Welcome to the interactive web schedule for the 2017 SEAFWA Conference! For tips on how to navigate this site, visit the "Helpful Info" section. To return to the SEAFWA website, go to: www.seafwa.org/conference/overview
Note: Session titles beginning with an asterisk (*) have student presenters.
AUTHORS: John Hottenstein, Ecosystem Planning and Restoration; Will Harman, Ecosystem Planning and Restoration and Stream Mechanics; Cidney Jones, Ecosystem Planning and Restoration; Rich Starr, Ecosystem Planning and Restoration
ABSTRACT: In the southeast, more than 400 aquatic species have been petitioned for listing by the Fish and Wildlife Service as threatened or endangered. Environmental groups, regulatory agencies, and researchers can benefit from the creation of tools that characterize stream conditions and quantify improvement. Such tools can ensure that funding goes to the restoration and conservation projects most capable of supporting species recovery. Stream Mechanics and Environmental Defense Fund have created a quantification tool that calculates functional lift at stream mitigation sites. The Stream Quantification Tool (SQT) organizes stream functions into five functional categories: hydrology, hydraulics, geomorphology, physicochemical, and biology. These functional categories are assessed by various parameters using one or multiple measurement methods. A quantitative functional score is calculated by translating measured field values to index values based on performance standards developed for each measurement method. The modular design of the SQT’s five functional categories allows for rapid customization based upon user needs and regional considerations. Stream Mechanics and Environmental Defense Fund recently customized the SQT to quantify the suitability of stream conditions for brook trout in the southeast. Given the significant data and research available on brook trout, this species was selected to serve as a model in the creation of a scientific “roadmap” to guide others in customizing the SQT for a specific aquatic species. This session will focus on the SQT, the process taken to customize the SQT for brook trout, and opportunities to further customize the SQT to meet the needs of at-risk aquatic species.
Tuesday October 31, 2017 11:05am - 11:20am EDT
McCreary