The Impact of Wetland Drainage on the Hydrology of a Northern Prairie Watershed

Monday, November 17, 2014 – 3:00 p.m. EST      

INTRODUCTION

• Marla Stelk, ASWM [PRESENTATION-PDF]

PRESENTER

• Dr. John Pomeroy, Centre for Hydrology, University of Saskatchewan 

ABSTRACT

The Prairie Hydrological Model simulates blowing snow redistribution, snowmelt, infiltration to frozen soils and the fill and spill of networks of prairie wetlands.  The model was used to simulate the hydrology of Smith Creek, Saskatchewan, Canada with various wetland extent scenarios.  This model simulation exercise shows that prairie wetland drainage can increase annual and peak daily flows substantially, and that notable increases to estimates of the annual volume and peak daily flow of the flood of record have derived from wetland drainage to date and will proceed with further wetland drainage.
 

INTRODUCTION

• Marla Stelk, ASWM [PRESENTATION-PDF]

PRESENTER

• David Fowler, Senior Project Manager, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District

ABSTRACT

Six years ago, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina’s devastating impacts on the US Gulf Coast, the Mississippi Floods of 2011, Hurricane Irene, and Super Storm Sandy the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) issued a call for action urging the nation to address the growing challenge of increasing flood losses in the US and the threat to the safety of the population that lies in the potential paths of such events.  Similar reports have been issued by both governmental and non-governmental organizations since Katrina and they echoed the ASCE call.

Over the last two years, an ASCE committee examined our national response to this call for action and was charged with writing a final report and make recommendations for approval by the ASCE board.  This committee visited many communities and reached out to government and nongovernmental organizations across the country, hosted a national flood risk summit and carefully examined lessons learned in post Katrina floods to include superstorm Sandy.  It was clear to the committee that while some progress has been made, in general, the flood challenge continues to receive scant attention and much remains to be accomplished to safeguard the wellbeing of people and property at risk.  If the devastating impacts of Super-Storm Sandy and the losses sustained in floods and hurricanes since Katrina were to be used as the measures of progress, the nation has failed to heed the call.

Ignoring the challenge will not cause it to go away. America is a compassionate nation, and we will respond to citizens in crisis.  How we act now is the difference between proactively minimizing the impacts of potentially life changing events – building resilience, versus reactively recovering from catastrophic events and failing to heed the lessons we have learned.  A failure to act today will have enormous future consequences.  The call for action must once again be sounded!

Preventing Flood Disasters from Becoming Disastrous

Monday, July 14, 2014 – 3:00 p.m. EDT    

INTRODUCTION

• Marla Stelk, ASWM [PRESENTATION-PDF]

PRESENTER

• Brian Varrella, Chair, Colorado Association of Stormwater and Floodplain Managers

ABSTRACT

Colorado experienced epic flooding in September 2013.  The floods affected a region of more than 1,500 square miles, much of it in the pristine watersheds at the foot of the Rocky Mountains.  It took only 4 days for a quarter of Colorado to be declared a Disaster Area; a declaration that arrived, for some, before the rains even dissipated.   The environmental, economic and social devastation from this regional flood event will take years to recover, and as Colorado learns new lessons from old best practices, new policies, new standards, and new philosophic approaches to asset management are being developed.

The 1-hour webinar prepared by the Colorado Association of Stormwater and Floodplain Managers (CASFM.org) will explore the depth and breadth of the Colorado 2013 Disaster experience.  Join the Chair of CASFM as he explores the fallacy of freeboard, the benefits of resource buffers, and the hindsight lessons learned from a $3 billion natural disaster.
 

 

Restoration of the Mississippi Delta in a Post-BP Oil Spill Environment

Monday, May 12, 2014 – 3:00 p.m. EST 

INTRODUCTION

Marla Stelk, ASWM [PRESENTATION-PDF]

PRESENTERS [PRESENTATION-PDF]

• Estelle Robichaux, Restoration Project Analyst, Mississippi River Delta Restoration Team
• Whit Remer, Senior Policy Analyst & Attorney, Mississippi River Delta Restoration Team

ABSTRACT

Restoration of coastal Louisiana – particularly of the Mississippi River Delta and its estuaries – has been an issue of local and scientific concern for decades. Louisiana’s coastal wetlands are a first line of defense for coastal and ecological communities, mitigating risk from hurricanes and other disasters. The region garnered national attention after the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf oil disaster, which highlighted longstanding issues of wetland loss and degradation in the area.

When the BP oil spill trial, settlements and assessments are completed, billions of dollars will be directed to the Gulf Coast for restoration. With this promise of initial funding for the large-scale restoration program set out by Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan (CMP), there is hope that the vital Mississippi River Delta landscape will soon be on the road to recovery. NFFA members will gain insights into the development of the CMP, including the science of sediment diversions to build and sustain wetlands, and sources of funding for restoration implementation.

