Ecosystem and Watershed Management

Ecosystem and watershed management share some common themes. They both aim to:
integrate science and politics,

consider variable scales, zooming out to landscapes and zooming in to sites, have a long-term time perspective, be scientifically based, using the best science and scientific learning, focus on ecological integrity along with social and economic objectives, consider a wide range of integrated solutions, engage stakeholders to tap local knowledge and values use monitoring and adaptive management to learn and fine-tune strategies.

Ecosystem and Watershed Management both operate at a multiple scales

Ecosystem Management Criteria

Ecological Orientation Time and Spatial Scale Scientific Basis Role of Humans and Society:
Collaborative decisionmaking

Management Actions:
Adaptive and Integrative solutions

Adaptive Management
Passive Adaptive Management:
managers use historical or comparative analysis to determine a best guess hypothesis of outcomes from a preferred action, and then monitor real outcomes the results of which are then used to revise the hypothesis and management action.

Active Adaptive Management:

managers generally define competing hypotheses of outcomes and then design experiments to test them.

With multiple experiments, active AM can provide more meaning data on outcomes in a shorter time frame than passive AM, but it is generally more costly to implement.

Adaptive Management
Appropriate when situation has high uncertainty and high controllability

Applicability of Active & Passive Adaptive Management

Applicability Criteria: Spatial & temporal scale Dimensions of uncertainty Evaluation of costs, benefits, risks Institutional/stakeholder support Hypothetical Ecosystem Management Cases: Field test of tree-fertilizer options Alternative river restoration plans for endangered salmon Efficacy of forest management treatments in urban wildfire Effect of climate change on land use designations in regional plan

U.S. Department of Interiors Guide to Adaptive Management (2009)

1. Is some kind of management decision to be made? YES Decision analysis and monitoring are unnecessary when no decision options exist. 2. Can stakeholders be engaged? YES Without active stakeholder involvement an adaptive management process is unlikely to be effective. 3. Can management objective(s) be stated explicitly? YES Adaptive management is not possible if objectives are not identified. 4. Is decision making confounded by uncertainty about potential management impacts? YES In the absence of uncertainty adaptive management is not needed. 5. Can resource relationships and management impacts be represented in models? YES Adaptive management cannot proceed without the predictions generated by models. 6. Can monitoring be designed to inform decision making? YES In the absence of targeted monitoring it is not possible to reduce uncertainty and improve management. 7. Can progress be measured in achieving management objectives? YES Adaptive management is not feasible if progress in understanding and improving management is unrecognizable. 8. Can management actions be adjusted in response to what has been learned? YES Adaptive management is not possible without the flexibility to adjust management strategies. 9. Does the whole process fit within the appropriate legal framework? YES

Major Ecosystem Management Programs

Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Project Chesapeake Bay Program Sacramento Delta Upper Mississippi others

Everglades Restoration Project

CERP
Re-establish predrainage hydrologic patterns Increase water storage Reduce water loss Apply 44,000 stormwater treatment areas

Chesapeake Bay Program

Chesapeake Bay Restoration Progress: views of CBP and CBF

Chesapeake Bay TMDL: pollution diet

The Nature Conservancys Ecoregional Planning and Management

Set priorities through ecoregional planning Develop conservation strategies for conservation targets Take direct conservation action in functional landscape platforms Measure conservation success through monitoring

Basic Concepts in Watershed Planning

1. The Tiered Approach: Nest your watersheds Think Globally (Basin), Act Locally (Catchment) 2. Classify your sub-watershed 3. Take care of precious Headwaters 4. Employ eight watershed management tools 5. Focus on impervious cover in urban watersheds 6. Make technical choices about mapping, modeling, monitoring, and management measures 7. Reach broad consensus among stakeholders 8. Focus on action: implement your watershed plan 9. Monitor and Evaluate your watershed program

Nested Watersheds from catchments to river basins

Powhatan Creek Watershed

Watershed Management For Powhatan Creek

Building A Cleaner James River

Greater Richmond Convention Center
April 21, 2006

VT

UVA

VCU

Vulnerable Developing
Rockbridge County
COW: 29 + 2 2005 Pop: 21,500 2020 Pop: 22,700 (+6%)

Upper James: Vulnerable Developing

45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0
gh lle

42 37 35

40 29 25 18

11

7 2

2
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fo rd

rs

us t

ou r

an

am pb

el

l R oc C kb

m he

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COW Based on 100 point scale Addendum A based on 20 point scale

COW score

Addendum score

ot

et

rid

Vulnerable Impacted
Lynchburg COW: 46 + 11
2005 Pop: 68,000 2020 Pop: 65,300 (-4%)

Upper James: Vulnerable Impacted

60 50 40 30 21 20 11 10 1 0 Buena Vista
COW Based on 100 point scale Addendum A based on 20 point scale

56 46

2 Lexington Lynchburg

COW score

Addendum score

Middle James: Vulnerable Developing

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

66 45

66

12

19 7 6 2

Albermarle County

Greene County

Amelia County

Prince Edward County

COW Score
COW Based on 100 point scale Addendum A based on 20 point scale

Addendum Score

Middle James: Vulnerable Developing Rapidly

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

43

42 32 9

Goochland

Fluvanna

Powhatan

COW Score

Addendum Score

COW Based on 100 point scale Addendum A based on 20 point scale

Middle James: Vulnerable Developing Rapidly

General Description Adjacent to developed areas: Richmond Metropolitan Area (Goochland and Powhatan) and Charlottesville (Fluvanna) Few remaining working farms Portions of each county are experiencing rapid growth while other areas are largely rural and unprotected
Goochland County Courthouse

Middle James: Vulnerable Developing Rapidly

Challenges Rural lands vulnerable to residential and commercial development Codes and ordinances do not adequately address water quality impacts of projected growth Subdivision ordinances lack Low Impact Development (LID) provisions Rural land preservation programs limited in Powhatan and Fluvanna County Cluster developments allowed but not fully implemented in Powhatan and Fluvanna County

Middle James: Vulnerable Developing Rapidly

Opportunities Protection of existing rural lands Early stages of rapid growth Ability to codify water quality best management practices before stream degradation occurs Preservation of existing stream buffers

Healthy Stream Buffer

Middle James: Vulnerable Developing Rapidly

Strategies Expand portfolio of rural land conservation tools Adopt LID-themed stormwater management plan Revise subdivision ordinance to reduce street width and parking space requirements Incorporate Geographical Information System planning to track land use and impervious surface changes Revise site plan review process to limit clearing and grading and preserve existing vegetation