Martha Sutula

Validation of a Wetland Rapid Assessment Method: Use of Epa's Level 1-2-3 Framework for Method Testing and Refinement

Wetland rapid assessment has become popular in a variety of applications. Because rapid assessments rely on observable field indicators as surrogates for direct measures of condition, they must be validated against independent data. Here we present a case study of the validation of the riverine and estuarine modules of the California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM). We evaluated responsiveness of the method to “good” vs. “poor” wetland condition, ability to represent a range of conditions, internal redundancy, alternative combination rules for constituent metrics, and reproducibility of results. Because no independent, concurrently collected measure of condition directly reflecting the same elements comprising CRAM was available for validation, we demonstrate the use of existing monitoring and assessment data on avian diversity, benthic macroinvertebrate indices, and plant community composition. Results indicate that CRAM is an effective tool for assessing general riverine and estuarine wetland condition based on its correspondence with multiple independent assessments of condition. Reproducibility analysis revealed several problematic metrics where ambiguous language or metric construction led to high inter-team error rates. Addressing these issues improved overall average error to within 5%. This study demonstrates that, when validated, rapid assessment methods provide a meaningful and reliable tool for assessing wetland condition.

Organophosphorus pesticides in storm‐water runoff from southern California (USA)

Large quantities of the organophosphorus (OP) pesticides diazinon and chlorpyrifos are applied to California (USA) watersheds every year, but few data are available on the sources of OP pesticides in urban watersheds. The goal of this study was to characterize diazinon and chlorpyrifos concentrations from different land uses indicative of source categories in urban southern California watersheds. This characterization included analysis of 128 runoff samples from eight different land uses over five storm events. Diazinon was consistently detected (93% of samples) during this study, whereas chlorpyrifos was not consistently detected (12% of samples). The mixed agricultural land use had the highest flow weighted mean (FWM) concentration of diazinon (4076 ng/L), which exceeded the next-highest land-use categories (commercial and residential) by one to two orders of magnitude (324-99 ng/L, respectively). Open space had the lowest concentration of diazinon (<20 ng/L). Concentrations of diazinon at replicate land-use sites and during replicate storm events at the same site were highly variable. The difference in diazinon FWM concentrations among replicate sites ranged from 1.5-fold to 45-fold. The difference in diazinon FWM concentrations among storms at the same site ranged from 1.25-fold to 30-fold. Part of this variability is a response to the temporal patterns observed within a storm event. The majority of land-use site-events had peak concentrations before peak flow indicating a first-flush effect, but this was not always a predictable temporal trend. The first-flush effect was rarely evident in terms of mass loadings because flows can range orders of magnitude during a single event in highly impervious urban watersheds. Flow variability thus overwhelms the variability in diazinon concentrations attributable to the first-flush effect.

Microcystin Prevalence throughout Lentic Waterbodies in Coastal Southern California

Toxin producing cyanobacterial blooms have increased globally in recent decades in both frequency and intensity. Despite the recognition of this growing risk, the extent and magnitude of cyanobacterial blooms and cyanotoxin prevalence is poorly characterized in the heavily populated region of southern California. Recent assessments of lentic waterbodies (depressional wetlands, lakes, reservoirs and coastal lagoons) determined the prevalence of microcystins and, in some cases, additional cyanotoxins. Microcystins were present in all waterbody types surveyed although toxin concentrations were generally low across most habitats, as only a small number of sites exceeded California’s recreational health thresholds for acute toxicity. Results from passive samplers (Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT)) indicated microcystins were prevalent throughout lentic waterbodies and that traditional discrete samples underestimated the presence of microcystins. Multiple cyanotoxins were detected simultaneously in some systems, indicating multiple stressors, the risk of which is uncertain since health thresholds are based on exposures to single toxins. Anatoxin-a was detected for the first time from lakes in southern California. The persistence of detectable microcystins across years and seasons indicates a low-level, chronic risk through both direct and indirect exposure. The influence of toxic cyanobacterial blooms is a more complex stressor than presently recognized and should be included in water quality monitoring programs.

Patterns in Estuarine Vegetation Communities in Two Regions of California: Insights from a Probabilistic Survey

Monitoring wetlands at the ecoregion level provides information beyond the site scale and can inform regional prioritization of management and restoration projects. Our study was a component of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s 2002 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program Western Pilot and is the first quantitative comparison of regional condition of California estuarine wetland plant communities. We measured indicators of estuarine emergent wetland condition in southern California and San Francisco Bay at probabilistically selected sites. In southern California, we also assessed potential anthropogenic stressors (presence of modified tidal hydrology, intensity of surrounding land use, and population density). Southern California salt marsh exhibited higher species diversity and greater percent cover of invasives. Seven of eight common plant species showed less variation in their distributions (zonation) across the marsh in southern California than in San Francisco Bay. Modified tidal hydrology was associated with absence, in our data, of certain native species, and higher relative percent cover of invasives across the marsh; however, our measures of landscape-level anthropogenic stress did not correlate with cover of invasives. We discuss lessons learned regarding the use of probabilistic site selection combined with our spatially complex data-collection arrays, and comment on utility of our protocol and indicators.

Demonstration of an integrated watershed assessment using a three-tiered assessment framework

Watersheds are useful templates for wetland protection and land use planning because they integrate cumulative effects that better inform site-specific management decisions. The goal of this study was to demonstrate application of a three-tiered assessment paradigm in the San Gabriel watershed (Los Angeles County, California) that incorporates monitoring at varying spatial scales and intensities. Data on wetland extent and distribution, habitat condition using rapid assessment, and intensive site monitoring were used to show how different levels of assessment can be used together to provide a deeper contextual understanding of overall wetland condition. Wetland sites in the less developed portions of the watershed were of higher overall condition compared to sites located in the more urbanized portions of the watershed. GIS analysis revealed that percent impervious surface is a useful landscape-scale indicator of riverine wetland condition. Furthermore, rapid assessment metrics were significantly correlated with stressors found at sites. Significant correlations also existed between riverine habitat condition, water chemistry, and benthic macroinvertebrate communities across streams in this watershed. This study highlights the following key concepts: (1) application of a multiple indicator approach at different spatial scales and sampling intensities promotes a better understanding of the causal relationships between land use, wetland condition, and anthropogenic stress, (2) a multi-tiered monitoring approach can provide a cost-effective means of integrating wetland status and trends assessments into routine watershed monitoring programs, and (3) a three tiered approach to monitoring provides wetland managers with an effective organizational tool that can be used to prioritize management activities.