plant The main reason for excluding these plants is they are far more abundant on many sites than are species of greater concern i e Salix spp willows Cornus stolonifera red osier dogwood Amelanchier alnifolia serviceberry and many other taller native riparian species and they may mask the ecological significance of a small amount of a species of greater concern FOR EXAMPLE A polygon may have Symphoricarpos occidentalis common snowberry with 30 canopy cover showing young plants for replacement of older ones while also having a trace of Salix exigua sandbar willow present but represented only by older mature individuals We feel that the failure of the willow to regenerate even though there is only a small amount is very important in the health evaluation but by including the snowberry and willow together on this polygon the condition of the willow would be hidden overwhelmed by the larger amount of snowberry For shrubs in general seedlings and saplings can be distinguished from mature plants as follows For those species having a mature height generally over 6 0 ft 1 8 m seedlings and saplings are those individuals less than 6 0 ft 1 8 m tall For species normally not exceeding 6 0 ft 1 8 m seedlings and saplings
24. e to identify where the work is being done Note Items A7a h are completed in the office field evaluators need not complete these items A7 The several parts of this item identify various ways in which a data record may represent a resampling of a polygon that may have been inventoried again at some other time The data in this record may have been collected on an area that coincides precisely with an area inventoried at another time and recorded as another record in the database It may also represent the resampling of only a part of an area previously sampled This would include the case where this polygon overlaps but does not precisely and entirely coincide with one inventoried at another time One other case is where more than one polygon inventoried one year coincides with a single polygon inventoried another year All of these cases are represented in the database and all have some value for monitoring purposes in that they give some information on how the status on a site changes over time A7a Does this record represent the latest data recorded for this polygon A7b Has any part of the area within this polygon been inventoried previously or subsequently as represented by another data record in the Lotic Wetland database Such other records would logically carry different dates A7c Does the areal extent of this polygon exactly coincide with that of any other inventory represented in the Lotic Wetland database In many cases subseque
25. echnology Donald M Kent editor CRC Press Inc Lewis Publishers Boca Raton Florida USA 436 p Kovalchik Bernard L 1987 Riparian zone associations Deschutes Ochoco Fremont and Winema National Forests USDA Forest Service Region 6 Ecology Technical Paper 279 87 Pacific Northwest Region Portland Oregon USA 171 p Mitsch William J and James G Gosselink 1993 Wetlands Second Edition Van Nostrand Reinhold Publishers New York New York USA 722 p Padgett Wayne G Andrew P Youngblood and Alma H Winward 1989 Riparian community type classification of Utah and southeastern Idaho USDA Forest Service Region 4 Ecology 89 01 Intermountain Research Station Ogden Utah USA 191 p Pfankuch D J 1975 Stream reach inventory and channel stability evaluation USDA Forest Service RI 75 002 Government Printing Office 696 260 200 Washington DC USA 26 pp Platts W S C Armour G D Booth M Bryant J L Bufford P Cuplin S Jensen G W Lienkaemper G W Minshall S B Monsen R L Nelson J R Sedell and J S Tuhy 1987 Methods for evaluating riparian habitats with applications to management USDA Forest Service General Technical Report INT 221 Intermountain Research Station Ogden Utah USA 187 p Reed Porter B Jr 1988 National list of plant species that occur in wetlands Northwest Region 9 US Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Report 88 26 9 USDI Fish and Wildlife Service Research an
26. ented If known record the successional stage 1 e early seral mid seral late seral and climax or give other comments about the type As a minimum list all types which cover 5 or more of the polygon The total must approximate 100 Slight deviations due to use of class codes or to omission of types covering less than 5 of the polygon are allowed Note For any area classified as an unclassified wetland type it is important to list any species present which can indicate the wetness or dryness of the site Optional Physical Site Characteristics Items D1 D14 may be answered at the discretion of the user D1 Answer Yes if the site has habitat types or community types characterized by tree or tall shrub species Tall shrubs do not include the snowberries Symphoricarpos spp wild rose Rosa woodsii silver sagebrush Artemisia cana and greasewood Sarcobatus vermiculatus D2 Record the rating category which best describes the vegetation use by animals Platts and others 1987 Do not record a specific percent within a category Code Category Description 0 to 25 Vegetation use is light or none Almost all plant biomass at the current development stage remains Vegetative cover is close to that which would occur without use Unvegetated areas such as bedrock are not a result of land uses 26 to 50 Vegetation use is moderate At least half the potential plant biomass remains Average stubble height is more than half
