United States Environmental Research November 1994 Environmental Protection Laboratory - Corvallis Agency <& EPA Wetlands Research Update Prepared by: Richard Sumner, Regional Liaison - Wetlands Research Program Mary E. Kentula, Manager- Wetlands Research Program The Update is prepared to keep those who are interested in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Wetlands Research Program (WRP) abreast of our activities and accomplishments. Strategic Research Goals The WRP is in the third year of implementing research towards the development of a risk-based approach to wetlands protection (Leibowitz et al. 1992a). The specific research objectives of WRP are: (1) determine how wetlands contribute to envi- ronmental quality, both individually and as an aggregate within the landscape; (2) quantify the effects of stressors and landscape factors on wetlands function to assess the risks posed by the associated loss and degra- dation of wetlands; (3) develop risk management options through the use of site prioritization and performance criteria for wetlands restoration; (4) design and test a monitoring system that can assess wetlands function and condition, and the effectiveness of risk reduction activities (i.e., adaptive management); and (5) evaluate relationships between the design and operation of constructed wetlands and water quality improvement. Landscape Function Project The implementation of a risk-based approach to wetlands protection requires information on the interaction of wetlands with other ecosystems within broad geographic areas, such as ecoregions and watersheds. Empirical analysis and overlay analysis (i.e., Geographic Information System - GIS) are two approaches being evaluated by WRP for use in landscape-scale assessments. For example, the WRP continues its evaluation of empirical approaches in studies of prairie ------- Wetlands Research Update — Page Two pothole wetlands of North Dakota. The study is being conducted in collaboration with EPA's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP). Newly proposed study will evaluate envi- ronmental indicators for describing the condition of wetlands within the prairie pothole region of North Dakota. The WRP has funded an agreement with the National Biological Survey's Northern Prairie Laboratory to characterize the condi- tion and landscape function of prairie pothole wetlands. The study will employ the use of a probability-based sampling design to determine both the wetland and landscape characteristics that influence the abundance and distribution of various bird populations in the prairie pothole region. A major goal of the study is to substantiate various relation- ships between land use practices, wetland condition, and the functional capacity of wetlands. A principal objective is to evaluate and compare the advantages and limitations of remote imagery and field measurements for producing regional estimates of ecologi- cal condition. The proposed study will consist of two years of field work, plus a third year for analysis and the production of reports and articles. Also, WRP will begin reporting in 1995 the results of a study conducted in Delaware in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The study examines how a hydrogeomorphic-based landscape classification system might be used to differentiate the capacity of wetlands within different landscape units to perform a water quality improvement function. Analysis will rely upon the results from USGS's Delmarva National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) study. New field data also are being collected to test hypothesized correlations between landscape, hydrogeologic and water quality characteristics, and wetlands function. Watersheds or other landscape units also can be prioritized for ecosystem protection and restora- tion activities through a GIS-based approach. A clear understanding of the landscape factors responsible for the formation and maintenance of wetlands is a prerequisite to this type of analysis. Preliminary results from a synoptic assess- ment of the Tensas River Basin are being used to develop criteria for selecting areas suitable for wetlands restoration. The USDA Soil Conservation Service (SCS), in cooperation with WRP, is, completing an assessment of the Tensas River Basin of Louisiana using a synoptic approach to cumulative impact assessment (Leibowitz et al. 1992b). One aspect of the study is the development of a conceptual model for combining indices of landscape attributes pertinent to wetlands restoration. Mappable landscape indicators are identified for each index. Using GIS overlay analysis each index acts as a filter layer that collectively focuses on areas with higher potentials for wetlands restoration, where the pre- determined goal is water quality improvement and floodwater storage. The actual concep- tual model being evaluated for the Tensas Basin depicts wetlands restoration potential as a product of: (1) land use conversion, (2) wetland soils, (3) landscape morphology, (4) hydrologic transport systems (e.g., ditches), and (5) geographic areas that significantly contribute to nonpoint source pollution. A final project report is anticipated in the fall of 1994. Results from the Tensas Project have encouraged the WRP to initiate a new study within the State of Arkansas also using the "Synoptic