Recovery Potential Screening: EPA Tools, Data and Support for Watershed Planning and Prioritizing

Transcription

1 Recovery Potential Screening: EPA Tools, Data and Support for Watershed Planning and Prioritizing Doug Norton Watershed Branch WRAPD/OWOW, EPA Office of Water ASWM Webinar, June

2 What is Recovery Potential Screening? An approach and tool to help states & others compare relative conditions across large numbers of watersheds Systematic, flexible approach to comparative watershed assessment Geospatial data-driven and organized around indicators of: ecological condition, exposure to stressors, and social context for water resources management 2

3 How RPS Started (2004) Assumptions for Developing an Approach Numerous ecological, stressor and social factors are associated with condition and recovery from impairment Data are available Recovery for measuring Literature many Review factors (monitoring, GIS data) Review of >2,000 published papers Analyzing multiple lines of evidence from these metrics reveals differences Identification in restorability of factors influencing or associated with impaired waters recovery A systematic, repeatable comparison process is feasible In literature Rapid, flexible methods for screening scenarios are needed (vs. a single output In that practice rigidly assigns priority) Systematic comparisons can be merged with expert judgment in informing restoration planning 3

4 Recovery Potential Screening step by step instructions indicators tools (for more watershed indicator data also see 4

5 Some Example RPS Uses in States Identify TMDL/303(d) Vision restoration priorities (CT, others) Support NPS/319 state program five year plan (MI, MA) 5 Compare Deepwater Horizon NRDA restoration funding options (FL, LA, TX)

6 Example RPS Uses in States (cont d) Help determine USDA Nat l WQ Initiative watershed choices (TN, MD, KY) Enhance Healthy Watersheds Protection (Ches. Bay states, TN, NH) 6 Identify/compare nutrients control options (IA, ND, UT, LA, MA, TN, KY, NM, KS)

7 Recovery Potential Screening - Basic Concept Ecological metrics Indicator 1 Stressor metrics Indicator 1 Social context metrics Indicator 1 Indicator 2 Indicator 3 Indicator 2 Indicator 3 Indicator 2 Indicator 3 Indicator 4 Indicator 4 Indicator 4 Indicator 5. Indicator 5. Indicator 5. Ecological Index Stressor Index Social Index RPI score = Ecological + Social + (100 Stressor) 3 7

8 Contains statewide data on indicators, watersheds Creates rank-ordering, maps, and bubble plots in minutes Requires only spreadsheet skills to run screenings, create RPS products 8 8

9 Products from RPS Statewide Tools 285 indicators on HUC12 watersheds 4 auto-calculated indices and ranks customizable mapping customizable graphs 9

10 What can watershed indicators tell us? Ecological Indicators overall resilience, capacity to regain and maintain functionality Stressor Indicators sources of pollutants and the magnitude of their effects Social Indicators factors favoring efforts to restore and maintain waters 10

11 Base Indicators Reference ID information for all watersheds Example Base Indicators Name and ID of HUC12 % land, water in HUC12 % riparian zone NHDPlus2 stream length Upstream HUC12 count Catchment ID at pour point County name(s) State name(s) % MS4 in HUC12 Tribal % of HUC12 Level 3 Ecoregion VALUE-NEUTRAL: BASE DOES NOT AFFECT RPS SCORE

12 Ecological Indicators Functional condition (watershed/corridor/channel structure, biotic integrity, connectivity) and resilience Example Ecological Indicators Watershed Health Index (state, ecoregion) - Landscape - Hydrology - Geomorphology - Biotic Condition - Habitat Condition - Water Quality Forest and wetlands cover, change Grasslands and shrublands Riparian natural cover Low Impervious Cover Soil stability Headwaters HUC NFHP Habitat Condition Index N (natural cover) Index Nat l Ecological Framework hubs, corridors State-added: High quality streams, lakes (KS) Benthic IBI mean, max (IA) % class 1, 2 grasslands (IA) HIGHER SCORE = BETTER FOR RECOVERY POTENTIAL

