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<br />OJaJ23
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<br />Watershed Cumulative Effects
<br />
<br />The photos, legislative history, reporting requirements, and the Committee
<br />quote (on page 2) all point to the analysis of watershed cumulative effects as
<br />essential. The monitoring problem is with long-term ecological effects
<br />generated mainly by changes in sediment regimes, changes in temperature
<br />regimes, changes in oxygen and oxidation regimes, metal contamination within
<br />basic life processes, poisoning of community members, changes in watershed
<br />geomorphic equilibrium and flow regimes, and changes in dissolved chemical
<br />regimes. Stream Health, tabulated for the streams within a watershed, is
<br />expected to be a reliable measure of these cumulative effects.
<br />
<br />There are of course many ways to monitor Stream Health. A comprehensive
<br />approach will include elements for determining long-term trends, defining
<br />reference conditions, providing advance warning, checking on compliance, and
<br />measuring effects. The CWA S404 regulations (40 CFR 230) provide a well
<br />organized, cumulative effects analysis for the aquatic ecosystem and its
<br />organisms. Changes in substrate, water or substrate chemistry, nutrients,
<br />currents, circulation, fluctuation, and salinity are all included.
<br />
<br />For those who must be accountable to the law and its administration, there are
<br />specific criteria. Among the most important, and perhaps most aemanding for
<br />the Forest Service, are requirements for antidegradation and what constitutes
<br />acceptable change. The scope of these biological integrity requirements are
<br />summarized in the following:
<br />
<br />Antidegradation requires that existing uses actually attained in the water
<br />body on or after November 28, 1975, shall be maintained and fully protected;
<br />the protection is dependent on physical as well as chemical factors and
<br />includes substrate suitability, cover, flow, depth, pools, riffles, and the
<br />like [40 CFR 131.12 & .10g].
<br />
<br />Maintenance o,f such integrity requires that changes in the environment"
<br />resulting in a physical, chemical or biological change in a pristine water
<br />body be of a temporary nature, such that by natural processes, within a few
<br />hours, days, or weeks, the aquatic ecosystem will return to a state
<br />functionally identical to the original [3742 USCC&AN 1972].
<br />
<br />"Aquatic environment" and "aquatic ecosystem" means "waters of the U.S."
<br />that serve as habitat for interrelated and interacting communities and
<br />populations of plants and animals. This includes waters and their
<br />impoundments such as lakes, rivers, streams, intermittent streams, mudflats,
<br />sandflats, wetlands, sloughs, prairie potholes, wet meadows, playa lakes, or
<br />natural ponds; or their tributaries (40CFR 230.3(c & s)). States may
<br />elect to add additional waters to the list.
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<br />Text Page 13
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