WaterQuality-StreamBuffers

Team is: Ashley, Wes Keeley, Bennett, and Leha

<<7 Apr Leha GROUP ASSIGNMENTS FOR 1ST DRAFT REPORT Intro--Keeley Objectives--Ashley Methods--Leha Results--Group Discussion--Group Conclusion--Bennett** DUE APRIL 9th, THURSDAY by midnight>>
 * Summary--Wes

.5 km = .31 miles 15.24 m = 50 ft

<<17 Mar Group TIMELINE By 16 Mar: Finish Timeline Availability for times to meet: LA KJ AVS WO after class BJ after class || **TH 3/19** LA KJ AVS WO after class BJ after class || **F 3/20** LA 10am-3pm KJ AVS 10am-3pm WO after 12 BJ anytime || **Sat 3/21** LA 10am-3pm KJ AVS WO anytime BJ anytime || LA 10am-3pm KJ 10am-3pm AVS WO anytime BJ anytime || **M 3/23** LA 10am-3pm KJ AVS 10am-3pm WO after 12 BJ after 3pm || **T 3/24** LA after 430 KJ AVS after 3 WO after class BJ after class || **W 3/25** LA 9-12, 3-6 KJ AVS WO after class BJ after class || **TH 3/26** LA KJ AVS WO after class BJ after class || **F 3/27** LA 10am-6pm KJ if need be - need notice by Monday AVS 10am-3pm WO after 12 BJ anytime || **Sat 3/28** LA KJ anytime AVS WO anytime BJ anytime || LA KJ anytime AVS anytime WO anytime BJ anytime || **M 3/30** LA 9-4pm KJ AVS 10am-until WO after 12 BJ after 3pm ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * ||  ||   || **W 3/18**
 * **Sun 3/22**
 * **Sun 3/29**

By 23 Mar: Data Collection, PPT layouts By 30 Mar: Data Collection Complete By 6 Apr: Analysis, Outline of Presentation (tables, format, organization) By 13 Apr: Early Draft of Report(s) (Returned by Tuesday 4/14) By 20 Apr: Practice Runs, 2nd Report Draft (Returned by Thursday 4/21 with feedback) By 27 Apr: Final Presentation and Report due

<<george 14 Mar - I haven't seen this spreadsheet, so can't comment. You should attach it to this page.
 * PLOT # _ || STREAM LENGTH _ || U, R, or SU?* _ || Observer Initials _ || Special Notes: ||
 * || VIOLATION TYPE || ZONE ONE (30ft) || ZONE TWO (30-50FT) ||  ||
 * || A Ongoing Fertilizer Application ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || B Landfills ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || C Sewage Systems ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || D Excavation ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || E Poles or towers within 10 ft of stream ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || F Clearcutting/selective clearing without mitigation* ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || G Storage of hazardous/noxious chemicals or wastes ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || H Note any severe disturbances to vegetation ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || I Parking lots ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || J Agriculture/Farms ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || BREACHES ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || CULVERT ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || DITCH ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || ROAD ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || OTHER (with description) ||  ||   ||   ||
 * || BREACHES PER PLOT ||  ||   ||   ||
 * ||  ||   ||   || *urban, rural, or suburban ||
 * ||  ||   ||   || **see wiki for descriptions of violation types** ||
 * ||  ||   ||   || *possibly to be determined later ||
 * || BREACHES PER PLOT ||  ||   ||   ||
 * ||  ||   ||   || *urban, rural, or suburban ||
 * ||  ||   ||   || **see wiki for descriptions of violation types** ||
 * ||  ||   ||   || *possibly to be determined later ||
 * || BREACHES PER PLOT ||  ||   ||   ||
 * ||  ||   ||   || *urban, rural, or suburban ||
 * ||  ||   ||   || **see wiki for descriptions of violation types** ||
 * ||  ||   ||   || *possibly to be determined later ||
 * ||  ||   ||   || *possibly to be determined later ||

On what I see below, why aren't you using the Neuse River rules definitions for buffers? http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/nps/neuse.htm Why are you using rules from PA? Also, I don't think you have clarity on the term "breach" yet. The 13 items listed below are management actions or materials prohibited in buffers - they are violations of the rules, not breaches. A breach is a pipe, ditch, or road that transports water across the buffer. You needn't make it more complicated than that, and you should have seen examples on Wednesday when we were out with the report card group - there were several culverts along the stream, each of which brings water through the buffer, thus bypassing it and any function it would otherwise serve. I suggest this course of action for each of your random sampling points. I discourage you from actually roping off areas in the field - it's time consumptive and impractical for a large number of samples. You can learn to estimate what 25-feet, 50-feet look like and visually estimate where any violations are. Keep it simple (but meaningful). >>
 * Characterize the buffer land cover using aerial photographs and dot grids, similar to what we did in class. Do this for 50-feet on each size of the stream, which is the area controlled by Neuse River buffer rules. You can do this for a 1km length downstream of the random point.
 * Go to the field, to that point, and walk downstream for 1km. Count the buffer breaches you see. If you wish, you can also note any activities that violate buffer rules (but refer to Neuse rules rather than PA rules