 

Beyond the 100-year floodplain: Experiences in European floodplains under the Flood Directive

Monday, March 10 – 3:00 p.m. EST  

INTRODUCTION

• Marla Stelk, ASWM [PRESENTATION-PDF]

PRESENTERS

• Anna Serra-Llobet, Visiting Scholar Institute of Urban and Regional Development, University of California, Berkeley
• G. Mathias Kondolf, Professor of Environmental Planning, University of California, Berkeley

ABSTRACT

While the US was ahead of Europe as a whole in floodplain mapping through the 20th century, EU member states have arguably pulled ahead of the US in some significant ways since adoption of the EU Flood Directive in 2007.  Among the Directive’s many components, its flood mapping requirements include not only a ‘moderate’ flood (typically Q100), but also larger, infrequent floods, and the ‘natural’ floodplain area that would be flooded in the absence of levees and other structures.  Due to Brussels at the end of 2013, as these maps become available they provide examples of alternative approaches to floodplain mapping and risk communication. 

 

This NFFA webinar included two presentations which focused on FLDPLN Model Applications.

Monday, January 13, 2014 – 3:00 p.m. EST  

INTRODUCTION

• Jeanne Christie, ASWM [PRESENTATION-PDF]

PRESENTERS

• Jude Kastens, Kansas Applied Remote Sensing Program, Kansas Biological Survey [PRESENTATION-PDF]
• Jeff Neel, Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams [PRESENTATION-PDF]

Jude Kastens
Part 1: New Developments in River Valley Floodplain Mapping: A Survey of FLDPLN Model Applications 

ABSTRACTS

Researchers at the Kansas Biological Survey (KBS) developed a topographic floodplain model (FLDPLN) that has been used to map floodplains for many rivers and stream networks using simple hydrologic flow principles. The stage-dependent inundation library output from FLDPLN can be used for flood extent and depth estimation and hydrologic connectivity indexing. Model outputs have applications for river valley morphology assessment, ecological modeling, and flood disaster response mitigation and damage assessment, and can also facilitate traditional hydraulic studies. We will highlight KBS research on floodplain wetlands and riparian areas and real examples of flood extent estimation, in addition to other applications.

Jeff Neel
Part 2: TWIP and FLDPLN Applications for Watershed Restoration Activities 

TWIP and FLDPLN products have excellent potential applications for watershed restoration assessment, design, planning, and implementation activities. TWIP identifies potential and actual wetland locations based on the underlying topography and hydrology. FLDPLN creates stage-dependent floodplain extent libraries useful for examining recurrent connective relationships between floodwaters and floodplain features such as wetlands and riparian areas. Together, these tools may be used to identify opportunities to increase watershed flood storage and infiltration, modulate peak runoff and stream flows, restore stream channels and their floodplain connections, and better understand the state of stream evolutionary processes throughout a watershed.

Coastal Adaptation to Sea Level Rise Tool (COAST)

Monday, December 10, 2012 – 3:00 p.m. EST

INTRODUCTION

• Jeanne Christie, ASWM

PRESENTERS [PRESENTATION-PDF]

• Sam Merrill, New England Environmental Finance Center
• Ed Thomas, Esq., Natural Hazards Mitigation Association

Thinking Outside the Box Culvert Understanding Flood Management and Natural Floodplain Mitigation

Tuesday, October 9, 2012 – 3:00 p.m. EST

INTRODUCTION

• Jeanne Christie, ASWM

PRESENTER

• David C. Fowler CFM, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District & ASFPM [PRESENTATION-PDF]

Floodplain management, for too long has been focused on structural flood damages with little consideration to the cultural, economic or environmental effects of a selected “flood control” strategy.  Too often the dominant flood control strategy was to confine the river to a predefined channel size and capacity that maximized the availability of land for development or agriculture. This results in the river channel serving a simple utilitarian role as a conveyance structure to remove unwanted excess water as rapidly as possible.  Efficiency in water transport was the ultimate goal, and this resulted in structural interventions being constructed at the expense of the natural system.

Impacts from structural flood control projects have resulted in both short term and long term consequences on the functioning of the natural drainage system (floodway and floodplain).  Mitigation of these impacts and planning for future flooding (stormwater management) must be part of the design in an economically and environmentally sustainable watercourse system.

July 12, 2012 – 11:00 a.m. EST

Why Wetland Managers Should Care about Floodplains 

Summary and Overview of the reauthorized National Flood Insurance Program

PRESENTER

• Chad Berginnis, Executive Director, Association of State Floodplain Managers

FEMA IGA Advisory 7/12/2012 Exception to 30-Day Waiting Period for Flood Insurance Coverage

American Rivers and National Wildlife Federation Letter Opposing S. 2039 and Nature Conservancy Letter Opposing S. 2039 and S. 2039 A Bill to allow a State of local Government to construct levees on certain properties otherwise designated as open space lands.