27. ey certainly perform wetland functions resulting from the greater amount of water that accumulates on or near the soil surface relative to the adjacent uplands Examples include some woody draws occupied by the Fraxinus pennsylvanica Prunus virginiana green ash common chokecherry habitat type and some floodplain sites occupied by the Artemisia cana Agropyron smithii silver sagebrush western wheatgrass habitat type or the Populus tremuloides Cornus stolonifera aspen red osier dogwood habitat type Currently many of these sites fail to meet jurisdictional wetland criteria Nevertheless these functional wetlands provide important wetland functions vital to wetland dependent species and may warrant special managerial consideration The current interpretation is that not all functional wetlands are jurisdictional wetlands but that all jurisdictional wetlands are functional wetlands Lotic Riparian Health of River Systems As noted above the health of a lotic site a wetland adjacent to flowing water may be defined as the ability of that system to perform certain wetland functions These functions include sediment trapping bank building and maintenance water storage aquifer recharge flow energy dissipation maintenance of biotic diversity and primary biotic production A site s health rating may also reflect management considerations For example although Cirsium arvense Canada thistle or Euphorbia esula leafy spurge may help to trap sediment
28. he total polygon is covered by woody plants Scoring 3 More than 50 of the total area is occupied by woody species 2 25 to 50 of the total area is occupied by woody species 1 5 to 25 of the total area is occupied by woody species 0 Less than 5 of the total area is occupied by woody species 2 Invasive Plant Species Invasive plants noxious weeds are alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm Without regard to whether the disturbance that allowed their establishment is natural or human caused weed presence indicates a degrading ecosystem While some of these species may contribute to some riparian functions their negative impacts reduce overall site health This item assesses the degree and extent to which the site is infested by noxious weeds The term infestation is used to mean that area where the presence of invasive species is cause for managerial concern It is a function of density distribution as well as abundance of the weeds In determining the health score all invasive species are considered collectively not individually A weed list should be used that is standard for the locality and that indicates which species are being considered Form current as of 6 13 03 11 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals For each weed species observed record two things 1 its canopy cover as a percentage of the area of the site and 2 its density distribution cla
29. ined in the office using a planimeter dot grid or GIS For polygons too small to be accurately drawn as enclosed units on the map and that are represented by line segments on the map along the drainage bottom polygon size is calculated using polygon length and average polygon width items C5 and D7 C3a d Evaluators may be asked to survey some areas that have not been determined to be wetlands for the purpose of making such a determination Other polygons include areas supporting non wetland vegetation types A Yes answer here indicates that no part of the polygon keys to a riparian habitat type or community type HT CT Areas classified in item C8 as any vegetation type described in a riparian and or wetland classification document for the region in which you are working are counted as functional wetlands Areas listed as UNCLASSIFIED WETLAND TYPE are also counted as functional wetlands Other areas are counted as non wetlands or uplands The functional wetland fraction of the polygon area is listed in item C3c in acres and as a percentage of the entire polygon area in item C3d C4 Some riparian areas do not contain an unvegetated defined stream channel In some cases these polygons are in ephemeral systems which may flow infrequently but which do support riparian plant communities In other cases these polygons may be associated with larger river systems that have wide floodplains where polygons may be delineated in areas not adjacent to
30. ing bank building and maintenance water storage aquifer recharge flow energy dissipation maintenance of biotic diversity and primary production Excellent sources of practical ideas and tips on good management of these streamside wetland sites are found in Caring for the Green Zone Adams and Fitch 1995 Riparian Areas A User s Guide to Health Fitch and Ambrose 2003 In Saskatchewan some excellent resources are Streambank Stewardship Your Guide to Caring For Riparian Areas in Saskatchewan Huel 1998 and Managing Saskatchewan Wetlands A Landowner s Guide Huel 2000 Flowing Water Lotic Wetlands vs Still Water Lentic Wetlands Cowardin and others 1979 point out that no single correct definition for wetlands exists primarily due to the nearly unlimited variation in hydrology soil and vegetative types Wetlands are lands transitional between aquatic water and terrestrial upland ecosystems Windell and others 1986 state that wetlands are part of a continuous landscape that grades from wet to dry In many cases it is not easy to determine precisely where they begin and where they end In the semi arid and arid portions of western North America a useful distinction has been made between wetland types based on association with different aquatic ecosystems Several authors have used lotic and lentic to separate wetlands associated with running water from those associated with still water The following definitions represent
31. ing data for any aerial photos used on this polygon Selected Summary Data C1 Wetland type is a categorical description of predominant polygon character Select from the following list of categories that may occur within a lotic system the one that best characterizes the majority of the polygon Observers will select only one category as representative of the entire polygon If significant amounts of other categories are present indicate this in the last item Comments and Observations or consider dividing the original polygon into two or more polygons Category Description River Rivers are generally larger than streams They flow year around in years of normal precipitation and when significant amounts of water are not being diverted out of them Those watercourses called rivers on USGS 7 5 minute topo quads and or those having bankfull channel widths greater than 50 ft 15 m will be classified as rivers for the purpose of this inventory Nonriparian Upland This designation is for those areas which are included in the inventoried polygon but which do not support functional wetland vegetation communities Such areas may be undisturbed inclusions of naturally occurring high ground or such disturbed high ground as roadways and other elevated sites of human activity Other Describe the water source C2 The size acres hectares of polygons large enough to be drawn as enclosed units on 1 20 000 or 1 50 000 scale maps is determ
