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The Watershed Condition Framework
Anne Zimmermann, USFS
Director, Watershed, Fish, Wildlife, Air, and Rare Plants
April 12, 2012
Secretary’s Vision
"Clean, healthy forests are vital to our efforts to protect America's fresh water supply.”
"Our nation's economic health, and the health of our citizens, depends on abundant, clean
and reliable sources of freshwater.”
“The Watershed Condition Framework and map will help provide economic and
environmental benefits to residents of rural communities."
-Secretary Vilsack, June 3, 2011, WCC Map Rollout
Forest Service Approach
Develop a comprehensive approach to strategically implement integrated restoration on watersheds on National Forests and Grasslands
Develop an outcome-based performance measure for documenting improvement to watershed condition at Forest, Regional, and National scales
The Watershed Condition Framework (WCF) is a comprehensive approach for:
evaluating the condition of watersheds, prioritizing watersheds for restoration or
maintenance, strategically implementing integrated
restoration, and
tracking and monitoring outcome based
program accomplishments.
Forest Service Approach
Required Outcome
Be able to demonstrate at a national scale that watershed condition has improved as a result of Forest Service integrated restoration activities
STEP A CLASSIFY Watershed
Condition
STEP B PRIORITIZE
Watersheds for Restoration
STEP C DEVELOP Watershed
Restoration Action Plans
STEP D IMPLEMENT Integrated
Projects
STEP E TRACK
Restoration Accomplishments
STEP F VERIFY &
MONITOR Watershed
Condition
Watershed Condition
Framework
Watershed Condition Framework
Watershed Condition Framework
Environmental Justice is practiced within the WCF steps involving public input and partnership collaboration. Project planning (NEPA) Priority Watershed designation Development of action plans Doing the work – local job opportunities Effectiveness monitoring
STEP A
Classify Watershed Condition
1. National Forest-based reconnaissance-level office evaluation of watershed condition
2. Achievable within existing budgets and staffing
3. A core set of 12 national watershed condition indicators
4. Relies on professional judgment exercised by Forest interdisciplinary teams using available data.
Classify Watersheds
Rapid Assessment to achieve National Baseline
Map of Condition Class National Forest System Watersheds
http://www.fs.fed.us/publications/watershed/
National Watershed Condition Class (WCC) Results – NFS
Watersheds
Class 1- Functioning Properly 7,882 52%Class 2- Functioning at Risk 6,751 45%Class 3- Impaired Function 431 3%
Total watersheds 15,064
STEP A
Classify Watershed Condition
STEP B
Prioritize Watersheds for
Restoration
Identify priority watersheds for restoration A small number equivalent to a 5-year program of
work (2- 5 per Forest) Completed at the Forest/Grassland level using an
interdisciplinary team process. Initial designation of 247 priority watersheds
completed September 30, 2011
STEP A
Classify Watershed Condition
STEP B
Prioritize Watersheds for
Restoration
Identify priority watersheds for restoration Public participation opportunity Selection criteria:
Active collaboration and partnership opportunities Ecological, social, economic considerations Alignment with national/regional strategies and
Forest Plan direction Outside Agency efforts and partnership
opportunities
Designated Priority Watersheds in FY11 - Distribution by Condition Class
Class 1- Functioning Properly 63 26%Class 2- Functioning at Risk 163 66%
Class 3- Impaired Function 21 8%Total Priority
Watersheds 247
Interactive Map of Condition Class and Designated Priority Watersheds
USDA Forest Service Watershed Condition Classification and Priority WatershedsRatings based on assessment on National Forest System land in sixth-level watersheds
November 15, 2011
Alaska
Puerto Rico
http://www.fs.fed.us/publications/watershed/
STEP A
Classify Watershed Condition
STEP C
Develop Watershed
Action Plans
Develop action plans for priority watershed Collaboratively engage with potential partners Field assessment to document specific problems Identify essential projects that address the problems Implementation schedule
205 Watershed Restoration Action Plans completed September 30, 2011
Essential projects are a discrete group of conservation actions and treatments that are implemented as an integrated suite of activities, focused primarily on restoring or protecting watershed health and therefore improving watershed condition class.
Information contained in WRAPs:
• List of active partners
• Key watershed issues
• Important ecological values within watershed
• Description of essential projects
• Estimate of project costs
Watershed Restoration Action Plans (WRAPs)
STEP A
Classify Watershed Condition
STEP D
Implement Integrated Projects
Implementation May take 1-6 years or longer
Planning, project design, NEPA, implementation
NEPA provides an opportunity for citizens to be involved in the planning and environmental review of projects
A watershed is considered to have moved to an improved condition class when all of the essential projects identified in a Watershed Restoration Action Plan are completed.
STEP A
Classify Watershed Condition
STEP E
Track Restoration Accomplishments
Tracking Essential project completion in priority watersheds Change in condition class due to other reasons (major
disturbances, other agency’s actions, etc.) Beginning to look at Outcomes as well as Outputs:
Outputs still recorded for traditional accomplishment reporting.
Outcomes to be tracked for accountability.