<<12 Mar - Leha - I'm not coming to class today. Attached to an email I sent you all is the excel file for our field data collection, so if Dr. Hess likes the plan we can use that, and add to it/tweak it as necessary. Someone please post whatever we discuss about our measurement tool and the next steps we plan to take, which the main one should be setting up a teaching lesson for the class nearby, and then randomly selecting points via GIS in the Swift Creek Watershed. And whether or not we can all meet on Monday or sometime soon. Thanks.>>

<<8 Mar - Leha/Ashley - some ideas for a measurement tool: break up into teams of 2-4 people, select random plot(s), rope off a 25 x 75 ft area, with a marker at the 25 ft length going longwise, have sheets printed up with all the 13 criteria/categories of buffer breaches, check them off for zone one (25 x 25 ft area) and zone two 25 x 75 ft area). Then compile this data for a large area (i.e. the watershed we chose). What do ya'll think? I think this is something we can try ourselves, then teach the class, then tweak and perfect it so that we can teach TLC volunteers and they can continue to use it, and we can also gather data of our own to deliver to them for one watershed. The following is from a Stream Buffer Management pdf that I found and seems useful, also the 13 buffer breach types are listed. Does this also fall into what we had proposed before for our original table?

PURPOSE: To conserve the natural land and water resources adjacent to a stream while respecting the carrying capacity of existing natural resources as new development occurs with regard to it's ability to shade, filter nutrients and sediments, stabilize the bank, and provide organic material from leaf fall. Also maintain safe recreational sites and improve wildlife habitat. BUFFER AREA:See Neuse Buffer Rules, link posted above MEASUREMENT: the following is a list of activities that are specifically prohibited within zones one and two of the buffer. MANAGEMENT-In Zone One, dominant vegetation shall be composed of a variety of native riparian zone tree, shrub, tall grasses and other appropriate species necessary for streambank stabilization. In Zone Two, dominant vegetation shall be composed of riparian zone trees and shrubs, with an emphasis on native species and appropriate plantings necessary to stabilize the soil. Disturbed areas shall be revegetated with riparian zone species. Areas that cannot be revegetated shall be restored in compliance with an approved Stream Buffer Management Plan. > > > > <<3 Mar - Leha - Guys! Sorry this is last minute, I got scheduled to work tomorrow. If ya'll go will you please post what you find and lets talk about the next time we can meet when the whole group will be present. Also, Ashley how is the measurement tool? Any ideas or do you need help brainstorming?>> > > <<26 Feb - Ashley - > > TImeline - > 3 March: Have specific measurement tool READY for field use March 4 > 4 March: Field walk through at Swift Creek (using measurement tool) and 2) start on GIS data gathering>> > > > > <<25 Feb - lma - Hey group, was also wondering if and how the stream walk went down? And where we stand GIS wise as well as what needs to be done. I apologize that I have been out so much, I've been extremely sick and to the doctor multiple times and they still can't tell me anything. Anyway, let me know what I can do and where we stand and I will see you in class tomorrow so we can discuss. Thanks, Leha.>> > > <<23 Feb - george - It's good to see some of your ideas in print so that we can examine them. Were you able to get out in the field? I don't understand the concepts of partial, no, full breach and how it further relates to severity. I've been thinking of a breach as a pipe or ditch that cuts through / under the entire buffer bringing water directly through the breach to the stream, hence I don't understand the concept of partial. I'm thinking that you're talking about //gaps// in the buffer - areas that are unvegetated; or if the buffer is mostly forested, perhaps areas that are not tree-covered. My initial reaction is that this kind of gap information is easier to get through the air photo analysis like we did last week. That analysis describes buffers in more detail than the satellite data, and is easier to do than trying to figure it out on the ground. It also makes the breach (or bypass) concept much easier to get at, I think. I walked along some stream recently and saw lots of culverts entering, as well as some ditches. That's relatively easy to do - you could keep culverts and ditches separate. I didn't see any other kinds of breaches, but you might find more as you visit more streams.>> > > <<11 Feb > > TIMELINE > Feb 22: group meeting to do preliminary stream walk (see buffers, work on rubric, take pictures) > Feb 22: have basic watershed, blue line streams, and buffers set up in GIS > get stratified random sample of plots (at least 2 per cover type) > Feb 27: have research completed (tentative) > learn water quality assessment (tentative) > > <<11 Feb suggestions after meeting with Jeff By Spring Break:
 * A Ongoing Fertilizer Application ||
 * B Landfills ||
 * C Sewage Systems ||
 * D Excavation ||
 * E Poles or towers within 10 ft of stream ||
 * F Clearcutting/selective clearing without mitigation* ||
 * G Storage of hazardous/noxious chemicals or wastes ||
 * H Note any severe disturbances to vegetation ||
 * I Parking lots ||
 * J Agriculture/Farms ||
 * See doc for references to Sections 4 and 8. []>>
 * Buffer Breach: Partial, No Breach, Full Breach
 * Breach Severity
 * set up group/individual walks to view streams with breaches
 * Crabtree Creek
 * Rocky Branch
 * use stratified random sampling to generate plots between land cover types
 * make sure we learn water quality assessment (work with water quality group)
 * develop a rubric based on severity that can be used again (repeatability) also label type