View Past Natural Floodplain Functions Alliance Webinars

PDF List of Past Natural Floodplain Functions Alliance Webinar Recordings

NWI Standards & Dataset: A Cornerstone for Decision-Support

Held Wednesday, December 9, 2015 – 12:00 p.m. ET

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION 

• Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PRESENTATION PDF]

PRESENTERS

• Mitch Bergeson, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service [PRESENTATION PDF]
• Andy Robertson, Saint Mary's University [PRESENTATION PDF]
• Megan Lang, University of Maryland [PRESENTATION PDF]

ABSTRACT

The National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) has been and continues to be a primary building block for many mapping projects, and decision support systems. However, the focus of NWI has changed, and the project is now responsible for adding wetland maps developed by third parties (states, nonprofits, etc.) to the NWI dataset, instead of developing original maps. The Federal Geospatial Data Committee Wetlands Mapping Standard must be used in all wetland mapping projects that are funded in part through the federal government. This webinar will inform participants about NWI’s new direction, new Quality Assurance/Quality Control procedures and trends in wetland mapping. Examples of other datasets that have been built up from the NWI layer were presented, and the webinar concluded with a discussion. To ensure that data added to NWI will meet Federal Wetland Mapping Standards and QA/QC requirements, this webinar polled participants about training needs. This information will be used to develop future training webinars.

BIOS

Mitch Bergeson is the Project Lead for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's, National Standards and Support Team (NSST) in Madison WI, which manages the National Wetlands Inventory database, Wetlands Mapper and the Wetlands Status and Trends Projects. Mitch has over 20 years of experience in the natural resource and geospatial fields and holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point and an M.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Certificate Degree in GIS, both from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

After serving as lead Project Manager for over 10 years, Andy Robertson assumed the position of GeoSpatial Services Director on June 01, 2015. In this role, Andy is responsible for oversight and management of all GeoSpatial Services projects, activities and staff. He continues to lead the management of project resources for a wide range of wetland mapping, spatial data development, and natural resource related projects as well as provide supervision and development for technical staff. Andy earned a Forest Technology Diploma from Sault College of Applied Technology in Ontario, Canada, a B.Sc. in Environmental Science from the University of Waterloo and completed post graduate work in forest management at the University of Toronto. GeoSpatial Services has been a key partner of the USFWS and has been working for over 15 years to update legacy National Wetland Inventory data nation-wide.

Megan Lang is an Associate Research Professor at the University of Maryland Department of Geographical Sciences. She leads the U.S. Department of Agriculture Mid-Atlantic Wetland Conservation Effects Assessment Project, which is focused on assessing the effects of wetland restoration on the provision of ecosystem services. She specializes in characterizing the location and function of wetlands and other aquatic ecosystems through the use of advanced geospatial data and techniques. She places an emphasis on connecting operational needs to actionable data streams, and supporting adaptive management of aquatic systems.

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From Fen to Floodplain: Steps in a Successful Landscape Level Wetland Inventory in Northeastern New Mexico

Held Wednesday, October 21, 2015 – 3:00pm ET

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PRESENTATION PDF]

PRESENTERS

• Andy Robertson, Saint Mary’s University [PRESENTATION PDF] 
• Maryann McGraw, New Mexico Environment Department [PRESENTATION PDF] 

SUMMARY

The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) Surface Water Quality Bureau and Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota GeoSpatial Services (GSS) have recently completed the first National Wetland Inventory mapping project for Northeastern New Mexico’s highlands and plains. This project included the inventory of over 10 million acres of public and private land and resulted in the identification of well over 100,000 wetlands. NMED designed this project specifically to integrate landscape level wetland inventory with the development of the New Mexico wetland Rapid Assessment Methods and site level wetland determinations. As a result, several unique aspects of wetland inventory were developed for this project including: NWI mapping to the FGDC standard; incorporation of additional hydrogeomorphic metrics using LLWW coding; development of a regionally adapted wetland functional assessment; and, design of a crosswalk process (queries and modelling) to assign wetlands to one of several HGM regional sub-classes. In this webinar they examined the various steps that were required to plan and execute a multi-year, area extensive, integrated wetland inventory project across Northeastern New Mexico. The webinar touched on initial planning, project design, integration with other state programs, funding, stakeholder engagement, data development, quality control, inventory enhancements, data delivery and accessibility.

This webinar also included a National Wetlands Inventory Training Needs Assessment. Participants were not only able to learn about this project in New Mexico from start to finish, but they were also able to contribute to the development of four future training webinars. This webinar was uniquely interactive and a great way to make your training needs heard.

