1. CALIFORNIA’S BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT PROGRAM April 5, 2005 Jim Harrington WPCL Bioassessment Laboratory

5. Integrates the effects of water quality over time Advantages of Bioassessment Sensitive to multiple aspects of water and habitat quality Provides the public with a more familiar expressions of ecological health

6. Adds a more direct assessment of ecological health since it measures the biological communities that live in aquatic systems Advantages of Bioassessment Better defines the effects of point source discharges and provides more relevant measures to evaluate discharges of non- chemical substances (e.g. sediment, flow augmentation and habitat alteration)

7. Statutory Authority Clean Water Act Section 101(a) Purpose: – –“To restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters”

8. Use of Bioassessment in Water Quality Monitoring Bioassessment Data Water Quality Standards and Criteria (CWA §303c) Aquatic Life Use Assessments (CWA §305b) Comprehensive Watershed Assessments Evaluation and Permitting of Habitat Modifications (CWA §404) Hazardous Waste Site Assessments (CWA §104e) Comprehensive Risk Assessment Nonpoint Source Assessment (CWA §319) Listing of Impaired Waters (CWA §303d) Wet Weather Discharge (CSOs, Stormwater) Point Source Discharge Permitting (CWA §402) Marine Protection and Sanctuaries Act– Ocean Dumping (MPRSA) Sewage Treatment Plant Discharges in Marine Waters (CWA §301h) Marine Point Source Discharge Permitting (CWA §403c)

9. Stressor Identification Identifying Unknown causes of biological impairment

10. How Do We Do Bioassessments

11. Florida’s Bioassessment Program Florida Department of Environmental Protection

12. 12 Bioassessment Program Steps 1. Classify environments (e.g., regionalization) 2. Standardize sampling methods 3. Develop assessment approach (IBI) 4. Perform biological surveys 5. Select metrics (positive biological signals) 6. Incorporate Quality Assurance activities 7. Incorporate training and testing (certification) 8. Integrate into programs 9. Report results (Ecosummaries) 10. Revise biocriteria

13. Streams and Wadeable Rivers =developing basic bioassessment program =basic bioassessment program in place =developing quantitative biocriteria =quantitative biocriteria adopted in or implemented through water quality standards May be next

14. How Do We Do Bioassessments In California

15. Benthic Macroinvertebrates Ubiquitous Relatively stationary Their large species diversity provides a spectrum of responses to environmental stresses

16. Caddisflies Mayflies Stoneflies Dragonflies and Damselflies Sensitive Organisms in Streams Expected Response to Stress: abundance & proportion

17. Midges Leeches Snails Scuds Tolerant Organisms in Streams Expected Response to Stress: abundance & proportion

18. Rapid Biological Assessment California Stream Bioassessment Procedure (CSBP) for High and Low Gradient Streams Benthic Macroinvertebraes Riffle Habitat for High Gradient Streams Multi-habitat for Low Gradient Streams Other Protocols for Historic Projects Cost effective

19. U.S. EPA RBP Quantify: Canopy Cover Stream Size Substrate Flow Rapid Biological Assessment Rapid Physical/Habitat

20. >2500 DFG sites Many More Using CSBP

21. Application of a benthic invertebrate IBI to regional 305(b) reporting in southern California Peter R. Ode, Andrew C. Rehn and Jason T. May Aquatic Bioassessment Laboratory Water Pollution Control Laboratory California Department of Fish and Game California State University, Chico

22. Existing Data:  EPA’s EMAP (2000-2002; multiple methods): CSBP- targeted riffle EMAP- multihabitat USFS/Hawkins- targeted riffle  USFS (2000, 2001, Hawkins method)  CSBP (2000-2002, multiple programs) Regions 3, 4, 7, 8, 9

23. Development set (75% of sites) to create IBI Validation set (25% of sites) to test IBI 66 sites 140 sites 47 sites 22 sites