32. inition satisfactory to all users has not yet been developed because the definition depends on the objectives and the field of interest However scientists generally agree that wetlands are characterized by one or more of the following features 1 wetland hydrology the driving force creating all wetlands 2 hydric soils an indicator of the absence of oxygen and 3 hydrophytic vegetation an indicator of wetland site conditions The problem is how to define and obtain consensus on thresholds for these three criteria and various combinations of them Wetlands are not easily identified and delineated for jurisdictional purposes Functional definitions have generally been difficult to apply to the regulation of wetland dredging or filling Although the intent of legislation is to protect wetland functions the current delineation of jurisdictional wetland still relies upon structural features or attributes The hydrogeomorphic HGM approach being developed by the US Corps of Engineers is intended to focus more specifically on wetland functions The prevailing view among many wetland scientists is that functional wetlands need to meet only one of the three criteria as outlined by Cowardin and others 1979 e g hydric soils hydrophytic plants and wetland hydrology On the other hand jurisdictional wetlands need to meet all three criteria except in limited situations Even though functional wetlands may not meet jurisdictional wetland requirements th
33. its potential at the present stage of development 51to 75 Vegetation use is high Less than half the potential plant biomass remains Plant stubble height is usually more than 2 inches on many ranges 76 to 100 Vegetation use is very high Only short stubble remains usually less than 2 inches on many ranges Almost all potential plant biomass has been removed Only the root systems and parts of the stems remain D3 Record average width of the polygon which on smaller streams corresponds to the width of the riparian zone To determine this width subtract the width of the non vegetated stream channel item D3 from the distance between the two opposite riparian upland boundaries In the case of very wide systems where the polygon inventoried does not extend across the full width of the riparian zone e g area with riparian vegetation communities lies outside the polygon record the average width of the polygon inventoried and make note of the situation in the comments Water Quality Data Note This category items E1 E7 currently applies only to inventories conducted in the United States Data will be entered in the office E1 E2 For Montana this information can be obtained from the current state 303 d list of impaired waters maintained by Montana Department of Environmental Quality In other states contact the appropriate agency E3 Enter High Medium or Low for TMDL development priority Obtain from current federal state 303
34. ly impact many functions of a riparian ecosystem These alterations disrupt vegetative communities alter bank integrity constrict flows to the immediate channel and otherwise change the natural system dynamics Observers should consider both sides of all active channels when estimating the amount of total bank length altered by these activities Scoring 9 Less than 10 of the bank length has been restructured by human activity 6 10 to 25 of the bank length has been restructured by human activity 3 25 to 50 of the bank length has been restructured by human activity 0 More than 50 of the bank length has been restructured by human activity 16 Floodplain Accessibility Many of the most important functions of a riparian ecosystem depend upon the ability of the channel to access its floodplain during high flows This access is restricted by levees and other human constructed embankments such as roadbeds Observers should determine what fraction of the historic 100 year floodplain remains unrestricted by such embankments This can usually be determined by comparing the area within the embankments as shown on the latest photos or Form current as of 6 13 03 14 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals maps available to the area within the FEMA US Federal emergency Management Agency 100 year floodplain map of the reach Scoring 6 More than 85 of the floodplain is accessible to flood flows 4 65 to 85
35. ment section For example Russian olive 10 Elaeagnus angustifolia Russian olive Tamarix chinensis Tamarisk Scoring 3 Less than 5 of total woody coverage in the reach consists of exotic undesirable woody species 2 5 to 25 of total woody coverage in the reach consists of exotic undesirable woody species 1 25 to 50 of total woody coverage in the reach consists of exotic undesirable woody species 0 More than 50 of total woody coverage in the reach consists of exotic undesirable woody species 11 Riverbank Root Mass Protection The vegetation along rivers performs the primary physical functions of stabilizing the soil with a deep binding root mass and filtering sediments from overland flow All tree and shrub species are considered to have deep binding root masses Although certain herbaceous species may provide protection on smaller streams their value along rivers is limited thus this item considers only woody species root mass protection For this item consider the riverbank to be the area extending from the toe of the bank to approximately 9 ft 3 m beyond the top of the bank The bank top is that point where the upper bank levels off to the relatively flat surface of a floodplain or terrace Note Omit from consideration those banks that are stabilized by rip rap Scoring 6 More than 85 of the riverbank has a deep binding root mass 4 65 to 85 of the riverbank has a deep binding root mass 2 35 to 6
