ENSC 202 Watershed Assessment Final Projects Impacts of stormwater runoff on stream health in urbanizing areas of the north eastern Vermont

Project Goal Determine whether streams that have been designated as ‘impaired’ by stormwater on the basis biocriteria also demonstrate impairment on the basis of habitat and geomorphic metrics.

Project Objectives Complete Phase 1 data collection using VT Stream Geomorphic Assessment Protocols Complete RHA (Step 6) and RGA (Step 7) components of Phase 2 Compare and contrast key metrics from the Phase 1 and 2 data and link to watershed characteristics Correlate the Phase 1 and Phase 2 metrics with simulated flow duration curves for the same watersheds

Project Approach Resources 8 student teams Vermont State 303.d listed waters Doug Burnham’s list of provisional ‘attainment’ streams Vermont Stream Geomorphic Assessment protocols 8 student teams Each team: 1 ‘impaired’ stream and 1 ‘attainment’ stream 3 reaches on each stream 6 reaches per team 48 total reaches on 14 streams (some overlap)

Team Reports Allen Brook up and down stream Report Amy Myers, Jarrett Arthur, Shea Hagy, Michael McDonald Bay & Centennial Brooks Report Abby Boak, Sarah Booker, Kate Connelly, Cara Massameno, Rosalie Wilson Sand Hill & Bartlett Brooks Report Meghan Crane, Adam Effler, Kevin Mize, Keith Montone LaPlatte Headwaters & Munroe Brooks Report Lindsay Harrington, Maury Lynch, Jared Nunery, Christopher Vance Alder & Muddy Brooks Report Joe Kelly, Alison Selle, Sarah Stein, Kristin Williams Potash & Allen Brooks Report Joe Bartlett, Jennifer Fullerton, Nat Morse, Sarah Palmer, Travis Smith Alder & Morehouse Brooks Report Mikal Burley, Ari Lejfer, Amie McCarth, Trevor Pratt, Katherine Traverse Trout & Sunderland Brooks Report Mary Blackwell, Carmen Herold-Lind, Alethea Jones, Jason Landis, Gabe Mason, Chris Tomberg Click on the links above for specific presentations (left) or reports (right)

Summary Results

Land use impacts all streams Impaired more than attainment

Impairment effect is evident in all key metrics

Evidence of all four geomorphic adjustment processes in Phase 1 assessment Good Poor

Adjustment processes confirmed in direct Phase 2 assessment Good Poor

Impairment is reflected in the Phase 2 habitat assessments

The top four habitat impacts are potentially linked to sediment * * * *

The strongest categorical impact is in-stream modification Land use impact In-stream modification Floodplain modification

Habitat and Geomorphic condition are related to stream condition index

Habitat quality is strongly correlated with geomorphic condition

Healthy streams may be more sensitive to geomorphic change

Conclusions Streams that are impaired on the basis of biocriteria are also impaired in terms of habitat health and geomorphic condition. Streams in attainment of the VT biocriteria standards are not in a ‘reference’ condition by these protocols. All four geomorphic adjustment processes are active in these streams. But, are these scores indicative of the strength of the processes or the relative influences of anthropogenic impacts on these process? Sediment appears to play a key role in habitat degradation. Streams that are in attainment of VT biocriteria standards may be especially sensitive to habitat degradation by geomorphic change. The VT/SGA protocols, especially Phase 1, are difficult to apply to small urban streams due to constraints imposed by the resolution of fundamental data layers (e.g., topos, orthos)