Approach." The project will take place in the White River Basin. We will continue to evaluate the Synoptic Approach as a method for identifying areas ecologically suitable for wetlands restoration. ------- Wetlands Research Update — Page Three Restoration Project The WRP has commissioned several studies designed to demonstrate and refine WRP's "An Approach to Improving Decision Making in Wetlands Restoration and Creation" (Kentula et al. 1992). The work will culminate in a series of new publications discussing methods for: (1) characterizing populations of wetlands to establish their reference condition, (2) analyzing the information gathered to pro- duce monitoring protocols for establishing wetlands protection goals (e.g., state water quality standards) and/or performance goals for wetlands restoration projects, and (3) prioritizing areas ecologically suitable for riparian restoration. For example, the WRP is continuing its work on the Oregon Wetland Study (OWS). The study entails the characterization and comparative analysis of a sample of approximately 100 natural, created, and restored freshwater wetlands located in the Portland Metropolitan Area of Oregon (Magee et al. 1993). Preliminary findings suggest soil organic matter accumulates slowly in freshwater wetlands mitigation projects. The amount of soil organic matter in wetland soils plays a critical role in the wetland functions of nutrient cycling and pollutant detoxification, provides substrate for essen- tial microbes, and influences the development of wetlands vegetation. During 1993, over 2000 soil samples were collected from 48 naturally-occurring wetlands and 49 mitiga- tion projects within the Portland Metropolitan Area. Preliminary data analyses show that . soils from mitigation projects have signifi- cantly lower soil organic matter content than soils from natural wetlands, in both surface (0-5 cm) and subsurface (15-20 cm) horizons. A subset (n=10) of the projects had been sampled in 1987 as part of a pilot study. A comparison of 1987 and 1993 data shows that soil organic matter content in the surface soil increased very slowly (ca. 0.2% a year) during the 6-year period, and did not increase at all at some locations. Study results suggest that it may take dec- ades for soil organic matter to accumulate in mitigation projects to levels comparable with those in similar, naturally-occurring wetlands. Additional studies are needed to evaluate (1) how soils low in organic matter affect wetland function and (2) whether the amount of organic matter at project sites can be increased through properly timed soils augmentation and nutrient applications. Further analysis of data from the OWS soil studies, and associated hydrological monitoring, likely will provide important new information for the development of site selection and design guidelines for wetland projects. The WRP intends to use its research findings from Oregon to begin the preparation of a wetlands monitoring manual. The manual, as currently envisioned, will serve as a template for multiple applications, including the establishment of wetlands protection criteria and performance criteria for restoration projects. The manual will reflect OWS results as well as information gath- ered from several other WRP-supported projects being completed around the country. One such study is located within the Puget Sound Area of Washington. Researchers from the University of Washington are examining how information gathered at reference wetland sites within the Puget Sound area can be used to advance the design and monitoring of wetland mitigation banks. Somewhat similar work also is being implemented by the University of Massachusetts at Amherst for selected watersheds within the Connecticut River Basin. Their study examines the relationship between the amount of impervi- ous surfaces within urban areas and its effect upon the aquatic life associated with wetlands. Feasibility studies also have been recently initi- ated for the monitoring of vernal pool wetlands in California and riparian wetlands in the Southeast- em Plains of North Carolina and South Carolina. ------- Wetlands Research Update — Page Four The projects are being conducted by Chico State University and Eastern Carolina University, respectively. Finally, a companion study is being funded in Ohio by EPA's Regional Office in Chicago. It will examine the use of various vegetation indices as tools for establishing wet- lands reference condition. Four more WRP-sponsored studies designed to help restoration planning are either finished or will be completed within the next year. The overall objective of the studies is the development of methods for prioritizing the environmental suitability of sites (i.e. stream reaches) for riparian restoration. The selection of stream reaches environ- mentally suitable for riparian wetlands restoration can proceed under a hierarchical format using an established set of environ- mental indicators. The University of California, Berkeley and the Kansas Biological Survey recently sub- mitted reports to WRP describing the results of their studies within the San Luis Rey Watershed of California, and the Upper Delaware Watershed of Kansas, respectively. Field results from the San Luis Rey water- shed study were used to generate a set of decision variables or indicators for screening