36. n F3a c Record similar information as in items Ela c for photos taken at the downstream end or in the lower half of the polygon F4 Record the brand of film film speed camera lens size and lens focal length FACTORS FOR ASSESSING RIVER FLOODPLAIN HEALTH 1 Cottonwood Regeneration from Seed Because cottonwoods are so important to many of the functions of rivers of western North America there is reason to look at the sexual reproduction from seed as opposed to asexual reproduction or root suckering of these species as a fraction of the total canopy cover of all the cottonwood trees in the polygon This reproduction success can be determined by estimating the established seedling and sapling cover expressed as percentage of the overall cover of the species on the site Note For this item include plants taller than 1 ft 29 cm in height but less than 5 inches 12 5 cm in dbh diameter at breast height 4 5 ft 1 35 m If the polygon is on the outside of a long meander curve where depositional material is not expected replace both Actual Score and Possible Score with NA Scoring 6 More than 15 of the cottonwood cover is established seedlings and saplings 4 5 to 15 of the cottonwood cover is established seedlings and saplings 2 Up to 5 of the cottonwood cover is established seedlings and saplings 0 None of the cottonwood cover is established seedlings and saplings 2 Regeneration of other Tree Species As
37. ng a river may be more difficult to implement than actions appropriate for smaller riparian areas This characteristic of river systems argues for the larger watershed approach which is increasingly being taken to address riverine ecosystems The manager should realize that while certain factors affecting function of the river on his site may be outside his control the system health is nevertheless degraded by such factors as Dewatering of the River System and Control of Flood Peak Timing by Upstream Dam s even though these are occurring off his property upstream His only recourse may be to lobby for a more cooperative integrated approach to management of the whole system While a less than perfect score is not always cause for great concern and an area rating at 80 is considered to be functioning properly the scores of individual factors on the form can be useful in detecting strengths or weaknesses of a site A low score on any factor may warrant management focus For example the sample shown above has low scores for Cottonwood Regeneration from Seed Dewatering of the River System and Control of Flood Peak Timing by Upstream Form current as of 6 13 03 15 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals Dam s items 1 13 and 14 Of these factors the manager might bring improvement to 1 by changing timing of grazing 17 Trend Select a category Improving Degrading Static or Status Unknown
38. nsity distribution in a class from 1 to 3 AND less than 1 of site area is infested 2 Weed density distribution in a class from 4 to 7 AND less than 15 of site area is infested 0 Weed density distribution in class 8 or higher OR 15 or more of the site area is infested 8 Disturbance increaser Undesirable Herbaceous Species Score 3 Less than 5 of the reach covered by disturbance increaser undesirable herbaceous species 2 5 to 25 of the reach covered by disturbance increaser undesirable herbaceous species 1 25 to 50 of the reach covered by disturbance increaser undesirable herbaceous species 0 More than 50 of the reach covered by disturbance increaser undesirable herbaceous species 9 Presence of Native Graminoids Score 3 More than 50 of the reach is covered by native graminoid species 2 25 to 50 of the reach is covered by native graminoid species 1 5 to 25 of the reach is covered by native graminoid species 0 Less than 5 or less of the reach is covered by native graminoid species Form current as of 6 13 03 18 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals 10 Exotic Undesirable Woody Species Score 3 Less than 5 of total woody coverage in reach consists of exotic undesirable woody species 2 5 to 25 of total woody coverage in reach consists of exotic undesirable woody species 1 25 to 50 of total woody coverage in reach consists of exotic undesirable woody species 0 More than
39. nt inventories only partially overlap spatially The purpose of this question is to identify those records that can be compared as representing exactly the same ground area A7d If A7c is answered Yes then enter the years of any inventories of this exact polygon Ae If A7c is answered Yes also enter the record ID number s of any other previous or subsequent reinventories resamplings of this exact polygon for purposes of cross reference in the database A7f Even though this polygon is not a re inventory of the exact same area as any other polygon does it share at least some common area with one or more polygons inventoried at another time Form current as of 6 13 03 5 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals A7g If A7f is answered Yes enter the years of any other inventories of polygons sharing common area with this one A7h If A7f is answered Yes also enter the record ID number s of any other polygon s sharing common area with this one A8a Has a management change been implemented on this polygon A8b If A8a is answered Yes in what year was the management change implemented A8c If A8a is answered Yes describe the management change implemented Location Data B1 Province in which the field work is being done B2a b Identify the Natural Region and Sub Region in which the field work is being done Use the Natural Regions and Subregions of Alberta Alberta Natural Heri
