Developing a Cooperative Wetland Condition Assessment for the

Nanticoke WatershedThe Research Stage

David BleilMD

Department of Natural Resources

Project Goals

• Develop Skills in Wetland Condition Surveying at the Watershed Level.

• Develop a consistent data set of known quality and maximum usefulness.

• Add Wetland Condition to Department’s landscape focus.

• Meet CWA Sect. 305 (b) reporting requirements for unmodified wetlands

Integration of Field and GIS Expertise

• Departmental Reorganization Integration of field evaluation staff and GIS landscape analysis and remote sensing staff.

• Departmental focus on watershed- based integrated resource management

Developing A Cooperative Interstate Venture in the

Nanticoke• Data Sharing

agreements –MSGICC requirements

• Data acquisition for Level 1 assessments

• Prior HGM reclassification of Nanticoke wetlands by NWI.

• Cooperative scheduling of field work & training

• Cooperative protocol development for level 2 & 3 assessment

Working with Volunteers

• Part of the initial plan• Requires resources to recruit, train, organize &

equip -- no free lunch!• Can supplement staff expertise• Builds public support• Liability issues are not trivial

– State vehicle policy– Health & safety

• Volunteers can easily work across political boundaries

Maximizing Data Usefulness across state

agencies• DNR

– Integrated resource assessment – quality of natural systems

– Watershed Restoration Action Strategies

– Green Infrastructure assessment

• MDE– Regulatory focus– Site specific

applications– impacts and restorations

– Water quality monitoring responsibilities

Optimizing Data Usefulness Within State

Agencies• Integration of spatially

random sample design for wetland condition surveys with the MD Biological Stream Survey.

• Integration with the stream condition surveys of WRAS development

• Integration of tiered assessment approach and level 3 vegetation sampling with the Green Infrastructure ground truth assessment.

• Integration of wetland condition field data with GIS analysis.

Lessons learned

To be applied

Water in the wetlands may be visible and measurable

only during portions of a year

Index of condition will be based on vegetation.

Vegetation is impacted by hydrology.

Vegetation impacts hydrology

Now you seeNow you see it…

And now you don’t

Level 1 – GIS Assessment

• Nanticoke study benefited from recent NWI update – data not available statewide yet.

• Limits of accuracy of level 1 set by spatial data quality and currency.– Field verification is required even for “non-

impacted” wetlands– Wetlands are embedded in a dynamic landscape

and react to their surroundings.

Key:

Red Outline= NWI boundaries

Red dots = GPS points

Black line = SHA road

Future needs

• Improved spatial data: resolution, positional accuracy, temporal accuracy

• Extended HGM classification of wetlands maps statewide

• Additional botanical expertise for field staff