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  • Technical Guide for the Development, Evaluation, and Modification of Stream Assessment Methods for the Corps Regulatory Program

    ABSTRACT: The U.S. Army Corps Regulatory Program considers the loss (impacts) and gain (compensatory mitigation) of aquatic resource functions as part of Clean Water Act Section 404 permitting and compensatory mitigation decisions. To better inform this regulatory decision-making, the Regulatory Program needs transparent and objective approaches to assess the function and condition of aquatic resources, including streams. Therefore, the Regulatory Program needs function-based stream assessments (1) to characterize a stream’s condition or function, (2) to improve understanding of the impact of a proposed action on an aquatic resource, and/or (3) to inform the development of stream compensatory mitigation tools rooted in stream condition and/or function. A function-based stream assessment can provide regulatory decision makers with the resources to objectively consider alternatives, minimize impacts, assess un-avoidable impacts, determine mitigation requirements, and monitor the success of mitigation projects. A multiagency National Committee on Stream Assessment (NCSA) convened to create these guidelines to inform the development of new methods and evaluation of both national-level and regional methods currently in use. The resulting guidelines present nine phases, including rationale and recommendations to facilitate work efforts. The NCSA hopes that this technical guide promotes transparency, technical defensibility, and consistent application of stream assessments in the Regulatory Program.
  • Threatened, Endangered, and At-Risk Species for Consideration into Climate Change Models in the Northeast

    Abstract: This special report provides a selection process for choosing priority species using the specific focus of high-elevation, forested habitats in the North Atlantic to demonstrate the process. This process includes criteria for choosing invasive species to incorporate into models, given the predicted spread of invasive plant species because of climate change. Discussed in this report are the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Threatened and Endangered Species Team portal, the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Information for Planning and Consultation Portal, the nonprofit organization Partners in Flight’s watch list, the US Geological Survey’s Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation model, and NatureServe’s interagency effort Landfire. The data linked this montane habitat with a species of conservation concern, Cartharus bicknelli and the endangered squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus as target species and with Elaeagnus umbellate, Robinia pseudoacacia, Rhamnus cathartica, and Acer planoides as invasive species. Incorporating these links into the climate change framework developed by Davis et al. (2018) will create predictive models for the impacts of climate change on TER-S, which will affect land management decisions in the region.
  • An Evaluation of Soil Phosphorus Storage Capacity (SPSC) at Proposed Wetland Restoration Locations in the Western Lake Erie Basin

    Abstract: Historical loss of wetlands coupled with excess phosphorus (P) loading at watershed scales have degraded water quality in portions of the western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB). In response, efforts are underway to restore wetlands and decrease P loading to surface waters. Because wetlands have a finite capacity to retain P, researchers have developed techniques to determine whether wetlands function as P sources or sinks. The following technical report evaluates the soil P storage capacity (SPSC) at locations under consideration for wetland restoration in collaboration with the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) and the H2Ohio initiative. Results indicate that the examined soils display a range of P retention capacities, reflecting historic land-use patterns and management regimes. However, the majority of study locations exhibited some capacity to sequester additional P. The analysis supports development of rankings and comparative analyses of areas within a specific land parcel, informing management through design, avoidance, removal, or remediation of potential legacy P sources. Additionally, the approaches described herein support relative comparisons between multiple potential wetland development properties. These results, in conjunction with other data sources, can be used to target, prioritize, justify, and improve decision-making for wetland management activities in the WLEB.
  • Phytomanagement of Soil and Groundwater at the Niagara Falls Storage Site (NFSS) Using Hybridized Trees

    Abstract: The Manhattan Engineer District previously used the 191-acre Niagara Falls Storage Site (NFSS) in Niagara County, New York, to store radioactive residues and wastes from uranium (U) ore processing. At present, management practices will determine whether enhanced evapotranspiration rates produced by hybridized shrub willow cuttings planted in 2016 will affect groundwater hydrology. Two shrub willow varieties were planted in an approximately one-half acre area to examine growth performance along a U impacted sanitary sewer line. Additionally, control plots will compare the effectiveness of shrub willows to unplanted areas. Observations of the planted area after 18 months showed success of shrub willow growth with increasing biomass. Chemical analysis from tree tissue samples of the field study showed no significant uptake of U or thorium (Th) to date. A greenhouse study conducted in parallel to the field study tested the willows under controlled greenhouse conditions and evaluated their ability to grow and accumulate contaminants under controlled conditions. Results from the greenhouse study demonstrated that U accumulation was minimal. Thus, this study demonstrates that the shrub willows are not accumulators of U or Th, an advantageous characteristic that implies stabilized contaminants in the soil and no translocation of U into the aboveground biomass.
  • Cyanobacteria Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC): Research and Services

