TY - GEN
T1 - Development of process-based assessment protocols in the Kishwaukee River Basin, Illinois
T2 - 2004 World Water and Environmental Resources Congress: Critical Transitions in Water and Environmental Resources Management
AU - Schwartz, John S.
AU - Herricks, Edwin E.
AU - Marcinkevage, A. Catherine
AU - Suen, Jian-Ping
AU - Rhoads, Bruce L.
AU - Kumar, Praveen
AU - Russell, Stephen S.
PY - 2004/12/1
Y1 - 2004/12/1
N2 - In recent years use of GIS natural resources databases has greatly improved watershed analysis techniques. These techniques have provided excellent inventories of watershed attributes supporting management strategies, but it has become evident that analysis techniques must include process-based assessments from the inventory data. Assessments must also include an integration of hydrology, geomorphology, and ecology observations. Protocols for process-based assessments are critical to achieving restoration project sustainability. The Kishwaukee River watershed, a 1,340-mi 2 watershed located in northern Illinois was chosen to test development of process-based protocols for watershed analysis. Stream power was found to be an important environmental driver correlating with physical habitat maintenance, recovery from stream channelization, and instream pollutant assimilation. The greatest impacts to ecological integrity appeared to be from rapid urbanization and agricultural practices in low-gradient subwatersheds. It was found that protocol development of ecological metrics could be greatly improved if bio-inventory data were consistently collected with respect to methodology and sample locations/times.
AB - In recent years use of GIS natural resources databases has greatly improved watershed analysis techniques. These techniques have provided excellent inventories of watershed attributes supporting management strategies, but it has become evident that analysis techniques must include process-based assessments from the inventory data. Assessments must also include an integration of hydrology, geomorphology, and ecology observations. Protocols for process-based assessments are critical to achieving restoration project sustainability. The Kishwaukee River watershed, a 1,340-mi 2 watershed located in northern Illinois was chosen to test development of process-based protocols for watershed analysis. Stream power was found to be an important environmental driver correlating with physical habitat maintenance, recovery from stream channelization, and instream pollutant assimilation. The greatest impacts to ecological integrity appeared to be from rapid urbanization and agricultural practices in low-gradient subwatersheds. It was found that protocol development of ecological metrics could be greatly improved if bio-inventory data were consistently collected with respect to methodology and sample locations/times.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=23844518704&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=23844518704&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:23844518704
SN - 0784407371
SN - 9780784407370
T3 - Proceedings of the 2004 World Water and Environmetal Resources Congress: Critical Transitions in Water and Environmetal Resources Management
SP - 4433
EP - 4442
BT - Proceedings of the 2004 World Water and Environmetal Resources Congress
A2 - Sehlke, G.
A2 - Hayes, D.F.
A2 - Stevens, D.K.
Y2 - 27 June 2004 through 1 July 2004
ER -