13 Adverse characteristics (sources, stressors, disturbance, reported impairments) that may impact watershed health Example Stressor Indicators Developed lands (many categories) Urban and ag change Mining types and densities Roads, rails and crossings Cropland, pasture on slopes, riparian Impervious cover near waters Vulnerability indices (state, ecoregion) - land use - water use - wildfire Manure, synth N, P application rates Population, housing near water Soil erosion potential Stressor Indicators 303d listed waters: causes, length, area, % - nutrients - pathogens - sediment - metals State-added: Corn, soybeans % (IA) AFOs, animal counts (IA, KS) Asst d N and P metrics (IA, KS) HIGHER SCORE = WORSE FOR RECOVERY POTENTIAL

14 Social Indicators Non-environmental factors (organization, engagement, level of existing information, planning progress, community support) that can influence restoration or protection success Example Social Indicators Percent instate Priority waters (program-specific) Protection status Drinking water source protection areas Ground water wells Miles and acres assessed USDA CRP projects TMDLs to listings ratio Completed TMDLs, 319 NPS projects sediment nutrients metals pathogens State-added: Critical watershed class score (KS) WRAPS priority categories (KS) % Watershed Management Area (IA) HIGHER SCORE = BETTER FOR RECOVERY POTENTIAL

15 Process: Basics of Recovery Potential Screening 1. Choose your objective, project area, and what you want to learn 2. Decide which HUCs to screen 3. Select and weight indicators relevant to the screening objective 4. Run the first screening 5. Compare HUCs based on the four indices or individual indicators 6. Visualize the results in alternative ways (table, map, bubble plot) 7. Refine and re-screen iteratively 15

16 Interpreting Screening Results: Key Points RPS screenings produce relative scoring gradients There are multiple results, not one (4 indexes + single metrics) May use the tool very differently depending on the objective - Target healthier areas for local recovery or protection - Target heavily impacted areas for downstream load reduction 16

17 17 Special RPS tool features Customizing with Bubble Plot Options Sorting and filtering tabular results Customizing the RPS map

18 Bubble plots are great for quick comparisons - Each bubble is a HUC12 - Position is based on ecological and stressor index, size = social index - Thick axes are median eco (horizontal) and stressor (vertical) scores - These axes create 4 quadrants useful for observing basic HUC differences: UPPER LEFT: high eco, low stressor scores. - best condition - maybe more responsive to restoration/protection locally UPPER RIGHT: high eco, high stressor scores. - still in good condition - but higher stressor index - possibly more threatened LOWER LEFT: low eco, low stressor scores. - seldom a top priority - less stressor reduction opportunity - probably not in great condition LOWER RIGHT: low eco, high stressor scores. - good for efforts reducing stressors - likelihood of local recovery may be low

19 Define subsets function What are the key characteristics I am interested in, and which HUCs have them? Name your subset, then follow the rest of the sequence below

20 Explore Indicator Data function What indicators are most relevant to my screening purpose and study area? Value range histogram & stats Ecoregional distribution Correlate any 2 indicators 20

21 21 Adding new indicator data to any RPS Tool Go to the Add_Indicators Tab (circled) and follow the sequence below 1. Enter new indicator names 2. Enter type (Base, Ecological, Stressor, or Social) 3. Enter HUC IDs ( paste special/values only ) 4. Enter each column of indicator data (names must match #1) 5. Click the ADD INDICATORS button

22 RPS Tools: Highest and Best Uses Compare many watersheds based on their condition and the opportunities to improve it Observe where better watershed health may mean more likelihood for restoration success Observe where stressor exposure scenarios may mean more opportunity for load reduction Enable many more managers and staff to do rapid desktop comparisons among many watersheds Provide Discussion Support 22

23 Thank you for your time! Doug Norton, USEPA Office of Water