5/23/2016  |   10:30 - 10:45   |  315

MAKING GOOD OR BROKEN PROMISES? TRENDS IN ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY ASSESSMENT ACROSS THE UNITED STATES Maintenance of ecological integrity was a visionary mandate of the 1972 Clean Water Act, but implementation depends on how integrity is defined and assessed. We examined assessment trends for freshwaters (wetland, stream, and riparian) through a review and quantitative analysis of the literature since passage of the CWA. We analyzed attributes of 70 frameworks to examine fundamental changes in the way ecological integrity is assessed over time. Our review was supplemented with an expert survey to identify gaps between assessment trends and the needs of management and conservation communities. We found strong methodological shifts in assessments over time that were primarily defined by increasing and exclusive reliance on rapid and GIS-based approaches. These changes are associated with a loss of diversity in indicator classes and aquatic stressors. We also found that processes which are fundamental to integrity in freshwaters – connectivity, upstream condition, and climate – are inconsistently incorporated into assessments. Furthermore, the expert survey indicated mismatches between practitioner needs and current assessment trends. Overall, our results suggest priorities for research and development of assessment frameworks to support freshwater conservation.

Lauren Kuehne (Primary Presenter/Author), University of Washington, lauren.kuehne@gmail.com;


Julian Olden ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Washington, olden@uw.edu;


Angela Strecker ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Portland State University, strecker@pdx.edu;


Dave Theobald ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Conservation Science Partners, davet@csp-inc.org;


Josh Lawler ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Washington, jlawler@uw.edu;


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5/23/2016  |   10:45 - 11:00   |  315

STREAM AND RIVER CONDITION ACROSS THE BLM'S NATIONAL SYSTEM OF PUBLIC LANDS The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, conducted the first ever Western Rivers and Streams Assessment (WRSA), a survey of the condition of BLM streams and rivers throughout the contiguous western U.S. The WRSA was designed to answer three central questions: 1. What percentage of BLM’s streams and rivers exhibit minimal, moderate or significant departure from biological reference conditions; 2. What is the linear extent of streams and rivers experiencing stressors such as nutrient, salinity and sediment loading; and 3. What is the risk posed by the observed stressors to biological condition? West-wide, preliminary results suggest that 30% of BLM streams and rivers exhibit minimal departure, 23% moderate departure and 47% significant departure from biological reference conditions, as measured by aquatic macroinvertebrates. The most ubiquitous stressors were excessive salinity, nutrient loading and reduced levels of canopy cover and instream habitat complexity. These same stressors were associated with increased risk of macroinvertebrate biological condition being in poor condition. In this talk, we will present final results for the WRSA.

Jennifer Courtwright (Primary Presenter/Author), Utah State University National Aquatic Monitoring Center, jennifer.courtwright@usu.edu;


Scott Miller ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), BLM/USU National Aquatic Monitoring Center, Department of Watershed Sciences, Utah State University, scott.miller@usu.edu;


Steven Paulsen ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), U.S EPA, Office of Research and Development, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR (retired), sgp.paulsen@gmail.com;


Anthony Olsen ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), EPA, olsen.tony@epa.gov;


Philip Kaufmann ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), U.S EPA, Office of Research and Development, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR, Kaufmann.Phil@epa.gov;


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5/23/2016  |   11:00 - 11:15   |  315

REGIONAL REFERENCE CURVES AND ECOLOGICAL ENDPOINTS FOR THE APPALACHIAN PLATEAU OF ALABAMA Stream restoration design, implementation, and assessments are typically based on hydraulic geometry / drainage area relationships (i.e., regional curves), but increasingly also have included biological conditions. We provide stream eco-geomorphological design and assessment tools for the Southwestern Appalachian ecoregion of Alabama, an area where such tools were nonexistent. These include: 1) regional curves for predicting reference channel morphology and 2) ecological endpoints for predicting reference biotic assemblages. Bankfull channel cross-section area, width, mean depth, and estimated discharge were strongly correlated to watershed drainage area. Drainage area explained 90% and 60% of the variation in fish richness and abundance respectively. Conversely, drainage area only explained 58% of the variation in crayfish richness, none of the variation in crayfish abundance, 20% of the variation in macroinvertebrate richness and 21% of the variation in macroinvertebrate abundance. Thus fishes, and to a lesser extent crayfishes and macroinvertebrates, change predictably with drainage area. These tools, which integrate geomorphology and biology, can be used to guide stream evaluation and design and increase effectiveness of restoration efforts.

