The Challenges and Opportunities of Managing and Restoring the Beneficial Functions of Desert Floodplains

Author/Presenter: Theresa Pinto, CFM Project Manager Flood Control District of Maricopa County 2801 W. Durango Phoenix, AZ 85009 (602) 506-8127 tmp@mail.maricopa.gov

Maricopa County in central Arizona is approximately 9,200 square miles, which is larger than 7 states, and has a rapidly growing population of over 3,300,000. The Flood Control District of Maricopa County (District) has been responsible for identifying and reducing flood hazards, managing floodplains, educating the public about flood risks, and constructing flood control projects for over 50 years. Managing floodplains and their risks in this large and rapidly growing area has many challenges. Over the last five years, the District has started planning and constructing multi-use and environmentally friendly flood control structures. This approach to constructing flood control structures has many public benefits as well as challenges. Some of the challenges include ensuring the District operates within its legal authorities and funding source. In addition to constructing flood control structures and floodplain management, the District has a thorough planning program and undertakes large watershed master studies. Based on the studies, the District prepares "Area Drainage Master Plans" and watercourse master plans that identify flooding hazards and develops solutions, both structural and non-structural, to remediate or manage the flood hazards. One of the planning goals is to develop and implement drainage and flood management plans for a watershed before the area is developed. Additionally, the District is undertaking two river restoration projects in the Gila River, which is the largest in-state river in Arizona with a watershed size of approximately 46,000 square miles. The restoration projects involve removing salt cedar (i.e., tamarisk), a non-native invasive tree that is choking many of the rivers and washes in the Western United States. The District is interested in removing and replacing salt cedar with native riparian species, such as mesquite, to improve the hydraulic properties and flood conveyance of the rivers. Replacing exotics with native species has an ancillary benefit of improving habitat quality, aesthetics, and recreation opportunities. Salt cedar removal and replacement projects have been undertaken in areas with perennial water, such as along the Colorado River, but have not been undertaken in ephemeral or intermittent rivers like the Gila River.

Lessons Learned from 10-Year Old Created Wetlands

Authors/Presenter*: James F. Renner, P.G.*, Thomas Stanko Golder Associates Inc. 3730 Chamblee Tucker Road Atlanta, GA 30341 (770) 496-1893 jrenner@golder.com and Robert Pliska, P.E. Waste Management of Michigan, Inc.

As a condition of its 1993 permit for landfill expansion, Michigan Environs, Inc. was required to construct 43.2 acres of emergent wetland to provide foraging and loafing habitat for migrating waterfowl and nesting and brood-rearing habitat for resident dabbling ducks. Twenty-five acres of wetland were constructed in 1994 and 1996. Wetlands were constructed in borrow pits by excavating to the water table, applying topsoil, installing stumps, logs, and rock to created substrate diversity, and planting a mix of native hydrophytes. A mosaic of open water and emergent marsh was immediately established. Subsequent monitoring revealed a diverse plant community, a wide range of vertebrates and invertebrates, and many resident and migratory waterfowl, including nesting mallards. After five years of monitoring and demonstration of success criteria, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality suspended further monitoring. Observation of the wetlands over the next decade indicated that the semi-permanently inundated hydrologic regime has been maintained; the hydrophyte assemblage emulates a native plant community, with colonization by neighboring species and disappearance of some planted species; shrubs have colonized the wetland fringes; and waterfowl use continues. These observations suggest that the most important factor in wetland creation success is connection to undisturbed wetlands because it allows reliable establishment of a wetland hydrologic regime and native plant colonization. After ten years it is apparent that short-term success criteria, as typically included in permits, do not need to be complex. It is more important to establish the physical and hydrologic conditions that will allow succession to a natural community.