24. Index Development Approach (SoCal IBI) 62 Candidate Metrics Range Test (range at least 0 – 2) Signal:Noise Test (S:N variance ratio > 3) 13 Metrics Eliminated22 Metrics Eliminated Redundancy Test (Pearson Coefficient < 0.75) 10 Metrics Eliminated Correction for Natural Variability 0 Metrics Corrected Responsiveness Test 7 Final Metrics 10 Metrics Eliminated

25. SoCal IBI Scores

26. Very Good

27. Good

28. Fair to Poor

29. Very Poor

30. Definitions of Reference Condition Minimally Disturbed Condition - condition of streams in the absence of significant human disturbance (e.g., “natural,” “pristine” or “undisturbed”) Least Disturbed Condition – found in conjunction with the best available physical, chemical and biological habitat conditions given today’s state of the landscape – the “best of what’s left” Best Attainable Condition – equivalent to the ecological condition of (hypothetical) least disturbed sites where the best possible management practices are in use

31. Sierra Foothill Ecoregion Reference Sites

32. 236 Watershed Planning Areas BASIC APPROACH Use GIS landuse data to screen for potential target areas Use field reconnaissance to identify good sites within target areas

33. National Landcover Database (NLCD) Identifies different types of landuse at a resolution of 30 meter pixels Based on Landsat 1992 imagery USGS and EPA joint developed

34. Flow Conditions Habitat Conditions Local Landscape Assessment Ownership Access Issues Rapid Reconnaissance: 154 sites reviewed

35. Final Reference Sites 1 st Order Streams - 7 2 nd Order Streams - 8 3 rd Order Streams - 11 4 th Order Streams - 4

36. California Regional Water Quality Control Boards 1 2 3 4 5a 5b 5c 6 7 8 9 How Do We Use Bioassessment Data

37. BIOLOGICAL CONDITION STRESSOR GRADIENT (Dominant Land Use) Historic Pre-Colombian Minimally Disturbed Least Disturbed/Best Attainable --------------------- CWA Interim Goal Threshold ------------------------------------- Natural Pristine Prairie Forested Grazed Agricultural Urban Mining/ Industrial “As Naturally Occurs” Biological Integrity Supports CWA Interim Goal* Nonattainment of CWA Interim Goal Curve Colors *Protection & Propagation of Fish, Shellfish and Wildlife

39. Hypothetical Subcategorized Biologically-Based Aquatic Life Uses Designated Uses Biological Condition IBI = 60 IBI = 50 IBI = 40 IBI = 30 IBI = 20 IBI = 10 Cold water salmon fishery/natural spawning Cold water salmon nursery/rookery Cold water salmon passage Seasonal cold water salmon passage Habitat restoration Limited aquatic life habitat

40. Biological Condition Designated Aquatic Life Uses: Ohio Example Increasing Effect of Human Activity Warmwater Habitat: … comparable to the 25%ile of ecoregional reference sites Limited Resource Waters: lack potential … substantially degraded….irretrievable habitat modifications Modified Warm Water Habitat: …irretrievable, human modifications of physical habitat … Exceptional Warmwater Habitat: an unusual, balanced integrated community of organisms having a species composition, diversity & functional composition comparable to 75% of statewide ref sites. 1 4 6 5 2 3

41. State of Florida Effectiveness of Forestry Best Management Practices Joint project between Florida DEP, Florida Department of Agriculture and the silviculture industry. Purpose: to determine if forestry BMPs, when properly applied, protect aquatic biota in adjacent streams

42. Examples of forestry BMPs Undisturbed buffer zone (SMZ) Site preparation to prevent erosion Control fertilizers and pesticides Design roads/drainage easements for minimum erosion/deposition

45. Biological Condition The Biological Condition Gradient Increasing Effect of Human Activity Natural structure and function of biotic community maintained Minimal changes in structure & function Evident changes in structure and minimal changes in function Moderate changes in structure & minimal changes in function Major changes in structure & moderate changes in function Severe changes in structure & function 1 2 3 4 5 6

46. Get to Know Your Mayflies

47. And your Beetles

48. Thanks for Listening