Eric Bauer (Primary Presenter/Author), Auburn University, efb0005@tigermail.auburn.edu;


Brian Helms ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Troy University, helmsb@troy.edu;


Jack Feminella ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Auburn University, feminjw@auburn.edu;


David Werneke ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Auburn University, wernedc@auburn.edu;


Jason Zink ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Zink Environmental, LLC, jmzink@gmail.com;


Greg Jennings ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Jennings Environmental , LLC, jenningsenv@gmail.com;


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5/23/2016  |   11:15 - 11:30   |  315

ASSESSING PERIPHYTON PHOSPHORUS LIMITATION IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA STREAMS USING PULSE AMPLITUDE MODULATED FLUOROMETRY Phosphorus (P) is often the nutrient in shortest supply in stream ecosystems, limiting algal biomass accumulation and, ultimately, ecosystem productivity. The purpose of this study was to determine if the degree of P limitation could be ascertained rapidly and inexpensively in the field using Pulse Amplitude Modulated (PAM) fluorometry. I used PAM fluorometry to collected F_V /F_M and rapid light curve data in eight streams spanning a P enrichment gradient. These results were compared to measures of water column P concentration, SPARROW-modeled P concentration, algal biomass, periphyton P-content, alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) and P uptake rate. There were strong negative correlations between F_V /F_M and P uptake rate (r=-0.880) and APA (r=-0.716), while alpha (initial slope of the rapid light curve) was also negatively correlated with APA (r=-0.711). Maximum relative electron transport rate (rETR) was positively correlated with periphyton P content. Although this preliminary dataset was small, PAM fluorometry appeared to be a useful tool for ascertaining P limitation in the sampled streams.

Steven Rier (Primary Presenter/Author), Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, srier@commonwealthu.edu;


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5/23/2016  |   11:30 - 11:45   |  315

REQUIRED SAMPLING EFFORT FOR BIOASSESSMENT OF ATLANTIC ESTUARIES IN A CITIZEN MONITORING PROGRAMME In 2003, Fisheries and Oceans Canada initiated a Community Aquatic Monitoring Programme (CAMP) for estuaries and bays in Atlantic Canada. Sampling began in 2004 to collect fish and crustaceans with the objective of characterising the near shore assemblage. At each site 6 sampling stations were established and sampled monthly from 3 to 5 times. As of January 2016, the data set comprises 8435 samples from 38 sites. The minimum period of record for a station is 3 years and the maximum 12 years. As the scale of interest is the site it was necessary to determine the optimal characterisation approach. Accordingly the 38 estuaries were examined individually to determine the contribution of spatial, annual and monthly variation in contributing to a site estimate. Monthly variation is greater than differences among stations or among years. Exclusion of May and September samples results in differences among months being similar to differences among stations and years. Results showed that using the average annual value of the six stations is generally supported and in most cases annual differences were minimal.

Trefor Reynoldson (Primary Presenter/Author), GHOST Environmental Consulting, trefor.reynoldson@gmail.com;


John L Bailey ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, jbailey@laurentian.ca;


Robert Bailey ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), U.O.I.T. , robert.bailey@uoit.ca;


Monica Boudreau ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Monica.Boudreau@dfo-mpo.gc.ca;


Kyle Knysh ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University Prince Edward Island, knyshk@gmail.com;


Simon Courtenay ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University Waterloo, scourten@uwaterloo.ca;


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5/23/2016  |   11:45 - 12:00   |  315

BISON AND CATTLE GRAZING MANAGEMENT, BARE GROUND COVERAGE, AND LINKS TO SUSPENDED SEDIMENT CONCENTRATIONS IN GRASSLAND STREAMS This study quantifies the impact of bison and cattle grazing management practices on bare ground coverage and suspended sediment concentrations within the Flint Hills ecoregion in Kansas. Cattle grazing produces significantly higher baseflow suspended sediment concentrations relative to bison grazing. Suspended sediment concentrations within bison-grazed streams are similar to ungrazed streams. Ungrazed treatments contain the lowest coverage of bare ground at the watershed, riparian, and forested riparian scales. Bison treatments contain the highest coverage of bare ground at the watershed scale, while high-density cattle treatments contain the highest coverage of bare ground at the riparian and forested riparian scales. In bison and cattle-grazed treatments, a majority of bare ground is located near fence lines, watershed boundaries, and third- and fourth-order stream segments. Inorganic sediment concentrations at base flow are best predicted by riparian bare ground coverage, while storm-flow sediment concentrations are best predicted by watershed scale bare ground coverage.

Bartosz Grudzinski (Primary Presenter/Author), Miami University, grudzibp@miamioh.edu;


Melinda Daniels ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Stroud Water Research Center, mdaniels@stroudcenter.org;


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