The Role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Wetland Protection

Author/Presenter: Glenn Reynolds Reynolds & Associates 407 East Main Street Madison, WI 53703 608-257-3621 reynlaw@earthlink.net

Native Americans in the Great Lakes region still recognize the vital importance of pure water and the biodiversity of wetlands to their identity and culture. Abundant medicines and wild rice are fiercely protected. After a 28 year struggle Wisconsin Tribes successfully stopped a proposed zinc and copper sulfide mine at the headwaters of the Wolf River, known as the Crandon Mine. This epic battle resulted in an historic alliance between tribes and mainstream environmental groups and the ultimate purchase of the mining company by the Sokaogon Chippewa Community. This case study provides a modern example of how strong indigenous cultural traditions can shift mainstream thinking to prioritize the value of pure water and the protection of wetlands over economic gain.

Wetland Restoration - Upper Macatawa Conservation Area, Zeeland Township, Ottawa County

Authors/Presenter*: Steven M. Rice* JFNew Michigan Regional Manager 11181 Marwill Avenue West Olive, MI 49460 (616) 847-1680 srice@jfnew.com; www.jfnew.com In collaboration with Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Commission

The Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Commission (OCPRC) partnering with the Macatawa Watershed Project, the Macatawa Greenway Partnership, and other organizations are working to establish a large park/conservation area in the upper portion of the Macatawa River watershed. Utilizing various sources of funding, approximately 550 acres of land has been acquired to date for this project. This property includes a combination of forested uplands and previously farmed floodplain property bordering the Macatawa (Black) River. Project goals included water quality improvements, flood reduction, wildlife habitat creation, and development of resource based recreation opportunities. These goals would be met with the creation/restoration of wetlands and native grasslands within the floodplain area of the Macatawa River. Phase I of the project involved the creation/restoration of approximately 40 acres of wetlands and water features, wetland and upland planting, and nuisance species control. Creation/restoration activities were accomplished using tile breaks, ditch plugs, shallow excavation, and incorporation of an NRCS Conservation Plan to be implemented with Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) funding. Phase II involves a variety of measures to complement Phase I, including potential relocation of a portion of the Macatawa River, creation of shallow water wetlands, wet meadows and other restoration work. These activities are being accomplished using geotechnical soil sampling, HERAS modeling, bio-engineered streambank restoration techniques, and shallow excavation. Proposed discussion would revolve around all aspects of the project from team establishment, grant procurement, design, permitting, construction/implementation, planting, and maintenance.

Revising the International Guidelines for Reporting Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Wetlands

Authors/Presenters: Clark Row, Ph.D. Row Associates P.O. Box 1037 Edgewood, MD 21040 (410) 538-3111 ClarkRow@aol.com and Dominique Blain Environment Canada PVM 19th Floor 351 boul. St-Joseph Gatineau Quebec, K1A 0H3 Canada (819) 953 6079; Fax: (819) 953 3006 dominique.blain@ec.gc.ca

Almost all developed countries, and many developing countries, report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under a set of guidelines developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The provisions for estimating wetland GHG fluxes, as well as those from other sources, are revised substantially in the shortly-to-be issued 2006 guidelines. The new GHG guidelines incorporate recent research on carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide from human activities, including managed peatlands and flooded lands. The IPCC issued the previous guidelines in 1996, with updates in 2000 and 2003. The presentation will cover changes in guidelines for peatlands being converted to and undergoing peat extraction, and from lands being flooded. Guidelines for fluxes from organic soils on former wetlands converted to other uses are also revised, but the estimates are to be reported with cropland, grassland, forestland, or settlement emissions. The paper will also discuss GHG fluxes from other wetlands modified by human activities, such as constructed and restored wetlands, for which flux data is as yet too sparse to develop firm guidelines. The presentation will mention the issues faced by the IPCC task groups revising the guidelines. These issues included insufficient or variable research data on emission factors for some GHGs and climate zones, operational definitions of activities and their data sources, avoiding potential double counting of emissions, intrinsic differences between wetlands and other land classes that affect flux measurement, and the relevance of minor GHG sources. The talk will conclude by suggesting needs and opportunities for research on GHG fluxes from wetlands.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands: The Canadian Experience