After serving as lead Project Manager for over 10 years, Andy Robertson assumed the position of GeoSpatial Services Director on June 01, 2015. In this role, Andy is responsible for oversight and management of all GeoSpatial Services projects, activities and staff. He continues to lead the management of project resources for a wide range of wetland mapping, spatial data development, and natural resource related projects as well as provide supervision and development for technical staff. Andy earned a Forest Technology Diploma from Sault College of Applied Technology in Ontario, Canada, a B.Sc. in Environmental Science from the University of Waterloo and completed post graduate work in forest management at the University of Toronto. GeoSpatial Services has been a key partner of the USFWS and has been working for over 15 years to update legacy National Wetland Inventory data nation-wide.

Maryann McGraw is the Wetlands Program Coordinator and the Wetlands Team Leader with the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) Surface Water Quality Bureau. Maryann has managed the New Mexico Wetlands Program since 2003. The Wetlands Program conducts wetlands mapping and classification, wetlands rapid assessment, develops innovative restoration measures and improves wetlands regulation and water quality standards related to wetlands. Maryann brings the perspective and understands the challenges of a growing Wetlands Program in the arid west. She was awarded the 2010 New Mexico Riparian Council Award for Research, and the Quivira Coalition 2010 Radical Center Award for Civil Service. She has previously taught landscape ecology and restoration classes at Santa Fe Community College including Wetlands, Riparian Restoration, Dryland Restoration, Bioremediation, and Natural History of Arid Lands. Maryann holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Geology from the University of Texas at Austin.

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Part 2 – “The Florida Wetlands Integrity Dataset: Analysis of nonrenewable energy data and construction of graph-theoretic networks to quantify landscape integrity”

Held Wednesday, September 16, 2015 - 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. EDT

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PRESENTATION PDF]

PRESENTERS

• John Humphreys, Florida Department of Environmental Protection
• Amir Mahjoor, Florida Department of Environmental Protection [PRESENTATION PDF]

PROJECT SYNOPISIS

In September of 2013 the Florida Department of Environmental Protection was awarded a three-year EPA Wetland Program Development Grant to develop an ecological model that approximates the extents of wetlands and surface waters for the entire State of Florida. In addition to identification of areal extents, model predicated wetlands are to include a numeric index that corresponds to the predicted quality or “integrity” of each system.

In the second of the two-part webinar series, DEP staff provided an overview of the techniques being used to quantify the “integrity” of Florida’s wetlands. During this talk, staff explained how known associations between landuse and nonrenewable energy consumption can be leveraged to approximate a community’s departure from natural condition and how construction of graph-theoretic networks can be used to identify those natural areas that serve as hubs or conduits for wildlife movement.

BIOS

John Humphreys is the Department of Environmental Protection’s Mitigation Banking and Wetland Mitigation Assessment Method Coordinator and has statewide responsibility for ensuring coordination and consistency in all aspects of rule development and rule implementation for Chapters 62-342 and 62-345 of the Florida Administrative Code. John holds a bachelor's degree in biology and geology from Kent State University and is currently a graduate student in spatial ecology at Florida State University. Prior to joining the Department in 2008, John was employed with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the National Park Service.

Amirsasan Mahjoor is PhD a student in “Environmental Modeling” at Florida State University Department of Geography. His research interest is socio-ecological system analysis and his main focus is on socio-ecological systems sustainability and integrity analysis. He has completed two master's degree in geology and Geographical Information Sciences (GIS) at Florida State University. Amirsasan has been collaborating with Florida Department of Environmental Protection on developing Florida wetland integrity dataset, since November 2013.

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August – No webinar

Part 1 - “The Florida Wetlands Integrity Dataset: Using soils data, topographic indices, and Bayesian probability to identify wetlands”

Held Wednesday, July 15, 2015 - 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. EDT

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PRESENTATION PDF]

PRESENTERS

John Humphreys and Amir Mahjoor, Florida Department of Environmental Protection [PRESENTATION PDF] (For Part 2, see above.)

PROJECT SYNOPSIS

In September of 2013 the Florida Department of Environmental Protection was awarded a three-year EPA Wetland Program Development Grant to develop an ecological model that approximates the extents of wetlands and surface waters for the entire State of Florida. In addition to identification of areal extents, model predicated wetlands are to include a numeric index that corresponds to the predicted quality or “integrity” of each system.

In the first of a two-part webinar series, DEP staff discussed how cutting-edge statistical techniques can be used to identify wetlands probabilistically using NRCS soils data and other ancillary information. The statistical technique they will be discussing has – to the best of their knowledge – never been applied to the task of wetland identification.

BIOS

John Humphreys is the Department of Environmental Protection’s Mitigation Banking and Wetland Mitigation Assessment Method Coordinator and has statewide responsibility for ensuring coordination and consistency in all aspects of rule development and rule implementation for Chapters 62-342 and 62-345 of the Florida Administrative Code. John holds a bachelor's degree in biology and geology from Kent State University and is currently a graduate student in spatial ecology at Florida State University. Prior to joining the Department in 2008, John was employed with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the National Park Service.

