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