Author/Presenter: Clayton Rubec Associate Director Canada-Iraq Marshlands Initiative Environment Canada/University of Waterloo Gatineau, Quebec, Canada K1A 0H3 (819) 953-0485 clay.rubec@ec.gc.ca

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands calls on countries to designate and conserve sites as wetlands of international importance. One-hundred and fifty countries, including Canada the United States, are parties to this treaty. More than 1590 sites have been listed as Ramsar sites worldwide, including 37 in Canada and 22 in the United States. This presentation will discuss Canada's experience with the Ramsar Convention and the role it plays in wetland protection. Ramsar designation has been strongly supported at a local level as an extra tool to conserve key sites, especially with Canada's most recent designations. In addition to considering where Ramsar sits in the tool box, the presentation will explore the issues associated with designating sites in an increasingly large network with scarce management resources. Currently, Canada's Ramsar sites cover more than 13 million hectares.

Restoring Wetlands in the Garden of Eden

Author/Presenter*: Clayton Rubec Associate Director Canada-Iraq Marshlands Initiative Environment Canada/University of Waterloo Gatineau Quebec, Canada K1A 0H3 (819) 953-0485 clay.rubec@ec.gc.ca

One of the World's most famous wetland ecosystems centred on the Euphrates and Tigris river basin and its delta regions in the Middle East was very nearly destroyed by the actions of government. The southern wetlands of Iraq are regarded as the biblical Garden of Eden. Today, they are the target of an emerging international effort to restore their health and support for the livelihood of local peoples. The displacement of several hundred thousand marsh dwellers and destruction of 90% of the Mesopotamian Marshes by Saddam Hussein's regime has been cited as one of the World's greatest environmental catastrophes. This presentation will summarize the role of the Canada-Iraq Marshlands Initiative (CIMI) as part of this international effort to restore this ecosystem. CIMI has three focal areas: (a) developing capacity in Iraqi institutions, including universities and government ministries, to understand and manage marshlands restoration programs; (b) surveying the current status of Key Biodiversity Areas in the southern marshes and establishing recommendations for action; and (c) facilitating Iraq's engagement in international treaties affecting wetlands and in the international science community. This includes accession by Iraq to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and establishment of Iraq's first Ramsar site, the Hawizeh Marsh. The role of Canadian universities and government institutions and our wetland expertise in this project will be discussed.

Development of Wetland Nutrient Criteria for the Grand Portage Indian Reservation Water Quality Standards

Authors/Presenter*: Andy Schmidt*, Margaret Watkins, and Bradley Frazier P.O. Box 428 Grand Portage, MN 55604 (218) 475-2415, Ext. 30 (218) 475-2615 aschmidt@boreal.org

In 2005, the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa became only the 26th Tribe out of 566+ Federally recognized Tribes to successfully develop, adopt, and obtain Federal approval of a water quality standards (WQS) program consistent with USEPA's regulatory requirements. USEPA's approval of the Bands WQS's currently extends to lakes and streams within the Reservation and a portion of Lake Superior. The Band is working on the development of wetland nutrient criteria with the goal of adding these criteria to the Grand Portage WQS. Water and sediment samples were collected in 2005 and 2006 from 14 sites 1-2 times each month during the open water season. Macrophyte communities were assessed at each site and periphyton samples were collected in the spring and fall. Water was analyzed for TN, TKN, chl-a, and TP. Sediment samples were analyzed for TN, TKN, TP, total solids, and TOC. Because the majority of open water wetlands on the Reservation surround dystrophic lakes, the baseline nutrient concentrations in these wetlands are generally greater than those in lakes studied in this ecoregion, which were oligotrophic, clear water lakes with low nutrient concentrations. Nutrient ranges will be created for each type of wetland so that influxes of nutrients can be detected before impairment takes place. The macrophyte and periphyton community data will serve as an indicator of current conditions and will be used to determine if impairment occurs due to excess nutrient loadings. These data will be used to develop nutrient criteria to protect the Reservation's wetlands in the future.