STEP A
Classify Watershed Condition
STEP F
Monitor and Verification
Two-tiered approach for monitoringTier 1 – Performance accountability
A sample of watersheds evaluated annually for classification process and project completion/anticipated results
Tier 2 – Comprehensive monitoring
Demonstrate that concentration of activities within watersheds improves stream and habitat conditions
Watershed Condition Framework ResultsWillamette National Forest Relative to Other Forests in Oregon
Overlay the Watershed Condition Framework
A core set of 12 national watershed condition indicators.
Professional judgment Existing information GIS data
Green = Class 1 (Properly Functioning)
Yellow = Class 2 (Functioning at Risk)
Orange = Class 3 (Impaired Function)
How will WCF Results be Used?
Show changes (hopefully improvement ) in watershed conditions over time.
Develop restoration priorities at a broad Forest level (most useful at the indicator or attribute scale).
Communicate and integrate our restoration priorities and strategies with partners.
Staley Creek Sub-watershedWillamette National Forest
Aquatic Biota Condition Poor
Riparian/Wetland Vegetation Condition Fair
Water Quality Condition Good
Water Quantity Condition Good
Aquatic Habitat Condition Poor
Road and Trail Condition Poor
Soil Condition Good
Fire Regime Condition Class Fair
Forest Cover Condition Good
Forest Health Condition Good
Terrestrial Invasive Species Condition Good
WCF Model Indicators and their ratings
Riparian/Wetland Vegetation Condition Data Sources: AREMP WCF riparian analysis
Projects:
Commercial thinning in Riparian Reserves – direct effect on structure and complexity
Non-commercial thinning in Riparian Reserves – direct effect on structure and complexity. Thinning and placement of small wood in-stream – fall and leave or fall and carry
Riparian planting – direct effect over the long term
Wet Meadow Treatment – direct effect on wetland dependent ecosystems but small number of acres.
Respect the River Projects – direct and indirect effects, protection and restoration of riparian sites but small number of acres.
WCF Standards
Open road density calculations were based on open system roads from all jurisdictions, (i.e., FS, State, County, private, etc.). Use operational maintenance level 2-5 roads. Use the following thresholds
Good(1): Road density of < 1 mi/mi2
Fair(2): Road density of 1 to 2.4 mi/mi2
Poor(3): Road density of > 2.4 mi/mi2
Open Road Density
Projects:Road storage and decommission
Essential Projects to Address Problem Indicators:
1. Upland and Riparian Thinning
2. Road Treatments
3. Dispersed Campsite Treatments
Essential Project #1: Upland and Riparian Thinning
The Situation
The Solution
Indicators addressed: aquatic habitat, riparian/wetland vegetation condition
Potential Partner:
Even age stands have little diversity in both upland and riparian habitats due to lack of historical fire regimes and past plantation management
Increase species and structural diversity by pre-commercial thinning, or falling and leaving trees in both upland and riparian areas. 550 acres have been identified as high priority ($210K)
Essential Project #2: Road Treatments
Roads are located in steep terrain and riparian areas. Erosion from roads negatively impacts aquatic species. In addition roads impact connectivity for fish and other aquatic species.
The Situation
The Solution
Indicators addressed: aquatic habitat, roads & trails
Twenty eight miles of high aquatic risk roads will be closed or storm-proofed. Where necessary to protect aquatic resources fills will be removed. Culverts that are barriers to fish will be replaced or removed ($135k)
Potential Partners:
Essential Project #3: Dispersed Camping TreatmentsIndicators addressed: aquatic habitat, riparian/wetland vegetation condition
The Situation
The Solution
Potential Partners:
Dispersed camping is common along lower Staley Creek decreasing riparian vegetation leading to lack of shade and increased soil erosion.
Use Respect the River program to limit public access to fifteen acres of riparian floodplain, restore soil, re-plant vegetation and educate site users ($25K).
Staley Creek Watershed
Restoration Action Plan• Describes the features of the sub-
watershed.
• Identifies the historic character that has been altered.
• Outlines essential projects that could be done to raise watershed condition class.
• This plan can be downloaded from the national website for WCF
(Google “Watershed Condition Framework”).
Partnership and Collaboration
The Situation
Future Vision
Partners may be unaware of WCF and Forest priorities.
Stakeholders are involved in restoration priority setting.
Project planning, implementation and monitoring occurs without stakeholder involvement.
Stakeholders are aware of and involved in all stages of the project (planning, implementation, and monitoring).
Youth are involved.
No youth involvement
Summary of WCF
Throughout the appropriate steps of the WCF process, the participation of partners and the public is both expected and highly encouraged
The WCF is not perfect. It will evolve over time.
Active collaborative partnerships are essential to the success of WCF.
Why your engagement is important today
The emphasis on water and watershed restoration is critical to the Nation’s health and is the FS’s role.
The FS must be able to demonstrate accomplishment and accountability in watershed restoration.
We have tools to systematically demonstrate accomplishment.
We manage public land – we manage your land.
Questions and Discussion
Anne Zimmermann, USFS
Director, Watershed, Fish, Wildlife, Air, and Rare Plants