stream reaches as sites environmentally suitable for restoration. In successive order of importance, from greatest to least, the indicators are: geomorphic setting, propor- tion of natural vegetation, proportion of land use in the area, upland land use bordering the floodplain and degree of fragmentation in natural vegetation. Landscape-level and site specific factors that affect the success of riparian restoration projects were examined in the Upper Dela- ware Watershed. Techniques using GIS were applied to spatially match areas of aquatic pollution with existing and potential riparian sites. The process leads to a prioritization of restoration areas based upon the opportunity for risk reduction as well as potential for project success. Specific factors that might be used to predict the performance of restora- tion projects are: (1) type of land use change within historic riparian ecosystems (e.g., 30 meters lateral to stream channel), (2) low to moderate soil permeability, (3) moderate to high groundwater conditions, (4) soils with high organic content, and (5) broader-scale land use history. Companion studies aire being conducted by Utah State University within the Upper Arkansas Basin of Colorado and also within the San Luis Rey River Watershed of California. These studies are exploring different field and remote imagery approaches for identifying stream reaches suitable for riparian wetlands restoration. Publications from these research efforts are scheduled for 1995. Wetlands Function Project... Information on relationships between stressors and the degradation of wetland functions is needed for a risk-based approach to wetlands protection. New research sponsored by the Project is finding appropriate environmental indicators for characterizing the condition and function of wetlands along a gradient of environ- mental disturbance. Study results should prove useful to states interested in developing wetlands management strategies and the biological criteria needed to protect the aquatic life use of wetlands (Detenbeck, In press). One major study currently underway explores the role of environmental buffers surrounding prairie pothole wetlands. Preliminary results from research reveal that climatic variability, and associated water level fluctuation, should be considered when designing environmental buffers to protect prairie pothole wetlands from sedimentation. ------- Wetlands Research Update — Page Five Twenty seasonal wetlands with a range of upland agricultural practices are being mon- itored within the Missouri Coteau Ecoregion of North Dakota. Five of the wetlands represent the control setting of native prairie. Fifteen additional wetlands are influenced by a range of different farm practices (i.e., five wetlands enrolled in USDA's Conservation Reserve Program, five wetlands with five meter buffers, and five wetlands with tillage to the wetlands edge). Sedimentation rates are being monitored in each wetland, along with measures of water quality, primary productivity, macro-invertebrate popula- tions, and waterfowl use. Field observations already have revealed that some wetland buffers are under-designed and may not effectively reduce ecological risks associated with sedimentation. The buffers were designated during a time of drought, and provide reduced filtration capacity (i.e, less buffer width) during the current period of normal rainfall. The information being gathered through wetlands monitoring in North Dakota will be used to develop and confirm relationships between wetland buffers and wetland condi- tion. Sedimentation and food chain models also are being developed as a means to extrapolate study results across the Ecoregion. Ancillary work is being conducted to exam- ine the exposure and effects of pesticide use on wetlands within the Ecoregion. The Wetlands Function Project also is supporting research that looks at the effects of urbanization on wetlands. Specific studies have been commissioned to explore how stormwater affects the function and condition of wetlands within urban landscapes. Water level fluctuation provides a good indication of wetlands condition within urbanizing areas. Scientists from the University of Washington recently completed studies evaluating how the effects of urbanization influence wetland amphibians and vegetation. With respect to amphibians, they found decreased species richness at wetlands located within heavily urbanized watersheds. The association could be due to a variety of factors, including water level fluctuation, which is highly correlated to urbanization. Conversely, low velocity flows and low fluctuation are corre- lated with high species richness. Wetland size, number of vegetation classes, and seasonal persistence of water were unrelated to species richness. Greenhouse experiments with vegetation revealed that certain species of sedges are resilient to cycles of flooding and drying, but that resilience decreases (e.g., decreased biomass) when exposed to sediment deposits and high water levels. Observations in the field also have shown that episodic flooding and sediment transport generated in urban landscapes will kill mature trees within wetlands. To protect plant communities, the tolerance limits of individual species should not be exceeded at the most sensitive time in their life cycles. In addition, the WRP