The Public Trust Doctrine and Wetlands Protection: Modern Applications of an Ancient Doctrine

Author/Presenter: Chris A. Shafer Professor of Law Thomas M. Cooley Law School 300 S. Capitol Avenue Lansing, MI 48933 (517) 371-5140; Fax: (517) 334-5747 shaferc@cooley.edu

This presentation will trace the origins of the public trust doctrine from Roman law, through English common law, into American jurisprudence and will describe how the ancient doctrine that traditionally protected commerce, fishing and navigation, has evolved into a dynamic common law doctrine that has been successfully used to protect ecological values, such as fish and wildlife habitat and wetlands, as well as beach access for the public along the ocean coasts and shoreline of the Great Lakes. The public trust doctrine is also an effective shield against taking claims against states because the title to private property along navigable waterways is taken subject to and impressed with the state's paramount public trust interest. Michigan's recent beach access case, Glass v. Goeckel, will be used to illustrate these concepts and principles.

Species-Area Bias of the Floristic Quality Index

Author/Presenter: William Sluis 1304 Leawood Court Naperville, IL 60564 (630) 369-2723 wsluis2@yahoo.com

The Floristic Quality Index as proposed in Plants of the Chicago Region is increasing in popularity. It has been widely used without rigorous scientific investigation of its assumptions and results. Recently, several papers have presented differing viewpoints as to its effectiveness. Several authors suggested that it is biased by the size of the sample area. Others found it to conflict their expectations or not be very useful. Skepticism remains, especially due to its subjectivity. Examination of the mathematical implications of the species-area square root function used to adjust the index to reduce size bias is expains why the index is size-biased. Species-area relationships are highly varied and depend on area sampled and the sizes of plant communities. Using data from several plant inventories, I demonstrate why the index is flawed, some implications of the flaw, and some possible methods to better adjust for differences in species area relationships.

Improved Detection of Plant Communities Using Hyperspectral Remote Sensing

Authors/Presenter*: William J. Sluis* The Wetlands Initiative 53 W. Jackson Boulevard, Suite 1015 Chicago, IL 60604 wsluis2@yahoo.com John P. Tandarich Hey and Associates 53 W. Jackson Boulevard, Suite 1015 Chicago, IL 60604 and Larry Biehl and Chris J. Johannsen The Laboratory for Applications of Remote Sensing Department of Agronomy 1150 Lilly Hall Purdue University West Lafayette, IN 47907-1150

Abstract. Remote sensing is a relatively new tool used by ecologists to examine large areas. Two of the main drawbacks are the coarse resolution, often 30 by 30 m, and difficulty in interpreting spectral data. Data is often collected using four-color bands that can be combined in multiple ways for analysis. Advances in remote sensing technology have increased the resolution to 1m2 or less and increased the number of color bands of the electromagnetic spectrum to 120. We examined an 80-acre native grassland preserve using hyperspectral spectral image data to assess its potential usefulness for detecting plant communities in a remnant grassland. The high resolution provided detection of patterns previously unattainable to the point of detecting patches of plant communities. However, the high resolution of pixels smaller than individual tree canopies were problematic in that shadows were detected as different clusters. The high number of spectral bands allowed for greater selection of usable bands, but only several were needed for meaningful analysis. Differences in minimum number of pixels per cluster resulted in different patterns. High resolution remote sensing is a valuable advancement, but requires significant ground-truthing for correct interpretation.

