Research Areas > Wetlands > Wetland Monitoring and Assessment

Research Area: Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Methods

Recent population increases in California have greatly increased development pressures on wetlands, particularly in coastal regions. In addition, California has invested heavily in policies, programs, and projects to conserve, restore, and manage wetland and riparian resources. However, the net effect of these efforts relative to ongoing wetland degradation cannot currently be assessed due to the lack of effective statewide or regional monitoring programs. A suite of standardized, cost-effective assessment tools and methods is key to implementing such a program.
 

SCCWRP Research

SCCWRP is part of an inter-regional partnership that works collaboratively to develop a common conceptual framework and standardized set of tools for wetland assessment. The toolkit is based on USEPA's recommended 3-tiered assessment framework, which consists of: Level 1 - habitat inventories and landscape assessment (regional); Level 2 - field-based rapid assessment (regional to site); and Level 3 - intensive assessment (site-specific).

Wetland and riparian mapping and landscape assessment research project groups include:

• Integrated Wetlands Regional Assessment Program (IWRAP) - development and implementation of a regional program to evaluate the extent and condition of wetlands throughout southern California's coastal watersheds.
• Wetland and Riparian Mapping and Landscape Assessment - development of landscape-level mapping and assessment resources.
• California Wetland Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM) - a standardized, cost-effective method for assessing the health of a wetland or riparian habitat in less than half a field day.
• Intensive Assessment Protocol Development - development of standardized intensive assessment protocols to aid the integration and reporting of wetland condition on a regional basis.
• Wetland and Riparian Information Management Tools (e.g., Wetland Tracker, eCRAM) - publically-available, information management tools that aid the collection, management, and visualization of wetland-related data.