40. of the floodplain is accessible to flood flows 2 35 to 65 of the floodplain is accessible to flood flows 0 More than 35 or less of the floodplain is accessible to flood flows Calculating the Riparian Health Score The scores are totalled for all the factors rated and that total is divided by the possible perfect score Below is a sample score sheet A sample score sheet of a riparian site along a major river Vegetation Factors Actual Pts Possible Pts 1 Cottonwood Regeneration from Seed 2 Regeneration of other Tree Species 3 Shrub Regeneration 4 Standing Decadent and Dead Woody Material 5 Tree and Shrub Utilization 6 Total Canopy Cover of Woody Species 7 Invasive Herbaceous Species 8 Disturbance increaser Undesirable Herbaceous Species 9 Presence of Native Graminoids 10 Exotic Undesirable Woody Species NiwNyNBNNNNNN RIWBwWwnqnwwwnwnwna Vegetative Score Soil Hydrology Factors Actual Pts Possible Pts 11 Riverbank Root Mass Protections 12 Human Caused Bare Ground 13 Dewatering of the River System 14 Control of Flood Peak Timing by Upstream Dam s 15 Human Alterations to the Riverbanks 16 Floodplain Accessibility N DIDNDAWWAA A WCA EN Soil Hydrology Score TOTAL SCORE 51 81 Rating Total Actual Total Possible X 100 Rating 51 81 X 100 63 Because of their size and the cumulative effects from upstream as well as downstream impacts management of individual reaches alo
41. ordinate to the minor watershed named above in B10b Form current as of 6 13 03 6 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals B11a c Universal Transverse Mercator UTM coordinates are recorded for the upper and lower ends of the polygon using GPS units in the field Other locations of special interest may be recorded using the GPS unit These coordinates are considered accurate to within approximately 50 m Field observers are to use GPS units to obtain these coordinates following standard protocol Record UTM coordinates at each end of the long axis of the polygon Enter the UTM coordinate data including the UTM zone and the identifying waypoint number on the form for each point collected Save the data in the GPS unit for downloading to the computer later When starting work in a new location always check the GPS receiving unit against a known point by using the UTM grid and map B11d e Identify the GPS unit used and the name or number designator of the waypoints saved for the upper and lower ends of the polygon and for other locations Describe any comments worth noting about the waypoints i e monument referenced or general location descriptions B12a c Record the name s scale and publication year of the quadrangle map s or any other map s locating the polygon Use precisely the name listed on the map sheet Provision is made for listing two maps in case the polygon crosses between two maps B13 Record identify
42. osystems American Fisheries Society Bethesda Maryland USA 24 p Boldt Charles D Daniel W Uresk and Keith E Severson 1978 Riparian woodlands in jeopardy on Northern High Plains In Strategies for protection and management of floodplain wetlands and other riparian ecosystems R R Johnson and J F McCormick Technical Coordinators USDA Forest Service General Technical Report WO 12 Washington DC USA pp 184 189 Cooperrider Allen Y Raymond J Boyd and Hanson R Stuart 1986 Inventory and monitoring of wildlife habitat USDI Bureau of Land Management Denver Service Center Denver Colorado USA 858 p Cowardin L M V Carter F C Golet and E T LaRoe 1979 Classification of wetlands and deep water habitats of the United States USDI Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Biological Services Washington DC USA Publication Number FWS OBS 79 31 107 p Cows and Fish 2001 Invasive Weed and Disturbance caused Herbaceous Species List For Use in Riparian Health Assessment and Inventory in Alberta draft Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Program Lethbridge Alberta Canada Environmental Laboratory 1987 Corps of Engineers wetlands delineation manual Technical Report Y 87 1 US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station Vicksburg Mississippi USA 100 p Federal Interagency Committee for Wetland Delineation 1989 Federal manual for identifying and delineating jurisdictional wetlands US Army Corps of Engineers
43. re being asked to improve or maintain lotic riparian habitat and stream water quality on lands throughout western North America Three questions that are generally asked about a wetland site are 1 What is the potential of the site e g climax or potential natural community 2 What plant communities currently occupy the site and 3 What is the overall health condition of the site For a lotic flowing water site the first two questions can be answered by using the Alberta Lotic Wetland Inventory Form along with Classification and Management of Riparian and Wetland Sites of Alberta s Grassland Natural Region Thompson and Hansen 2002 or a similar publication written for the region in which you are working For riparian areas along rivers approximately 50 ft 15 m or more in width this is a method for rapidly addressing the third question above what is the site s overall health condition It provides a site rating useful for setting management priorities and stratifying riparian sites for remedial action or more rigorous analytical attention It is intended to serve as a first approximation or coarse filter by which to identify riparian areas along rivers in need of closer attention so that managers can more efficiently concentrate their efforts We use the term riparian health to mean the ability of a riparian area including the channel and its riparian zone to perform certain functions These functions include sediment trapp
