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WHAT DEGRADED THIS STREAM? TOOLS TO DETERMINE THE CAUSES OF ECOLOGICAL IMPAIRMENT
Citation:
Cormier, S M., B Subramanian, B C. Autrey, G Suter, S B. Norton, AND L E. Rao. WHAT DEGRADED THIS STREAM? TOOLS TO DETERMINE THE CAUSES OF ECOLOGICAL IMPAIRMENT. Presented at Science Forum 2003, Washington, DC, May 5-7, 2003.
Impact/Purpose:
The purpose of this research project is to provide methods, tools and guidance to Regions, States and Tribes to support the TMDL program. This research will investigate new measurement methods and models to link stressors to biological responses and will use existing data and knowledge to develop strategies to determine the causes of biological impairment in rivers and streams. Research will be performed across multiple spatial scales, site, subwatershed, watershed, basin, ecoregion and regional/state.
Description:
The identification of causes of impairment for waterbodies listed as biologically impaired is required as part of many federal, state and tribal regulations. The Office of Research and Development is developing a suite of tools that facilitates the identification and characterization of the probable causes of biological impairments, primarily in aquatic systems. The research includes the development and updates to the Stressor Identification Guidance, the production of state and tribal case studies of individual aquatic systems, the formation of databases of evidence, and the development of the CADDIS (Causal Assessment and Diagnosis Decision Information System). Channels for transfer of technical information include peer reviewed publication and training opportunities coordinated with the Office of Water, such as the recent National Bioassessment and Biocriteria Workshop and the Watershed Academy website training program. The methods and guidance developed in this program will provide EPA-OW, Regions, States and Tribes with tools to determine the causes of biological impairment in streams and rivers, putting us on a sound road to effective protection and restoration.