The Need for Restoration I

The Need for Restoration I

1. US-EPA Atlas of America’s Polluted Waters2. Restoration definitions3. National River Restoration Science Synthesis

1. 2000 EPA Survey of U.S. Streams

“Good” Water quality will support designated uses“Good but threatened” Shows a declining trend in water quality and will be

impaired in the future“Polluted” Water body does not support one or more designated uses

US-EPA National Water Quality Inventory: Report to Congress 2002 Reporting Cycle

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA 840-B-00-002) May 2000Atlas of America’s Polluted Waters

Leading Causes of Water Quality Impairment (EPA)

• Pathogens14%

• Mercury 12• Metals (other than Mercury) 10• Nutrients 9• Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion 8• Sediment 8• Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) 8• pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions 5• Cause Unknown - Impaired Biota 4• Temperature 4• Turbidity 4• Pesticides 2• Salinity/Total Dissolved Solids/Chlorides/Sulfates 2• Unknown 2

% of cases reportedas of 2010

Leading Causes of

Water Quality

Impairment (EPA),2002

US-EPA National Water Quality Inventory: Report to Congress 2002 Reporting Cycle

Leading Causes of Water Quality Impairment (EPA)

• Pathogens 15%

• Sediment 11• Nutrients 11• Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion 9• Habitat Alterations 9• Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) 8• Metals (other than Mercury) 7• Flow Alteration(s) 6• Mercury 5• Temperature 5• Cause Unknown 5• Salinity/Total Dissolved Solids/Chlorides/Sulfates 3• Cause Unknown - Impaired Biota 3• pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions 3

% of river miles affectedas of 2010

Leading Sources of

Water Quality

Impairment (EPA),2002

US-EPA National Water Quality Inventory: Report to Congress 2002 Reporting Cycle

WQ ImpairmentSedimentPathogensHabitat AlterationMetalsNutrients

Leading Sources of Water Quality Impairment (EPA)

• Agriculture 17%• Unknown 13• Atmospheric Deposition 11• Hydromodification 10• Natural/Wildlife 9• Unspecified Nonpoint Source 7• Municipal Dishcarges/Sewage 6• Habitat Alterations (Not Hydromod.) 6• Urban-Related Runoff/Stormwater 5• Resource Extraction 4• Silviculture (Forestry) 3

% of river miles affectedas of 2010

WQ ImpairmentSedimentPathogensHabitat AlterationMetalsNutrients

US-EPA National Water Quality Inventory: Report to Congress 2002 Reporting Cycle

Biological Condition of Wadeable Streams

(EPA), 2002

Implications of the EPA Survey to Stream Restoration

• Many impaired streams already identified, as well as the cause for and source of the impairment

• Data may not be reliable• Mobilized state agencies

Restoration Definitions

• Total maximum daily load—the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards, and an allocation of that amount to the pollutant's sources

Terms for “Restoration”Term Description Source Enhancement activities conducted in existing wetlands or other

aquatic resources which lead to an increase in one or more aquatic functions

manipulation of the physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of a wetland (disturbed or degraded) site to heighten, intensify, or improve specific function(s) or for a purpose such as water quality improvement, flood water retention, wildlife habitat, etc.

US Army Corps of Eng., US EPA

Mitigation restoring, replacing, or creating ecological habitats in one area to compensate for loss of natural habitats in another area due to development

avoiding, minimizing, or reducing ecosystem losses measures taken to reduce adverse impacts on the

environment

National Parks Services (NPS), US EPA

Reclamation Alters an area to bring it to a healthy state unlike the original ecosystem

National Parks Service

(compiled by Colleen Bronner)

Term Description Source Rehabilitation altering a degraded habitat in order to improve

ecological function manipulation of the physical, chemical, or biological

characteristics of a site with the goal of repairing natural/historic functions of degraded wetland

US EPA

Remediation Process of correcting environmental degradation National Parks Service