44. rub cover is seedlings and saplings 2 1 to 5 of the preferred shrub cover is seedlings and saplings 1 Less than 1 of the preferred shrub cover is seedlings and saplings 0 None of the preferred shrub cover is seedlings and saplings 4 Standing Decadent and Dead Woody Material Score 3 Less than 5 of the total canopy cover of woody species is decadent or dead 2 5 to 25 of total canopy cover of woody species is decadent or dead 1 25 to 50 of total canopy cover of woody species is decadent or dead 0 More than 50 of total canopy cover of woody species is decadent or dead 5 Preferred Tree and Shrub Utilization Score 3 Less than 5 of 2nd year and older available leaders of preferred species browsed 2 5 to 25 of 2nd year and older available leaders of preferred species browsed 1 25 to 50 of 2nd year and older available leaders of preferred species browsed 0 More than 50 of 2nd year and older available leaders of preferred species browsed 6 Total Canopy Cover of Woody Species Score 3 More than 50 of the total area is occupied by woody species 2 25 to 50 of the total area is occupied by woody species 1 5 to 25 of the total area is occupied by woody species 0 Less than 5 of the total area is occupied by woody species 7 Invasive Herbaceous Species Score Scoring Consider all weeds collectively without regard to individual species 6 No invasive species noxious weeds on the site 4 Weed de
45. s and user manuals 8 Disturbance increaser Undesirable Herbaceous Species A large cover of disturbance increaser undesirable herbaceous species native or exotic indicates displacement from the potential natural community PNC and a reduction in riparian health These species generally are less productive have shallow roots and poorly perform most riparian functions They usually result from some disturbance which removes more desirable species Invasive species considered in the previous item are not reconsidered here As in the previous item the evaluator should state the list of species considered A partial list of undesirable herbaceous species appropriate for use in Alberta follows The evaluator should list additional species included Antennaria spp pussy toes Hordeum jubatum foxtail barley Potentilla anserina silverweed Brassicaceae mustards Plantago spp plantains Taraxacum spp dandelion Bromus inermis smooth brome Poa pratensis Kentucky bluegrass Trifolium spp clovers Fragaria spp strawberries Scoring 3 Less than 5 of the reach covered by undesirable herbaceous species 2 5 to 25 of the reach covered by undesirable herbaceous species 1 25 to 50 of the reach covered by undesirable herbaceous species 0 More than 50 of the reach covered by undesirable herbaceous species 9 Presence of Native Graminoids Certain riparian functions i e primary forage production wildlife habitat
46. sation Many riparian woody species are browsed by livestock and or wildlife Heavy browsing of key palatable species Cornus stolonifera red osier dogwood Salix spp willows Populus spp cottonwoods and aspen Acer negundo box elder Fraxinus pennsylvanica green ash Prunus virginiana chokecherry and Amelanchier alnifolia serviceberry can shift the community to less palatable and less desirable species or entirely remove woody species from the site Therefore this item reflects both current site condition and successional direction of changes in the vegetation community One tree species Elaeagnus angustifolia Russian olive and four shrub genera Symphoricarpos spp snowberry Rosa spp rose Crataegus spp hawthorn and Tamarix spp salt cedar are excluded from the evaluation of utilisation of woody species These are plants that may reflect long term disturbance on a site that are generally less palatable to browsers and that tend to increase under long term moderate to heavy grazing pressure AND for which there is rarely any problem in maintaining presence on site Tamarix spp salt cedar is an especially noxious and aggressive exotic invader The main reason for excluding these plants is they are far more abundant on many sites than are species of greater concern i e Salix spp willows Cornus stolonifera red osier dogwood Amelanchier alnifolia serviceberry and many other taller native riparian species and
47. se and insect damage For instance severe winters may cause extreme die back of trees and shrubs and cyclic insect infestations may kill individuals in a stand In all these cases a high percentage of dead and decadent woody material reflects degraded vegetative health which may lead to reduced streambank integrity channel incisement excessive lateral cutting lowered production and limited wildlife habitat Scores are based on the percentage of total woody canopy cover which is decadent or dead not on the percentage of total polygon canopy cover represented by dead and decadent woody material For example woody vegetation may occupy 50 of the polygon You would then only look at what percent of the woody vegetation is decadent or dead Count only material which is standing not that which is lying on the ground Do not include the decadent and dead material of cottonwood trees which are decadent due to old age rough and furrowed bark extends substantially up into the crowns of the trees Scoring 3 Less than 5 of the total canopy cover of woody species is decadent or dead 2 5 to 25 of the total canopy cover of woody species is decadent or dead 1 25 to 50 of the total canopy cover of woody species is decadent or dead 0 More than 50 of the total canopy cover of woody species is decadent or dead Form current as of 6 13 03 10 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals 5 Preferred Tree and Shrub Species Utili
48. se channels that do contain more than 15 vegetative cover are included as part of the riparian vegetation Scoring 6 Less than 5 of the reach contains human caused bare ground 4 5 to 25 of the floodplain contains human caused bare ground 2 25 to 50 of the floodplain contains human caused bare ground 0 More than 50 of the floodplain contains human caused bare ground 13 Dewatering of the River System Proper functioning of any riparian ecosystem depends by definition upon the system supply of water The degree to which this lifeblood is artificially removed from the system is directly reflected in a reduction of riparian functions i e wetland plant community maintenance channel bank stability wildlife habitat overall system primary production etc Dewatering of the system can be estimated by determining the fraction of the average river discharge which is removed during the critical growing season each year This determination can be based upon gauging station records as they relate to historic flow records established before construction of diversions This question only deals with irrigation withdrawals from a river segment The question of dams controlling the timing of peak runoff is taken care of in the next question Scoring 9 Less than 10 of average river discharge during the critical growing season is removed 6 10 to 25 of average river discharge during the critical growing season is removed 3 25