    Abstract: This factsheet details the research and services available from the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center–Environmental Laboratory’s Harmful Algal Blooms team.
  • Monitoring Ecological Restoration with Imagery Tools (MERIT): Python-based Decision Support Tools Integrated into ArcGIS for Satellite and UAS Image Processing, Analysis, and Classification

    Abstract: Monitoring the impacts of ecosystem restoration strategies requires both short-term and long-term land surface monitoring. The combined use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and satellite imagery enable effective landscape and natural resource management. However, processing, analyzing, and creating derivative imagery products can be time consuming, manually intensive, and cost prohibitive. In order to provide fast, accurate, and standardized UAS and satellite imagery processing, we have developed a suite of easy-to-use tools integrated into the graphical user interface (GUI) of ArcMap and ArcGIS Pro as well as open-source solutions using NodeOpenDroneMap. We built the Monitoring Ecological Restoration with Imagery Tools (MERIT) using Python and leveraging third-party libraries and open-source software capabilities typically unavailable within ArcGIS. MERIT will save US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) districts significant time in data acquisition, processing, and analysis by allowing a user to move from image acquisition and preprocessing to a final output for decision-making with one application. Although we designed MERIT for use in wetlands research, many tools have regional or global relevancy for a variety of environmental monitoring initiatives.
  • Demonstration of Autonomous Aerial Acoustic Recording Systems to Inventory Department of Defense Bird Populations

    Abstract: This demonstration project addressed the Department of Defense need for innovative technology for monitoring avian populations in inaccessible areas. This report presents results from field validation tests for an autonomous aerial acoustic recording system, a helium-filled weather balloon that transported an instrument payload over inaccessible areas (e.g., ordnance impact areas) to record avian vocalizations.
  • Environmental Quality Requirements Model Program Objective Memorandum Fiscal Years 2021–2025

    Abstract: This document describes the methodology used to evaluate the costs incurred by organizations involved in planning, programming, budgeting, and execution of the Army’s environmental programs and estimating those costs for future year planning cycles, this model is referred to as the Environmental Quality Requirements Model (EQRM). The EQRM is used to develop the budget positions as presented to Congress to obtain the Operations and Maintenance appropriations. These appropriations fund the Environmental Quality Program which includes Compliance, Conservation and Pollution Prevention requirements. The model encompasses the commands under the funding structure of the Deputy Chief of Staff – G9 Installations which includes the following: Installation Management Command, the Army National Guard, the Army Reserve Command, and the Army Materiel Command.
  • Estimating the Density of Secretive, At-risk Snake Species on DoD Installations Using an Innovative Approach: IDEASS

    Abstract: The Department of Defense (DoD) expends considerable resources managing and conserving threatened, endangered, or at-risk snake species. Management for these species is often hampered by a lack of basic knowledge regarding their population size and trajectory. The low detectability of most snakes makes it difficult to determine their presence, or to employ traditional methods to estimate abundance. This work demonstrated a novel, simulation-based method, Innovative Density Estimation Approach for Secretive Snakes (IDEASS), for estimating snake density based on systematic road surveys, behavioral observations of snake movement, and spatial movement (radio telemetry) data. This method was used to generate meaningful density estimates for two rare and cryptic snakes of conservation concern, the Southern Hognose and Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, at Fort Stewart, Georgia. IDEASS was also applied to an existing dataset to retroactively estimate density of a more common species of management concern, the Western Ratsnake, at Fort Hood, Texas. In all three cases, traditional density estimation via visual surveys and capture-mark-recapture (CMR) failed completely due to lack of captures and re-captures, despite extensive field effort. We conclude that IDEASS represents a powerful tool, and in some cases the only viable method, for estimating density of secretive snakes.
  • Aligning Research and Management Priorities for Nitellopsis obtusa (Starry Stonewort)

    Abstract: In 2018, the US Army Corps of Engineers and Washington and Waukesha Counties in Wisconsin hosted a workshop on the invasive macroalga starry stonewort (Nitellopsis obtusa). Leading water resource managers (agencies and commercial applicators), researchers, regulators, and other interested parties discussed issues surrounding starry stonewort invasions in the Great Lakes Region (GLR). Technical sessions presented information on current research, invasion monitoring, early detection, rapid-response efforts, and operational management activities. Research summaries included invasion in Lake Ontario, prediction of invasion risk in Minnesota and Wisconsin using water chemistry data, and bulbil efficacy and distribution modeling in New England. In addition, the workshop offered summaries of attempted chemical and mechanical control tactics. Following presentations on previous studies, workshop participants identified research and management priorities. Critical research gaps identified from this workshop include (a) better understanding of the biology, invasion ecology, and management of starry stonewort; a greater understanding of distribution and movement, especially in the Great Lakes basin; enhanced population monitoring, applied research, and management strategies; and increased technical cooperation across government, academia, industry, and nonprofit organizations. Conclusions from this meeting will help prioritize future efforts focused on the adaptive management of starry stonewort in the United States and Canada.