Restoration re-establishment of wetland and/or other aquatic resource characteristics and function(s) at a site where they have ceased to exist, or exist in a substantially degraded state

the goal of a natural resource damage assessment, which involves rehabilitating, replacing, or aqcquiring the equivalent of injured natural resources and the services they provided (includes both primary and compensatory restoration projects)

altering an area in such a way as to reestablish an ecosystem’s structure and function, usually bringing it back to its original (pre-disturbance) state or to a healthy state close to the original

measures taken to return a site to pre-violation conditions; the manipulation of the physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of a site with the goal of returning natural/historic functions to former or degraded wetland

US Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA, National Parks Services, US EPA

(compiled by Colleen Bronner)

Implications of Definitions to Stream Restoration

• A wide range of vocabulary currently is being used

• The correct vocabulary is critical for the effective establishment of restoration goals and measurements of success

3. National River RestorationScience Synthesis (NRRSS)

• 2001 working group to evaluate river restoration in the U.S.

• Summarize restoration activities– 37,000 records on river restoration projects from

~800 data sources – Efforts growing exponentially in the U.S., spending

more than $1B/yr

(Bernhardt et al., 2007)

Why– Water quality

management (26%)– In-stream habitat

improvement (18%)

(Bernhardt et al., 2007)

Primary Goals of Restoration

Where– Agriculture (46%)– Undeveloped watersheds,

wildlands, and protected areas (38%)

– Urban or suburban watersheds (29%)

– Privately owned (53%)

Riparian Management Activities

(Palmer et al., 2007)

Water Quality Management Activities

(Palmer et al., 2007)

Restoration Project Density, U.S.

No. of projects per 1,000 river km (Bernhardt et al. 2005)

Distribution of Activities

(Palmer et al., 2010)

Median Costs for Goal Categories

(Bernhardt et al., 2007)

NRRSSgoal category

Mediancost

Examples ofcommon restoration activities

Aesthetics/recreation/education (A/R/E) $63,000 Cleaning (e.g., trash removal)Bank stabilization (BS) $42,000 Revegetation, bank gradingChannel reconfiguration (CR) $120,000 Bank or channel reshapingDam removal/retrofit (DR/R) $98,000 RevegetationFish passage (FP) $30,000 Fish ladders installedFloodplain reconnection (FR) $207,000 Bank or channel reshapingFlow modification (FM) $198,000 Flow regime enhancementInstream habitat improvement (IHI) $20,000 Boulders/woody debris addedInstream species management (ISM) $77,000 Native species reintroductionLand acquisition (LA) $812,000  Riparian management (RM) $15,000 Livestock exclusionStormwater management (SM) $180,000 Wetland constructionWater quality management (WQM) $19,000 Riparian buffer

creation/maintenance

Cumulative Project Cost and Frequency

(Bernhardt et al., 2007)

NRRSS goal categoryAesthetics/recreation/education (A/R/E)Bank stabilization (BS)Channel reconfiguration (CR)Dam removal/retrofit (DR/R)Fish passage (FP)Floodplain reconnection (FR)Flow modification (FM)Instream habitat improvement (IHI)Instream species management (ISM)Land acquisition (LA)Riparian management (RM)Stormwater management (SM)Water quality management (WQM)

Temporal Variation in Projects and Publications

(Bernhardt et al., 2007)

Five Ecosystem Amenities that Motivate Restoration Projects

• Clean Water—water/sediment chemistry, pathogen density

• Uncontaminated food—body loads of contaminants• Aesthetic appeal—water clarity, bank stability,

channel shape, vegetation• Rare or valued biota—chemistry, habitat, flow,

production dynamics• Productive fishery—ditto

(Wohl et al., WRR, 2005)

Implications of NRRSS to Stream Restoration

• Established the primary database on SR activities in the U.S.– Actions– Costs– Attributes

• Much more needs to be learned

The Need for Stream Restoration I

Conclusions• Buoyed/muddied by EPA survey• Leading causes of WQ impairment:

– % reported: pathogens, mercury, metals– % river miles: pathogens, sediment, nutrients

• Sources (% river miles): agriculture, Unknown, atmospheric deposition, hydromodification