<<11 Feb Team Edit

OBJECTIVES
 * We will be measuring the percent of each stream within each cover type and also the average number of breaches per kilometer within specified buffer sizes (10m--see table below).
 * We can then infer how many breaches within each cover type as well.
 * We are considering using the Swift Creek Watershed to measure our objectives for the streams within it.
 * After learning RSAT techniques, apply them at sites me monitor?
 * If data exists, learn what makes a buffer good or ineffective, specific representative community types? known correlations (research)?
 * Develop a bibliography

PROPOSED TABLES POTENTIAL GRAPHS/CHARTS:**
 * Possible Final Table || Land Use within 30m || Cover Type within 10m || Stream Length in km || Breaches per km ||
 * Pie chart of surrounding land uses (crop, forest, pavement, etc.)
 * Quality of water VS. Quantity of buffer breaches (line chart to see potential correlation in final product, collaborating with WQ team)
 * MAP: boundary of triangle and/or our target field study area with 1) land uses 2) breeches 3) representative community composition
 * Urban, Rural, and Suburban differences?

DATA NEEDS & SOURCES Swift Creek Watershed Air Photos and GIS land cover, stream length and location, and buffer zone data In the Field: GPS locations, Land Use, Breaches County/Watershed data Existing Buffer Breach data Extending buffer when slope is extreme Community composition--implications to buffer quality Severity?

LEARNING NEEDS GIS support All useful sources if data Potential Contacts to find information Johnny Bogs (USDA) Public Utilities Existing buffer breach data, additional objectives we may find useful Research Neuse Buffer Rules What makes a breach severe?

DEFINITIONS

Stream Buffer - Riparian (stream) buffers are vegetated areas next to water resources that protect water resources from nonpoint source pollution and provide bank stabilization and aquatic and wildlife habitat. The formal definition of riparian buffer depends on the individual or group defining the term.<>

Breach -
 * an opening (especially a gap in a dike or fortification)
 * gap: make an opening or gap in

Buffer Breach - an opening in a stream buffer caused by erosion, severe storm event runoff, natural disasters, clearcutting and improper forestry practices, manmade breaches like culverts, pipes, roadways, parking lots and effecting eutrophication of the stream, stream health, water quality, organisms, and bank erosion.

Land Cover Types http://www.epa.gov/mrlc/definitions.html>>
 * Barren - Areas characterized by bare rock, gravel, sand, silt, clay, or other earthen material, with little or no "green" vegetation present regardless of its inherent ability to support life. Vegetation, if present, is more widely spaced and scrubby than that in the "green" vegetated categories; lichen cover may be extensive. These categories are Barren Land (Rock/Sand/Clay) with less than 15% vegetative cover, and Unconsolidated Shore including silt, sand, and gravel.
 * Forested Upland - Areas characterized by tree cover (natural or semi-natural woody vegetation, generally greater than 6 meters tall); tree canopy accounts for 25-100 percent of the cover. Includes Deciduous, Evergreen, and Mixed Forests with trees greater than 5 meters tall and covering 20% or more for each type.
 * Shrubland - Areas characterized by natural or semi-natural woody vegetation with aerial stems, generally less than 6 meters tall, with individuals or clumps not touching to interlocking. Both evergreen and deciduous species of true shrubs, young trees, and trees or shrubs that are small or stunted because of environmental conditions are included. Dwarf Scrub and Shrub/Scrub are the two sub categories.
 * Herbaceous Upland - Upland areas characterized by natural or semi-natural herbaceous vegetation; herbaceous vegetation accounts for 75-100 percent of the cover. This will consolidate the subgroups of Grassland/Herbaceous, Sedge/Herbaceous, Lichens, and Moss.
 * Planted/Cultivated - Areas characterized by herbaceous vegetation that has been planted or is intensively managed for the production of food, feed, or fiber; or is maintained in developed settings for specific purposes. Herbaceous vegetation accounts for 75-100 percent of the cover. This includes Pasture/Hay or Cultivated Crops.
 * Woody Wetlands and Water - Areas where forest or shrubland vege tation accounts for greater than 20 percent of vegetative cover and the soil or substrate is periodically saturated with or covered with water. This includes the subcategories of Palustrine Forested Wetland, Palustrine Scrub/Shrub Wetland , Estuarine Forested Wetland , Estuarine Scrub/Shrub Wetland , Emergent Herbaceous Wetlands , Palustrine Emergent Wetland (Persistent), Estuarine Emergent Wetland, Palustrine Aquatic Bed , Estuarine Aquatic Bed. And all areas of open water, usually less than 25% cover vegetation or soil, or permanent ice/snow cover with greater than 25% total cover.