Amirsasan Mahjoor is PhD a student in “Environmental Modeling” at Florida State University Department of Geography. His research interest is socio-ecological system analysis and his main focus is on socio-ecological systems sustainability and integrity analysis. He has completed two master's degree in geology and Geographical Information Sciences (GIS) at Florida State University. Amirsasan has been collaborating with Florida Department of Environmental Protection on developing Florida wetland integrity dataset, since November 2013.





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Minnesota's "Restorable Wetland Prioritization Tool" 

Held Wednesday, May 20, 2015 - 3:30 p.m. ET

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PRESENTATION PDF]

PRESENTER

• Mark Gernes, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency [PRESENTATION PDF]

ABSTRACT

Helping decision makers prioritize where to restore and protect wetlands is the purpose of Minnesota’s GIS driven “Restorable Wetland Prioritization Tool.” This online tool helps maximize water quality benefits and funding by:

• Predicting likely locations of restorable wetlands with a statewide restorable wetland inventory.
• Locating highly stressed areas most in need of water quality or habitat improvement.
• Prioritizing areas that have the potential to be, or currently are, high functioning sustainable wetlands.
• Identifying areas with the greatest benefits in the form of water quality and habitat.
• Refining prioritizations with aerial imagery and available environmental data.

This tool was developed for use in Minnesota in 2013, and Mark Gernes, a Wetland Plant Ecologist at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, discussed how the tool was developed, how it has been used, and what has worked and/or has not worked well, offering suggestions for other states interested in developing their own tools.

BIO

Mark Gernes works as a Wetland Plant Ecologist at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Since 1992 his work has focused on wetland policy issues and researching wetland responses to environmental stress from chemical pollution, invasive species and habitat alterations including water level changes. He is also engaged in work to prioritize wetland restoration siting in Minnesota to benefit water quality. Mark’s statewide wetland responsibilities include monitoring and reporting on trends in wetland quality and watershed technical assistance to several MPCA programs. Mark earned a Master’s degree in Biological Science, with emphasis in Plant Ecology from St. Cloud State University and Bachelors in Biological Science from Bemidji State University in Northern Minnesota. Mark is married and father to two adult children. He enjoys reading, native landscaping, gardening, making maple syrup and is an avid outdoorsperson.

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 April – No webinar

WMC Workshop: "Accessing, Analyzing and Communicating Digial Wetland Data to Stakeholders for Decision-making"

Held at ASWM Winter Meeting Workshop, March 24-26, 2015

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers

PRESENTERS

1:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m. Wetlands Spatial Data 101: How to Access Data on NWI Mapper and Other Resources – Mitch Bergeson, USFWS, National Standards Support Team

2:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Communicating Digital Wetland Data to Stakeholders: What to do With the Data Once You Have It – Andy Robertson, Saint Mary's University

2:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Available Wetland Data for Analysis at Different Spatial and Temporal Scales – Megan Lang, University of Maryland and Nate Herold, NOAA Coastal Services Center

Mitch Bergeson is a GIS Specialist for the US Fish and Wildlife Service's, National Standards and Support Team in Madison WI. He is the Project Lead for the National Wetlands Inventory database, Wetlands Mapper and the Wetlands Status and Trends Projects. Mitch has over 20 years of experience in the natural resource and geospatial fields and holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point and an M.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Certificate Degree in GIS, both from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Andy Robertson joined Saint Mary’s University as GeoSpatial Services Project Manager in 2004. In this current position, he is responsible for the management of project resources for a wide range of wetland inventory, spatial data development and natural resource related projects. Andy has over 25 years of natural resource project management experience with both the public and private sectors and as a consultant. Andy earned a Forest Technology Diploma from Sault College of Applied Technology in Ontario, Canada, a B.S in Environmental Science from the University of Waterloo and completed post graduate work at the University of Toronto. Andy is a Registered Professional Forest Technologist and a member of both the Canadian Institute of Forestry and the Society of American Foresters.

Megan Lang is a Research Associate Professor at the University of Maryland Department of Geographical Sciences. She leads the U.S. Department of Agriculture Mid-Atlantic Wetland Conservation Effects Assessment Project, which is focused on assessing the effects of wetland restoration on the provision of ecosystem services. She specializes in characterizing the location and function of wetlands and streams and interactions between aquatic ecosystems through the use of advanced geospatial data and techniques. She places an emphasis on connecting operational needs to actionable data streams, and supporting adaptive management of aquatic systems. Megan is co-founder of the U.S. Association of State Wetland Managers Wetland Mapping Consortium and has helped to develop wetland monitoring strategies for the state of Maryland and the United States.

Nate Herold is with the Geospatial Solutions Program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coastal Services Center (CSC) in Charleston, SC where he leads up the NOAA’s land cover mapping activities, managing the Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP). C-CAP is a nationally standardized database of land cover and change information developed for the Nation’s coastal regions. These products are developed utilizing remotely sensed imagery and can be used to track changes in the landscape through time. Nate came to the NOAA after several years working in the private sector, where he was involved in the production of land cover products worldwide. He has a Bachelors in Soil Science, from Penn State University; and Masters in Geography, from George Mason University.

