Water Body and Riparian Area Boundary Delineation Course

Transcription

1 Water Bdy and Riparian Area Bundary Delineatin Curse This training prvides an eclgical perspective n the delineatin f water bdies, with a specific fcus n riparian habitat adjacent t streams, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. The curse will include an verview f relevant municipal and prvincial plicy, guidelines, and legislatin that direct the management and delineatin f water bdies, as well as a mre in-depth lk at the key eclgical indicatrs f aquatic and riparian habitats. The classrm prtin f the curse will include a discussin f hw aerial phtgraphy, climate data, and ther spatial data can be used in a GIS envirnment t imprve delineatins, as well as interactive discussins regarding real-wrld examples f the challenges assciated with water bundary delineatins. The field cmpnent f the curse will include an verview f key vegetatin and sils indicatrs that can be used t identify aquatic, wetland, riparian, and upland habitat. PART I - Classrm Cmpnent (estimated time: 12 t 14 hurs) 1. Intrductins, Backgrund, and Primer 1. We will review relevant sectins f the Surveys Act and discuss hw these sectins are interpreted frm an eclgical perspective, specifically: Sectin 17(2): the surveyr shall determine the psitin f the line where the bed and shre f the water bdy cease Sectin 17(3): Fr the purpse f this sectin, the bed and shre f water shall be the land cvered s lng by water as t wrest it frm vegetatin r as t mark a distinct character n the vegetatin where it extends int the water n the sil itself 2. The eclgical interpretatin f these sectins as it relates t hydrlgy, vegetatin, and sils will be examined, including an intrductin t the fllwing cncepts that will be fundatinal t the rest f the curse: Eclgical definitins f aquatic, riparian, and upland habitat Overview f key indicatrs f aquatic and riparian habitats: sil, vegetatin, hydrlgy 3. Cmmn scenaris requiring the delineatin f water bundaries will be reviewed (e.g., legal subdivisin, Envirnmental Reserve setbacks, Water Act apprval) 4. Curse Gal Statement: Imprve ur abilities and cnfidence in delineating bundaries f water bdies, with a fcus n riparian habitats adjacent t lakes, wetlands, streams and rivers Desired Outcmes: - Understanding f the eclgical interpretatin f Sectin 17 f the Surveys Act as it relates t hydrlgy, vegetatin and sils - Understanding f key eclgical cncepts that will be referred t thrughut the curse 1

2 2. Overview f Plicy and Legal Obligatins When Dealing with Water Bdies This part f the sessin will prvide an verview f municipal and prvincial legislatin, plicy, and guidelines (ther than the Surveys Act) that are relevant t the assessment and delineatin f water bdies in Alberta, including a review f the permitting and applicatin prcess fr wetlands. i. Public Lands Act: ii. Water Act: Relevance f the Act in regards t the delineatin f water bundaries Implicatins fr a Crwn claim f a water bdy Prcess fr requesting a Water Bundary review Any activity that may affect the land r vegetatin under r arund a water a water bdy r affect the lcatin, flw r quality f the water r aquatic envirnment, requires prir authrizatin frm Alberta Envirnment Relevance f the Act in regards t the delineatin f water bundaries Relatinship between the Water Act and the Prvincial Wetland Plicy iii. Prvincial Wetland Plicy: Plicy prcess and requirements fr Water Act apprvals Regulatry requirements fr delineatins and assessments Sign-ff by practitiners and prfessinal practice cmpetencies Desired Outcmes: - Appreciatin and understanding f legislatin assciated with bundary delineatin f water bdies - Understanding f where gaps r incnsistencies exist between legislative dcuments - Understanding f the rle that land surveyrs have in the identificatin and management f water bdies - Understanding f general plicies and legal bligatins assciated with bundary delineatin f water bdies - Knwledge f where t find and access assciated plicies and dcuments iv. Municipal Wetland and Riparian Plices: Examples f sme f the municipal plicies t currently exist in Alberta and hw they relate t the delineatin f water bdies: Static setback buffers Setback Mdels 2