49. ss Choose a class from the chart below Figure 2 that best represents its density distribution i e pattern of presence The site s health rating on this item combines two factors weed density distribution class and total canopy cover A perfect score of 6 out of 6 points can only be achieved if the site is weed free A score of 4 out of the 6 points means the weed problem is just beginning i e very few weeds and small total canopy cover less than 1 A moderate weed problem gets 2 out of 6 points It has a moderately dense weed plant distribution a class between 4 and 7 and moderate total weed canopy cover between 1 and 15 A site scores 0 points if the density distribution is in class 8 or higher or if the total weed canopy cover is 15 or more For example leafy spurge may have canopy cover 0 5 and density distribution class 3 a single patch Canada thistle may have canopy cover 10 0 and density distribution class 10 continuous uniform occurrence of well spaced individuals Record the same two things for the total of all weed species considered collectively Total weeds would have canopy cover 10 0 and density distribution class 10 continuous uniform occurrence of well spaced individuals This site would score 0 out of the 6 possible points for this item using the scoring schedule below DISTRIBUTION DESCRIPTION OF ABUNDANCE PATTERN No invasive plants on the polygon Rare occurrence A fe
50. succession progresses on a riparian site the pioneer cottonwood and shrub communities are replaced by later seral communities if river dynamics allow enough time If the site is not de watered or otherwise disturbed this progression is often to communities dominated by other native tree species Depending upon dynamics of the system how fast the channel migrates laterally the potential may exist for equilibrium at different locations along the river between younger those dominated by young cottonwoods and willows communities and older communities with aging cottonwoods and later seral species such as Acer negundo box elder Fraxinus pennsylvanica green ash Populus tremuloides quaking aspen Pseudotsuga menziesii Douglas fir and Juniperus scopulorum Rocky Mountain juniper Note Seedlings and saplings of these species include individuals which are less than 3 inches 7 5 cm in dbh with the exception of Pseudotsuga menziesii Douglas fir for which saplings go up to 5 inch 12 5 cm dbh If the polygon is a newly formed island where all plant communities are in an early successional stage and where no later successional species are expected to be present at this time replace both Actual Score and Possible Score with NA The health of a population can be based on current regeneration success without having to determine the exact potential distribution between cottonwoods and the other tree species on a site This regeneration success can
51. tage Information Centre 1999 B3 County or municipal district in which the field work is being done B4a The city town or village in which the field work is being done B4b The subdivision in which the field work is being done B4c The subdivision block in which the field work is being done B4d The subdivision lot on which the field work is being done B5 Identify the allotment range unit or landowner where the field work is being done B6 Name the waterbody or area on which the field work is being done B7 Polygon number is a sequential identifier of the actual piece of land being surveyed This is referenced to the map delineations B8 The location of the polygon is presented as a legal land description 1 4 1 4 section 1 4 section Township Range and Meridian are read from smallest to largest unit B9 Elevation feet or meters of the polygon centroid Elevation is usually interpolated from a topographic map B10a Name the major watershed e g North Saskatchewan River of which the site being surveyed is a part B10b Name the minor watershed e g Battle River of which the site being surveyed is a part This is normally subordinate to the major watershed named above in B10a B10c d The minor watershed area km and perimeter km are obtained from the map in the office p B10e Name the sub basin e g Iron Creek This is the local watershed of which the site being surveyed is a part This is normally sub
52. the channel C5 Channel length the length of channel contained within or adjacent to the polygon is measured by scaling from the map This data is considered accurate to the nearest 0 1 mile 0 16 km Form current as of 6 13 03 7 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals C6 In some cases the polygon record is used to characterize or represent a larger portion of a stream system The length represented by the polygon is given here For example a 0 5 mile 0 8 km polygon may be used to represent 4 miles 6 4 km of a stream In this case 0 5 mile 0 8 km is the channel length of the polygon item C5 and 4 miles 6 4 km is entered in item C6 C7 List the riparian habitat type s and or community type s found in the polygon Hansen and others 1995 or another appropriate publication If the habitat type cannot be determined for a portion of the polygon list the appropriate community type s of that portion If neither the habitat type nor community type can be determined for any portion of the polygon or in areas outside of Montana where the habitat and community types have not been named and described list the area in question as unclassified wetland type and give the dominant species present Indicate with the appropriate abbreviation if these are habitat types HT community types CT or dominance types DT for example PPEMEN CORSTO HT For each type listed estimate the percent of the polygon repres