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Marsh Analysis and Planning Tool Incorporating Tides and Elevations (MAPTITE): A Geospatial Tool for Estuary Restoration

Held Wednesday, February 18, 2015 – 3:00 p.m. EST   

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PRESENTATION PDF]

PRESENTERS

• Lijuan Huang, NOAA [PRESENTATION PDF]
  
• Chris Paternostro, NOAA

ABSTRACT

As understanding has grown of the critical part wetlands play in the health of the world’s oceans and how they act as protective, productive buffers against wave action and storms; so has the awareness of a critical need to both protect remaining wetlands and to begin a focused and coordinated effort to restore lost wetlands. NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS), partnering with other NOAA offices, USACE and the National Aquarium in Baltimore, developed Marsh Analysis and Planning Tool Incorporating Tides and Elevations (MAPTITE) for coastal restoration planning. MAPTITE is based on the premise that wetland plant communities are organized by their various tolerances to environmental stresses brought upon by periodic inundation and salinity intrusion. This geospatial tool takes advantage of this relationship to model specific plant communities given a measured elevation gradient at a coastal wetland restoration or creation site. It provides a ESRI ArcGIS extension that aids in the selection of vegetation types for different restoration elevations determined by a combination of a digital elevation model (DEM) derived from GPS observations, local tidal datums, and wetland vegetation information. By delineating planting areas and providing point data that can be uploaded to GPS receivers for those areas, MAPTITE allows users to accurately plant appropriate species during restoration, promoting growth of native species in order to successfully create or restore ecosystem functions of the marsh. The tool addresses a need of government, academic and coastal manager communities for coastal restoration planning.

Lijuan Huang has been with NOAA as an oceanographer for 9 years. She is an expert on the navigational and non-navigational applications of tide data. She holds a M.S. in Geological Oceanography from the Marine Science Research Center of Stony Brook University School, NY and a B.S. in Physical Oceanography from Xiamen University in China.

 

Chris Paternostro is an internationally acclaimed expert on tides and currents, currently employed by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He is a computational oceanographer who has developed many systems for analyzing and displaying oceanographic data. He is the lead of the Coastal & Estuarine Circulation Analysis Team.

 

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Mapping with Ecological Site Descriptors

Held Wednesday, January 21, 2015 – 3:00 p.m. EST

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PRESENTATION PDF]

PRESENTER

• Richard A. Weber, P.E., Wetland Hydraulic Engineer, NRCS [PRESENTATION PDF]

ABSTRACT

Mapping wetlands can be accomplished in many ways, depending on the needs, the data used, and some key assumptions. One need is for maps that define wetlands based on differencse in function. Ecological Site Description (ESD) development is an ongoing effort conducted by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. ESDs are land unit concepts that define sites based on their ability to support common plant communities that respond similarly to management and stressors. Since the effort encompasses all landscapes, by definition wetland areas are included. The mapping of wetland ecological sites can be accomplished best by incorporating the principles of the Hydrogeomorphic (HGM) system. The result is a landscape concept which can be spatially defined, which has common hydrologic processes, landform, plant community, and function. Furthermore we present landscapes as individual elements in a watershed. The data sources used are the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) database and Digital Elevation Data. This data provides the means to produce maps on a GIS platform using both ESD and HGM principles to produce mappable sites that fit jointly within the ESD and HGM framework.

BIO

Richard A. Weber is a Wetland Hydraulic Engineer with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Wetland Team, CNTSC in Fort Worth, Texas from 2006 to present. In this role, Rich has provided national leadership on wetland hydrology, including: Support for Wetland Restoration Program, Wetland Protection Policy, and E.O. 11990 Wetland Assessments. He leads a national training cadre for Wetland Restoration and Enhancement and Hydrology Tools for Wetland Determination courses. From 2005-2006, Rich was Design Engineer at the NRCS Nebraska State Office where he had design and A&E Contracting responsibilities for PL-566, WRP, and EQIP programs. From 1999-2005, he was a Field Engineer at the NRCS in the Scottsbluff, NE Field Office where he had design, construction, and contracting responsibilities for the Wetland Reserve Program, EQIP Irrigation and Animal Waste Management, and CTA conservation practices. From 1997-1999, Rich was an Agricultural Engineer at the NRCS in Chehalis, WA where he had design, construction, and contracting responsibilities for Conservation District funded Stream Restoration and Fish Passage projects, and EQIP program Animal Waste Projects. And from 1986-1997, he was a Watershed Project Engineer at the NRCS in Horton, KS where he performed Construction Contract Administration for PL-566 Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention projects.

