Grantee Research Project Results
2006 Progress Report: A Hierarchical Classification System for Identifying Restoration and Protection Priorities in Mined Appalachian Watersheds
EPA Grant Number: R831364Title: A Hierarchical Classification System for Identifying Restoration and Protection Priorities in Mined Appalachian Watersheds
Investigators: Ziemkiewicz, P. , Petty, J. Todd , Stiles, James
Institution: West Virginia University
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: January 1, 2004 through August 31, 2007
Project Period Covered by this Report: January 1, 2006 through December 31,2006
Project Amount: $599,638
RFA: Development of Watershed Classification Systems for Diagnosis of Biological Impairment in Watersheds and Their Receiving Water Bodies (2003) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Watersheds , Water
Objective:
The overriding objective of our research is to develop monitoring and assessment tools that can be used by water resource management agencies to restore and effectively manage mining impacted watersheds of the mid-Atlantic Highlands region. The specific objectives of our current proposal are to (1) develop and validate a landscape model relating watershed attributes, instream attributes, and ecological condition of streams in mined watersheds; and (2) develop a hierarchical watershed classification system that can be used to identify areas of restoration priority and vulnerability to future impact.
Progress Summary:
Significant progress on our project can be broken into 6 tasks: (1) completion of a comprehensive GIS database and modeling structure; (2) completion of field sampling and compilation of data on stream flow, water chemistry, benthic invertebrates, and fish communities; (3) complete QA/QC on all data sets; (4) complete metadata files on GIS and stream data; (5) data analysis and empirical model formulation in support of the hierarchical classification system; and (6) initial progress on developing the restoration and protection prioritization system.
Tasks 1-4 are associated with Objective 1 of the original proposal (Development and test of a landscape model for the Tygart and Cheat River watersheds). Tasks 5 and 6 are associated with Objective 2.
We have essentially completed all tasks under Objective 1. Our current focus under Objective 1 is to prepare the data and model structure for transfer to EPA and relevant stakeholders and the completion and submission of research articles to peer-reviewed journals. Currently, we have four related articles that have been submitted to journals (Ecological Applications, Hydrobiologia, Restoration Ecology, and Environmental Management) and are in various stages of review (One has been published; two have been accepted with revision; the other remains in review).
Future Activities:
In keeping with our original proposal, we will pursue the following tasks in the coming year:
- Submit 4-6 manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
- Finalize development of the vulnerability and restoration potential analyses.
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Finalize the hierarchical classification system.
Journal Articles on this Report : 6 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other project views: | All 26 publications | 7 publications in selected types | All 7 journal articles |
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Type | Citation | ||
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Freund JG, Petty JT. Response of fish and macroinvertebrate bioassessment indices to water chemistry in a mined Appalachian watershed. Environmental Management 2007;39(5):707-720. |
R831364 (2005) R831364 (2006) |
Exit |
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McClurg SE, Petty JT, Mazik PM, Clayton JL. Stream ecosystem response to limestone treatment in acid impacted watersheds of the Allegheny Plateau. Ecological Applications 2007;17(4):1087-1104. |
R831364 (2005) R831364 (2006) |
Exit Exit |
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Merovich GT, Stiles JM, Petty JT, Ziemkiewicz PF, Fulton JB. Water chemistry-based classification of streams and implications for restoring mined Appalachian watersheds. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 2007;26(7):1361-1369. |
R831364 (2006) |
Exit |
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Petty JT, Lamothe PJ, Mazik PM. Spatial and seasonal dynamics of brook trout populations inhabiting a central Appalachian watershed. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 2005;134(3):572-587. |
R831364 (2005) R831364 (2006) |
Exit Exit |
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Petty JT, Thorne D. An ecologically based approach to identifying restoration priorities in an acid-impacted watershed. Restoration Ecology 2005;13(2):348-357. |
R831364 (2004) R831364 (2006) |
Exit |
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Strager MP, Petty JT, Strager JM, Barker-Fulton J. A spatially explicit framework for quantifying downstream hydrologic conditions. Journal of Environmental Management 2009;90(5):1854-1861. |
R831364 (2005) R831364 (2006) |
Exit Exit |
Supplemental Keywords:
Aquatic, dose-response, ecosystem, indicators, risk assessment, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Water, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Water & Watershed, Monitoring/Modeling, Environmental Monitoring, Ecology and Ecosystems, Watersheds, ecosystem modeling, watershed classification, hierarchical classification system, landscape-scale monitoring, integrated watershed model, Mid-Atlantic Highlands, mined watersheds, water quality, GIS, ecosystem restoration, Appalachian watersheds, Appalachian Mountains, watershed assessment, mining impacted watershed, restoration planningProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.