53. they may mask the ecological significance of a small amount of a heavily utilised species of greater concern FOR EXAMPLE A polygon may have Symphoricarpos occidentalis common snowberry with 30 canopy cover showing only light utilization while also having a trace of Salix exigua sandbar willow present showing heavy utilisation We feel that although there is only a small amount of willow present the fact that it is being heavily utilized is very important to the health evaluation By including the snowberry and willow together on this polygon the condition of the willow would be hidden overwhelmed by the larger amount of snowberry When estimating degree of utilisation count browsed second year and older leaders on representative plants of woody species normally browsed by ungulates Do not count current year s use since this may not accurately reflect actual use because significant browsing can occur late in the season after the evaluation Only record a score for that portion of the woody material that is currently available for browse If the woody material is too high for browsing by wildlife or livestock then do not include it in the scoring Determine percentage by comparing the number of leaders browsed with the total number of leaders available those within animal reach on a representative sample at least three plants of each tree and shrub species present Do not include utilisation of dead plants unless it is clear this condition
54. tive changes For example extensive incisement down cutting of a stream channel may lower the water table and thus change site potential from a Salix lutea Cornus stolonifera yellow willow red osier dogwood habitat type to an Bromus inermis smooth brome community type or even to an upland non riparian type Sites experiencing significant hydrologic edaphic soil or climatic changes will likely also have a change in plant community potential Form current as of 6 13 03 2 Check www cowsandfish org for latest forms and user manuals This river health assessment attempts to balance the need for a simple quick index of health against the reality of an infinite variety of wetland situations Although this approach will not always work perfectly we believe in most cases it will yield a usefully accurate index of riparian health Some more rigorous methods to determine status of a river s channel morphology are Dunne and Leopold 1978 Pfankuch 1975 and Rosgen 1996 These relate their ratings to degree of channel degradation but do not integrate other riparian functions into the rating Other methods are available for determining condition from perspectives that also include vegetation most notably the USDI Bureau of Land Management BLM proper functioning condition PFC methodology 1998 This river health assessment method is not designed for an in depth and comprehensive analysis of ecologic processes Such analysis may be warranted on
55. w sporadically occurring individual plants A single patch A single patch plus a few sporadically occurring plants Several sporadically occurring plants A single patch plus several sporadically occurring plants A few patches A few patches plus several sporadically occurring plants Several well spaced patches Continuous uniform occurrence of well spaced plants Continuous occurrence of plants with a few gaps in the distribution Continuous dense occurrence of plants Continuous occurrence of plants associated with a wetter or drier zone within the polygon Figure 2 Weed density distribution class guidelines Scoring Consider all weeds collectively without regard to individual species 6 No invasive species noxious weeds on the site 4 Weed density distribution is in a class from 1 to 3 AND weed canopy cover is less than 1 2 Weed density distribution is in a class from 4 to 7 AND weed canopy cover is less than 15 0 Weed density distribution is in class 8 or higher OR weed canopy cover is 15 or more NOTE Prior to the 2001 season the health score for weed infestation was assessed from a single numerical value that does not represent weed canopy cover but instead represents the fraction of the polygon area on which weeds had a well established population of individuals i e the area infested Form current as of 6 13 03 12 Check www cowsandfish org for latest form
56. was the result of over grazing Do not include stems cut by beaver activity Scoring If the site has no potential for trees or shrubs except for the species listed above to be excluded replace both Actual Score and Possible Score with NA If the observer is not fairly certain potential exists for preferred trees or shrubs then enter NC and explain in the comment field below 3 None 0 to 5 of available second year and older leaders of preferred species are browsed 2 Light 5 to 25 of available second year and older leaders of preferred species are browsed 1 Moderate 25 to 50 of available second year and older leaders of preferred species are browsed 0 Heavy More than 50 of available second year and older leaders of preferred species are browsed 6 Total Canopy Cover of Woody Species Woody species play a critical role in riverbank integrity Natural riverbanks are protected by large bank rock e g boulders and cobbles and by woody vegetation On floodplains comprised primarily of fine textured materials which are typical of many western rivers tiverbanks are protected only by the woody vegetation In these cases it is critically important to manage for healthy woody vegetation Woody vegetation also traps sediment helps to reduce velocity of flood waters protects the soil from extreme temperatures and provides wildlife habitat Note Unlike other items dealing with woody plants this item focuses on how much of t
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