has initiated several new studies designed specifically to support the development by the states of biological criteria for wetlands. One study is being conducted in conjunction with the National Biological Survey to evaluate the condition of Great Lakes coastal wetlands. Researchers already have characterized a population of minimally disturbed "reference wetlands" along the south shore of Lake Superior. Information gathered at the reference sites currently is being used to evaluate the condition of other wetlands sites in Lake Superior and comparable sites in die other Great Lakes. Finally, the WRP has funded new research to develop indices of biotic integrity (IBI) for South- eastern bottomland hardwood forests. The project was proposed by Louisiana State Univer- sity in conjunction with Gemson University. Researchers hope to compile and analyze data collected over the past 20 years from wetlands sites in Louisiana and South Carolina. Results from the analysis are expected to produce IBIs that are initially based upon a broad spectrum of ecosystem functional attributes, and later simpli- fied for ease of application. ------- Wetlands Research Update — Page Six Constructed Wetlands Project The Project continues work on evaluating the per- formance of constructed wetlands built primarily for the purpose of treating domestic wastewater. Work is progressing in four areas. A wetlands treatment database has been completed using-dBase IV software. The database is a collection of existing information from all wet- lands in North America known to be treating wastewater, except for agricultural and acid mine drainage systems. The database offers a reference to engineers interested in estimating the perform- ance of wetland treatment systems. The title of the software is "North American Wetlands for Water Quality Treatment Database." Copies can be obtained by calling Dr. Don Brown, of EPA's Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory, at (513)569-7630. A study of pilot scale subsurface flow wetlands is being completed at Tennessee Technological University. Results from the study were pre- sented by Dr. Dennis B. George at the October 1994 Water Environmental Federation meetings in Chicago. Preliminary results confirm that sub- surface flow wetlands effectively reduce BOD and suspended solids from waste streams. However, the systems can be less effective at nutrient re- moval, depending upon design. Improper design and flow rates also can lead to the plugging of rock media pores. A study to evaluate the performance of on-site (individual home) subsurface flow wetlands is underway by the Arkansas Environmental Academy. The study will monitor seven on-site systems for a variety of water quality parameters. Monitoring began in August 1994 and will con- tinue into 1995. The fourth project, recommended by WRP for funding in 1994, will look at the performance of subsurface flow wetlands systems in cold climate regions. The study is being proposed by the Friends of Fort George, a nonprofit group located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. The group intends to study the effectiveness of the wetlands systems for removing nutrients from the discharge of existing treatment lagoons. The wetland systems were built as an alternative to the construction of a larger treatment facility that would have encroached upon a valued historic and environmentally sensitive area. Technical Information Transfer Activities Over the last year, the WRP contributed resources and expertise to the following activities per- formed in collaboration with the EPA Regional Offices and several of the states. • Distributed a Permit Tracking System (Holland and Kentula 1991) to states inter- ested in compiling wetland restoration information from permit/project files. Results generated from the "PTS" can be used to set geographic priorities and goals for future projects. • Contributed to the development of the Oregon Freshwater Wetlands Assessment Methodology (Roth et al. 1994). The Oregon Division of State Lands based the Oregon Method, in part, on information gleaned from the "Method for the Comparative Evaluation of Nontidal Wetlands in New Hampshire" (Ammann and Stone, 1991). The Oregon Method also borrows from the ecological principles associated with WRP's risk-based approach to wetlands protection and a hydrogeomorphic classification for wetlands (Brinson, 1993). Initiation of a new project designed to promote broader geographical use of the "Avian Richness Evaluation Method - 'AREM'" (Adamus 1993). AREM consists of ------- Wetlands Research Update — Page Seven a series of wildlife habitat relationship models covering a number of bird species. The pro- cedure estimates the number of species likely to occur regularly in a particular wetland, and uses this information to assign importance to the site. AREM was originally developed for use with riparian and wetland ecosystems of western Colorado. The new project will be conducted in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Our objective is to develop a procedure that allows resource managers to "regionalize" AREM for their area of the country. • Initiation of a study on the development of environmental indicators for wetlands evaluation. The University of Massachusetts at Amherst is conducting the study in coop- eration with EPA Region 