3 3. Eclgical Appraches t Water Bundary Delineatin i. Key Eclgical Indicatrs f Aquatic and Riparian Habitats a. Hydrlgical prcesses: The presence f water at r abve the sil surface fr a sufficient perid f the year t significantly influence the plant types and sils that ccur in the area is ne f the mst reliable indicatrs f a water bundary. Hwever, water is nt always visible r present during a field inspectin, s ther indicatrs f hydrlgical prcesses will be discussed (e.g., water marks, drift lines, debris). b. Vegetatin: Plants are specially adapted t living in aquatic and riparian habitats, and the presence f these plant species can be a very reliable indicatr f the lcatin f a water bundary. We will prvide examples f: Vegetatin species that are characteristic f different habitat znes (deep water, shallw water, emergent, and riparian) Obligate versus facultative vegetatin and wildlife species Cmmn bligate and facultative species assciated with wetlands, riparian areas, and uplands c. Sils: Hydric sil indicatrs are frmed predminantly by the accumulatin r lss f irn, manganese, sulfur, r carbn cmpunds under saturated and anaerbic cnditins. Key prcesses and features f hydric sils will be discussed, including: Gleying Sulfate reductin Organic matter accumulatin Redx cncentratins Differentiating rganic sil, mucky mineral sil, and mineral sil d. Tpgraphy: Bank slpes and surrunding tpgraphy significantly influence the frequency f water inundatin within and adjacent t a water bdy. This in turn influences the size and lcatin f the different vegetatin zne within the water bdy and the riparian zne. Desired Outcmes - Understanding f the key eclgical criteria fr identifying a water bdy and assciated riparian habitat - Understanding f key vegetatin species that are indicatrs f aquatic, wetland, riparian, and upland habitats - Understanding f key prcesses and features that can be used t identify hydric sils - Understanding f eclgical definitins and bundary delineatin fr wetlands - Understanding f differences in regulatin and assessment fr wetlands cmpared t ther aquatic habitat and assciated riparian areas 3

4 e. Special Situatins and Cnsideratins: There are cmmn circumstances where key indicatrs f aquatic and riparian habitats are highly variable r are difficult t discern, and we will discuss the fllwing circumstances, including: Tempral and spatial variability related t hydrlgy and climate Hydrlgical changes resulting frm natural r human activity (e.g., bank slumping, cultivatin, drainage, channel realignment) ii. Wetlands: In Alberta, wetlands are regulated under the Water Act and the Prvincial Wetland Plicy, and as such, there are additinal cnsideratins related t the identificatin, delineatins, and assessment f these water bdies. We will prvide an verview f the special cnsideratins and prfessinal requirements fr wetland reprting in Alberta, including: a. Eclgical and regulatry differences between wetlands and ther aquatic and riparian habitats (e.g., crwn wnership, differentiating between a lake and wetland, differentiating between natural and anthrpgenic wetland) b. Differentiating between different types (classes) f wetlands i. Alberta Wetland Classificatin System: bg, fen, swamp, marsh, shallw pen water ii. Other cmmn wetland classificatin systems c. Assessment f wetland permanence i. Climate cnsideratins ii. Gvernment f Alberta Guide t Assessing Permanence f Wetland Basins d. Wetland bundary delineatin i. Alberta Wetland Identificatin and Delineatin Directive e. Assessment f wetland cnditin ii. iii. Overview f Alberta Wetland Rapid Evaluatin Tl (field and desktp) Wetland Assessment and Impact Reprt (WAIR) 4

5 4. Desktp Tls fr Delineating Water Bdies and Riparian Habitats a. Climate analysis b. Histrical air pht review c. Terrain analysis d. Other spatial data analysis that can be used t supprt the identificatin and/r delineatin f water bdies and riparian areas Desired Outcmes - Knwledge and understanding f desktp materials, tls, and methds fr eclgicalbased delineatin PART II Field Cmpnent (Estimated time: 8-10 hurs) Field visit t varius water bdies (lcatin TBD) t illustrate key cncepts cvered in the classrm cmpnent, including the identificatin and discussin f the fllwing key indicatrs and questins: Hydrlgy: Is standing water present and/r are the sils saturated? Is there any evidence f a high water mark beynd the lcatin f the standing water? What are the key hydrlgical prcesses present n-site? Vegetatin: What apprach shuld be used t sample vegetatin t delineate a natural bundary in the field? What vegetatin indicatrs are present t indicate the presence f different habitat znes (e.g., deep water, emergent zne, riparian zne, upland)? Sils: What apprach shuld be used t sample sils in the field? When is it apprpriate t use sil sampling t delineate the bundary f a water bdy? What sil indicatrs are present t indicate the bundary f a water bdy? 5