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View Past Wetland Mapping Consortium Webinars

PDF List of Past Wetland Mapping Consortium Webinar Recordings
  
View Upcoming Wetland Mapping Consortium Webinars
  

Moving toward Floodplain Restoration at Scale on the Illinois River and Upper Mississippi Basin: Valuing Ecosystem Services, Demonstrating Flood Reduction, and Policy Implications

Monday, November 18, 2013 – 3:00 p.m. EST     

INTRODUCTION

• Jeanne Christie, ASWM [PRESENTATION-PDF]

PRESENTERS

• K. Douglas Blodgett, Director of River Conservation, The Nature Conservancy in Illinois [PRESENTATION-PDF]
• Charles E. Theiling, Large River Ecologist, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District [PRESENTATION-PDF]

A growing number of projects are demonstrating the effectiveness and value of functioning floodplain systems in providing society with diverse benefits such as flood reduction and conveyance, water quality improvements, increased recreation, and enhanced fish and wildlife habitat. Beyond local returns, some of these projects help to reveal needs and opportunities to change policies and programs in order to expand and more fully realize the social benefits of floodplain protection and restoration. This webinar will present two such projects in the Upper Mississippi Basin, including a preliminary ecosystem service valuation of alternative floodplain management scenarios in the St. Louis region and a comparison of the flood reduction benefits of reconnected floodplain along two reaches of the Illinois River during the record 2013 flood. Technical insight gained from these projects will be synthesized, along with key lessons related to existing policies and programs and their effectiveness in enabling public-private partnerships.

 

Reforming Federal Support for Risky Development

Monday, September 9, 2013 – 3:00 p.m. EST      

INTRODUCTION

• Jeanne Christie, ASWM [PRESENTATION-PDF]

PRESENTERS [PRESENTATION-PDF]

• David Conrad, Consultant, Water Resources Policy
• Edward A. Thomas, Esq. President, Natural Hazard Mitigation Association 

We are continuing to experience increasingly costly and damaging natural disasters; physical, emotional, economic losses are escalating wildly. At the same time, the proportion of costs borne by Federal taxpayers, society as a whole, and disaster victims/survivors is also rising alarmingly. We must and should make changes in federal policy that can best reduce the mounting toll of these hazards. Our guiding principle should be: the best disaster response and recovery is when no disaster response and recovery is required due to safe & proper planning, land use, and building codes that prevent disasters from occurring in the first place. Disaster Mitigation & Climate Adaptation should be incorporated into a much broader range “Whole Community” approach to planning and economic development programs: by reducing subsidies that underwrite or promote risky development and by better leveraging Federal and State programs to support and encourage wise State and Local land-use, hazard risk reduction and protection and restoration of natural ecosystems and natural hazard risk-reduction “services.” A recent case decided by the US Supreme Court, Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Management District, may offer a path forward based on the idea of using harm prevention as a fundamental foundational basis of planning community development, climate adaptation, and hazard mitigation.

The webinar is based on a paper with the same title authored by the presenters and published by the Brookings Institution’s Hamilton Project in February 2013. 

 

Informing Flood Mitigation with Ecosystem Service Valuation: An Introduction to the Ecosystem Valuation Toolkit

Monday, June 17, 2013  – 3:00 p.m. EST   

INTRODUCTION

• Jeanne Christie, ASWM [PRESENTATION-PDF]

PRESENTER

• Zac Christin, Earth Economics [PRESENTATION-PDF]

All federal and state agencies, cities, counties and many private firms utilize benefit-cost analysis to make investment decisions and allocate resources, but most often these decisions are made without taking into account the value of ecosystem services. In early 2012, Earth Economics conducted an analysis of ecosystem service valuation implementation nationally for FEMA’s Benefit Cost Analysis Toolkit, to be released in version 5.0. FEMA will be the first federal government organization to incorporate environmental benefits to the BCA process.

This webinar will introduce the Ecosystem Valuation Toolkit (EVT), a web-based ecosystem service value exchange platform for rapidly appraising the value of ecosystem services in natural floodplains to inform benefit-cost analysis. EVT is a toolkit for translating the values provided by natural systems or damage to these systems, linking the understanding provided by natural sciences and the implementation of change enabled by good investment, markets and economic decision-making.

 
Mapping Floodplains in Iowa Part II 

Monday, April 8, 2013 – 3:00 p.m. EST   

INTRODUCTION

• Jeanne Christie, ASWM [PRESENTATION-PDF]

PRESENTERS [PRESENTATION-PDF]

• Kris Johnson, The Nature Conservancy
• Jan Slaats, The Nature Conservancy 

The Iowa-Cedar Rivers Basin is home to Iowa’s largest university and second largest city and supports millions of acres of agriculture. Intensive land use and altered hydrology have resulted in erosion, loss of natural habitat and impacts on water quality from nutrients and sediment. Additionally, the Cedar River flood in 2008 devastated crops and property and caused more than $10 billion in damages in the region. This catastrophe prompted the creation of the Iowa-Cedar Watershed Interagency Coordination Team, a multi-agency, multi-stakeholder effort convened to reduce flood risk, improve water quality, and conserve habitat. The Nature Conservancy is supporting the work of the Interagency Team through identification, analysis and mapping of ecosystem services. A critical first step in this process is mapping the floodplain, and in this webinar we will discuss our approach for delineating the floodplain for the IA-Cedar Rivers Basin.

