System, method and computer program product for aquatic environment assessment

A system for assessing a stream environment, said system comprising:

• means for recording site information about a stream reach within the stream environment to produce a site information record;
• means for recording a visual assessment of the health of said stream reach by:
• assigning a numerical score to, and, optionally, recording a stream health observation about each of the following stream health parameters for said stream reach, if said stream health parameter is applicable to said stream reach:
• a channel condition score, a hydrologic alteration score, a riparian vegetation zone score, a bank stability score, a water appearance score, a nutrient enrichment score, an instream fish cover score, an obstacles to fish movement or migration score, a pools score, an insect/invertebrate habitat score, a canopy cover score, a manure or human sewage presence score, a salinity score, a riffle embeddedness score, and a macroinvertebrates observed score, and
• summing said numerical scores to produce a total stream health score for said stream reach, tallying a total number of stream health parameters scored, and calculating an average stream health score for said stream reach by dividing said total stream health score by said total number of stream health parameters scored to produce a stream health record;
• means for recording a value for each of a plurality of geomorphological characteristics for said stream reach to produce a geomorphological characteristics record, said plurality of geomorphological parameters comprising:
• a dominant substrate, a plurality of bottom elevations of a characteristic cross section of said stream reach, a channel configuration of said stream reach, an observation upstream of said characteristic cross section and an observation downstream of said characteristic cross section, a flood prone width at said characteristic cross section, a water surface elevation at said characteristic cross section, a bankfull elevation at said characteristic cross section, a bankfull width at said characteristic cross section, and a derived flood plain width at said characteristic cross section, a plurality of ground elevations along said stream reach, a valley length along said stream reach, and a stream velocity within said stream reach;
• and
• means for recording an occurrence of one or more stream disturbances affecting stream health along said stream reach and optionally recording a stream disturbance observation about each stream disturbance occurrence to produce a stream disturbances record, said one or more stream disturbances being selected from the following list:
• an occurrence of vegetative clearing, an occurrence of channelization, an occurrence of streambank armoring, an occurrence of streambed disturbance, an occurrence of withdrawal of water, an occurrence of a dam, an occurrence of a levee, an occurrence of soil exposure or compaction, an occurrence of irrigation or drainage, an occurrence of contaminants, an occurrence of hard surfacing, an occurrence of overgazing, an occurrence of a road or railroad, an occurrence of a trail, an occurrence of an exotic species, an occurrence of a utility crossing, an occurrence of reduction of a floodplain, an occurrence of dredging for mineral extraction, an occurrence of land grading, an occurrence of a bridge, an occurrence of woody debris removal, and an occurrence of a piped discharged or contaminant outlet;
• and
• means for assembling and displaying a report that presents at least a portion of said site information record, said stream health record, said geomorphological characteristics record and/or said stream disturbances record.

A system for assessing a stream environment, said system comprising:

• a storage device;
• a printer;
• and
• a processor programmed to:
• maintain in a site information record in said storage device information about a stream reach within the stream environment;
• maintain in a stream health record in said storage device a visual assessment of the health of said stream reach comprising:
• a numerical score characterizing, and, optionally, a stream health observation about each of the following stream health parameters for said stream reach, if said stream health parameter is applicable to said stream reach:
• a channel condition score, a hydrologic alteration score, a riparian vegetation zone score, a bank stability score, a water appearance score, a nutrient enrichment score, an instream fish cover score, an obstacles to fish movement or migration score, a pools score, an insect/invertebrate habitat score, a canopy cover score, a manure or human sewage presence score, a salinity score, a riffle embeddedness score, and a macroinvertebrates observed score, and
• a calculated total stream health score for said stream reach, a calculated total number of stream health parameters scored, and an average stream health score for said stream reach calculated by dividing said total stream health score by said total number of stream health parameters scored;
• maintain in a geomorphological characteristics record in said storage device a value for each of a plurality of geomorphological characteristics for said stream reach, said plurality of geomorphological parameters comprising:
• a dominant substrate, a plurality of bottom elevations of a characteristic cross section of said stream reach, a channel configuration of said stream reach, an observation upstream of said characteristic cross section and an observation downstream of said characteristic cross section, a flood prone width at said characteristic cross section, a water surface elevation at said characteristic cross section, a bankfull elevation at said characteristic cross section, a bankfull width at said characteristic cross section, and a derived flood plain width at said characteristic cross section, a plurality of ground elevations along said stream reach, a valley length along said stream reach, and a stream velocity within said stream reach;
• and
• maintain in a stream disturbances record in said storage device an indication of occurrence of one or more stream disturbances affecting stream health along said stream reach, said one or more stream disturbances being selected from the following list, and optionally, a stream disturbance observation about each stream disturbance occurrence:
• an occurrence of vegetative clearing, an occurrence of channelization, an occurrence of streambank armoring, an occurrence of streambed disturbance, an occurrence of withdrawal of water, an occurrence of a dam, an occurrence of a levee, an occurrence of soil exposure or compaction, an occurrence of irrigation or drainage, an occurrence of contaminants, an occurrence of hard surfacing, an occurrence of overgazing, an occurrence of a road or railroad, an occurrence of a trail, an occurrence of an exotic species, an occurrence of a utility crossing, an occurrence of reduction of a floodplain, an occurrence of dredging for mineral extraction, an occurrence of land grading, an occurrence of a bridge, an occurrence of woody debris removal, and an occurrence of a piped discharged or contaminant outlet;
• and
• assemble and print on said printer a report that presents at least a portion of said site information record, said stream health record, said geomorphological characteristics record and/or said stream disturbances record.