1 (Boston). Expected outputs from the study are: (1) an "example" state wetland assessment methodology that can be used as a template by states wanting to develop their own standard methodology, and (2) a list of indicators of wetland function within urban landscapes that can be integrated into state wetland assessment methodologies. Products are scheduled for completion during 1994. Personnel Notes The WRP program welcomes Mr. Gerald Schuytema and Dr. Alan Nebeker. Both Jerry and A1 join the wetlands program after serving with EPA's Wildlife Toxicology Research Program. They bring to the Wetlands Program considerable expertise in risk assessment, particularly dealing with the effects of anthropogenic stress on macro- invertebrates and amphibians. They will be working specifically on WRP's urban wetlands projects (e.g., the effects of urbanization on wet- lands condition). • Evaluation of the Synoptic Approach as a tool for prioritizing wetlands restoration activities in northeastern Illinois. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which conducted the evaluation for WRP, concluded that the approach has greatest applicability for ad- vance planning actions (ADID) and in the site selection of mitigation banks or other off-site compensatory mitigation sites. They saw little applicability for its use in decision-making at the site specific level. The WRP will use this valuable critique to explore new approaches to link synoptic assessment methods with site specific assessment procedures (e.g., the "New Hampshire" and "Oregon" methods). • Provided oversight for two extramural study efforts in the Sandhills region of Nebraska. Both projects will be completed by the Uni- versity of Nebraska. They are entitled, "The influence of landscape scale on avian abundance and richness in Sandhills Wetlands" and "The dynamics of Sandhills wetlands and die hydrau- lic connection with the High Plains Aquifer." In Closing If this Update was mailed to you, you're on our mailing list and will continue to receive Program information If you wish to be added to our mailing list, please contact the Wetlands Research Program EPA Environmental Research Laboratory, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333. Inquiries about specific research projects can be directed to Richard Sumner at the above address. He will direct the inquiry to the appropriate principal investigator. ------- Wetlands Research Update — Page Eight Recent Program Publications The following publications may be obtained through a library. Inquires about EPA publications may be directed to EPA's Center for Environmental Research Information (CERI), 26 West Martin Luther King Boulevard, Cincinnati, OH 45268 - Telephone (513)569-7562. Ammann, A.P. and A. Lindley Stone. 1991. Method for the Comparative Evaluation of Nontidal Wetlands in New Hampshire. NHDES-WRD-1991-3. New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, Concord, NH. Brinson, M.M. 1993. A Hydrogeomorphic Classifica- tion for Wetlands. Technical Report WRP-DE-4, US. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS. Detenbeck, N.E. In Press. Prevention, minimization, and monitoring of the impacts of physical disturbance to wetlands. Proceedings of the National Transporta- tion Board's Fourth National Conference for Small and Medium-sized Communities. Holland, C.C. and M.E. Kentula. 1991. The Permit Tracking System (PTS): A User's Manual. EPA/600/ 8-91/054. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Research Laboratory, Corvallis, OR. Kentula, M.E., R.E. Brooks, S.E. Gwin, C.C. Holland, A.D. Sherman, and J.C. Sifneos. 1992. An Approach to Improving Decision Making in Wetland Restoration and Creation. Island Press; Washington D.C. • 4 Mm9 Knight, R.L, R.W. Ruble, R.H. Kadlec, R.H., and S. Reed. 1993. Wetlands for wastewater treatment: Performance database. In: Constructed Wetlands for Water Quality Improvement, G.A. Moshiri, ed. Lewis Publishers, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. Knight, R.L., R.H. Kadlec, and S.C. Reed. 1992. Wet- lands Treatment Data Base. In: Proceedings of the 65th Annual Conference of the Water Environment Federation, New Orleans, September 1992, Volume IX, "General Topics," WEF Order No. C2009. Leibowitz, S.G., E.M. Preston, L.Y. Arnaut, N.E. Detenbeck, C.A. Hagley, M.E. Kentula, R.K. Olson, W.D. Sanville, and R.R. Sumner. 1992(a). Wetlands Research Plan FY92-96: An Integrated Risk-Based Approach. Edited by Joan P. Baker. EPA/600/R-92/060. US. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Research Laboratory, Corvallis, OR. Leibowitz, S.G., B. Abbruzzese, PR Adamus, LE. Hughes, and J.T. Irish. 1992(b). A Synoptic Approach to Cumu- lative Impact Assessment: A Proposed Methodology. Edited by S.G. McCannell and A. J. Hairston. EPA/ 600/R-92/167. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Research Laboratory, Corvallis, OR. Magee, T.K., S.E. Gwin, R.G. Gibson, C.C. Holland, J.E. Honea, P.W. Shaffer, J.C. Sifneos, and M.E. Kentula. 1993. Research Plan and Methods Manual for the Oregon Wet- land Study. Document production by K. Miller. EPA/ 600/R-93/072. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Research Laboratory, Corvallis, OR. United States Environmental Protection Agency Corvallis Environmental Research Laboratory 200 Southwest 35th Street Corvallis, Oregon 97333 ------- |