Pervious Concrete: Patch Scale Environmental Mitigation

Author/Presenter: Brian Smith Federal Highway Administration Resource Center 19900 Governors Drive, Suite 301 Olympia Fields, IL 60461 (708) 283-3553 Brian.Smith@fhwa.dot.gov

Rapidly developing human population centers continue to alter the landscape and destroy wildlife habitat. The effect of urbanization on headwater wetlands is often extensive. Headwater areas exist at the patch scale and are easily truncated by storm sewer networks, developments and roads as areas become urbanized. Increased flashiness resulting from more impervious surface will disconnect a stream ecologically from its floodplain because of channelization, removal of vegetation, emplacement of bank revetment or through water diversions. Federal regulatory methods using an area to flow relationship overestimate the size of most headwater drainage areas. Successful watershed planning requires coordinated diagnosis of the causes of degradation and integrative management to treat the range of ecological stressors within each urban area, and it depends on remedies appropriate at scales. Pervious pavement can be integrated at the patch scale to protect individual headwaters but landscape scale efforts are needed to protect stream networks. Designs can be approached from a similar storage and routing perspective as other storage based storm water management strategies such as retention ponds and bioretention systems. This presentation will highlight recent research on pervious concrete and will highlight how a GIS Decision Support System can be used for a landscape scale application.

Wetland Restoration and Mitigation: How Herpetofauna Can Benefit

Author/Presenter: Edythe Sonntag Michigan State University Department of Fisheries and Wildlife 19340 Grandview Detroit, MI 48219 (313) 541-8395 sonntage@msu.edu

Habitat loss and fragmentation have had detrimental effects on amphibian and reptile populations worldwide. Wetland mitigation, including restoration, creation, and on-site modifications, may offer opportunities to lessen the overall impact of habitat loss and fragmentation, especially if wetlands are designed to meet the special needs of amphibian and reptile populations. While the design process must take into consideration the hydrology, flora and soils of the wetland, it is also possible to create wetlands or mitigate impacts in existing wetlands so as to include habitat for amphibians and reptiles. In 2004 and 2005, I worked with Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the Detroit Zoological Institute, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to translocate a population of Blanchard's cricket frogs (Acris crepitans blanchardi) from a Ypsilanti, Michigan construction site to three restored wetlands. Blanchard's cricket frog is listed as a threatened species in Michigan, and its populations have been declining over the last decades. While early results indicated that the translocation to some sites may have been problematic, 2005 data suggested that populations may become established at one of these sites given additional time. Potential modifications and lessons about site characteristics that improve the probability of success of translocations will be discussed. The redesign of the construction site's mitigation wetland to accommodate the remaining cricket frogs will also be discussed as an excellent example of how herpetologists, wetland scientists and local environmental agencies can work together to preserve species and more fully utilize wetland mitigation and creation.

Wetlands on Brownfield Sites: Balancing Economic Development with Resource Protection

Authors/Presenter*: Scott J. Steiner* and Emily A. Green Rhoades McKee 161 Ottawa NW, Suite 600 Grand Rapids, MI 49503 616-233-5189 sjsteine@rhoadesmckee.com

Brownfields are abandoned or idle industrial and commercial sites where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by environmental contamination. Many brownfield sites are former industrial or manufacturing areas along historical transportation corridors such as rivers and lakes. In the Great Lakes states, many of these sites are situated along the shorelines of the Great Lakes and their tributaries. Communities are now finding it desirable to redevelop these waterfront areas for commercial, residential and recreational use. The cost and complexity of issues associated with redeveloping brownfields are increased by the existence of wetlands. Redeveloping coastal areas requires careful planning to comply with wetland regulations and preserve essential wetland functions such as controlling urban drainage, filtering pollution, providing storm water, erosion and flood control, and wildlife habitat. Redevelopment projects require a balance of interests to achieve the policy goals of brownfield programs while maintaining the no-net loss of wetlands policy under the Clean Water Act. Developers need to consider options such as maintaining existing wetlands, designing and constructing engineered wetlands, or engaging in off-site mitigation banking to preserve essential wetland functions. These decisions must also consider federal and state brownfield incentives including grants, loans, tax increment financing, and tax exemptions to achieve sufficient economic benefits such that developers and government agencies are willing to undertake the project. Despite these challenges, the presence of wetlands can enhance aesthetics and functionality for the betterment of the project and the public interest.

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