Watershed Adaptive Management

Fraser Shilling

Department of Environmental Science & Policy

University of California, Davis

fmshilling@ucdavis.edu

Watershed Adaptive Management

• Watershed assessment– Scoping and question formulation– Basic description

• Watershed management– What can we influence– Conceptual modeling

• Policy intersection– Policies, actions, actors

California Watershed Assessment Manual

http://cwam.ucdavis.edu

What is “Watershed Assessment”?

“Assessment is used to mean the analysis of watershed information to draw conclusions concerning the conditions in the watershed.” (Nehalem River Watershed Assessment, 1999, Portland State University)

"The biology lives in the hydrology, and the hydrology flows over the geology." (Mattole River Estuary - Dynamics of Recovery, 1995, by the Mattole Restoration Council)

A watershed assessment is: a science-based process for analyzing a watershed's current condition and the likely causes of these conditions.”

A watershed assessment is: a science-based process for analyzing a watershed's current condition and the likely causes of these conditions.”

CWAM Structure

Watershed Adaptive Management

• Watershed assessment– Scoping and question formulation– Basic description

• Watershed management– What can we influence– Conceptual modeling

• Policy intersection– Policies, actions, actors

Formulate the Question(s)

• Are you interested in overall watershed condition and drivers?

• Are you interested in a particular stressing activity or process?

• Are you interested in a specific place(s) in the watershed?

• What timeframe are you interested in?

Things flow downhill/stream and assessing the whole watershed is relevant for making land-use, water quality, and water supply

decisions

Water Temperature in Yuba

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0

5

10

15

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25

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Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct

Month (2000 - 2001)

De

gre

es

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Site 1 Site 2 Site 3 Site 4 Site 5 Site 6Site 7 Site 8 Site 9 Site 10 Site 11 Site 12Site 13 Site 14 Site 15 Site 16 Site 17 Site 18Site 19 Site 20 Site 21

What is flowing downhill/ downstream?

Pesticides, Metals, Nutrients, Sediment, Flows, Organic carbon, Invasive species

Pesticides, Metals, Nutrients, Sediment, Flows, Invasive species

Habitat Quality, Species presence, Flooding, Permit compliance, Aesthetics

Habitat Quality, Species presence, Flooding, Permit compliance, Aesthetics

Habitat Quality, Species presence, Beach pollution, Aesthetics, Flooding,

Watershed Adaptive Management

• Watershed assessment– Scoping and question formulation– Basic description

• Watershed management– What can we influence– Conceptual modeling

• Policy intersection– Policies, actions, actors

Influence diagrams and conceptual models

Boxes indicate concepts and arrows indicate influence or connection. The boxes can be attributes or processes, the arrows

can be hypotheses, or based on knowledge of the system

Ecosystem Attribute Conceptual Model

Reid and Zeimer

General

Focused

Ecosystem Restoration Conceptual Model

Action-Specific

Ecosystem Restoration Conceptual Model

Ecosystem Attribute Conceptual Model

Reid and Zeimer

Policy nexus

Ecosystem Attribute Conceptual Model

Policy nexus

Endangered Species Act, Fisheries statutes, Int’l treaties

Endangered Species Act, FERC re-licensing, SWRCB permits, ACE 404

Endangered Species Act, SWRCB permits, THPs, CEQA, ACE 404

Now we are going to draw a conceptual model

Contact

Fraser Shilling

Department of Environmental Science and Policy

University of California, Davis 95616

530-752-7859

fmshilling@ucdavis.edu

http://cwam.ucdavis.edu

Big Sur Coast, Pracheta Kokate (Grade 11)(courtesy California Coastal Commission, 2005, Coastal Art & Poetry Contest)