Iowa State Floodplain Mapping Program

Monday, February 11, 2013 – 3:00 p.m. EST  

INTRODUCTION

• Jeanne Christie, ASWM [PRESENTATION-PDF]

PRESENTER

• Nathan Young, Iowa Flood Center [PRESENTATION-PDF]

In 2010, the state of Iowa received 15 million dollars in federal support to update and create floodplain maps for all Iowa counties declared federal disaster areas following the devastating 2008 Midwestern floods. In cooperation with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, IFC is conducting a five-year effort to develop FEMA-compliant floodplain mapping data for all Iowa streams draining greater than one square mile. Taking advantage of statewide light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data, efforts will yield a detailed stream centerline network, computer-based flood simulations, and floodplain boundaries and depths associated with a range of annual exceedance probabilities. Mapping Floodplains in Iowa Part 1: This will be the first part of a two part series that will provide an overview of the comprehensive statewide project underway to map the natural floodplains of the entire state by the Iowa Floodplain Center. We are in the process of inviting them to present.

 

View Past Natural Floodplain Functions Alliance Webinars

PDF List of Past Natural Floodplain Functions Alliance Webinar Recordings Here

 

State Offsite Methods for Wetland Determinations in the Prairie Pothole REgion of IA, MN, ND and SD

Held Wednesday, December 17, 2014 – 3:00 p.m. ET   

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PRESENTATION PDF]

PRESENTER

• Jason Outlaw, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service [PRESENTATION PDF]

ABSTRACT

This presentation provided an overview of the proposed revisions to State Offsite Methods for wetland determinations in the Prairie Pothole Region. These offsite methods are designed specifically to identify wetlands subject to the wetland conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended (aka. Swampbuster). Currently, these methods have been posted in the Federal Register for notice and comment for a period of 90 days, ending approximately February 5th.

BIO

Jason Outlaw has been an employee of the Natural Resources Conservation Service for approximately 12 years, serving as a soil conservationist, soil scientist, and currently as the National Wetland and Highly Erodible Lands Conservation Compliance Specialist. He has experience in soil mapping and several years of experience identifying wetlands utilizing both onsite and offsite methodologies. 

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A Variable Width Riparian Areas Mapping: A Robust GIS Approach

November 19, 2014 – 3:00 p.m. ET   

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PRESENTATION PDF]

PRESENTER

• Sinan A. Abood, USDA Forest Service [PRESENTATION PDF] 

ABSTRACT

Riparian areas are dynamic, transitional ecotones between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems with well-defined vegetation and soil characteristics. These areas offer wildlife habitat and protect stream water quality, protect against erosion, and other numerous valuable ecosystem functions. Quantifying and delineating riparian areas is an essential step in riparian monitoring, riparian management and policy decisions. The goal of this webinar was to present a cost effective, robust workflow to consistently map the geographic extent and composition of variable width riparian areas utilizing GIS and open-source data. This approach recognizes the dynamic and transitional nature of riparian areas by considering hydrologic, geomorphic and vegetation data as inputs.

BIO

Sinan A. Abood holds a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, University of Bagdad, Iraq. Master's of Science in Environmental Engineering/Water Treatment, 2007 (Fulbright scholarship) and PhD. in Environmental Engineering/ GIS & Remote Sensing Applications, 2011 at the School of Forest Resources & Environmental Science-Michigan Technological University. His first postdoctoral assignment was with the Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich, Switzerland (2011-2014) as a Research Fellow working on estimating the role of land extracting industries (oil palm plantation, acacia/pulp, and logging) on natural habitats loss and measures the impacts of land cover change on tropical biodiversity in Southeast Asia. Currently he is performing his second postdoctoral assignment as a Spatial Analyst-Research Fellow with the Watershed, Fish, Wildlife, Air, and Rare Plants (WFWARP) program, Washington Office USDA Forest Service. His research focuses on three main objectives, developing a spatial integration between two national monitoring systems the Watershed Condition Classification (WCC) and Terrestrial Condition Assessment (TCA) within one unified reporting frame the Watershed Classification Frame (WCF), developing a riparian areas inventory/monitoring system for National Forest and Rangelands utilizing the Riparian mapping tool (RBDM), and incorporating the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) applications in forest monitoring, wildlife applications, illegal logging, surveying and ecosystem managements. 

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Mapping Standards & Requirements 

Held Wednesday, October 15, 2014 - 3:00 p.m. ET   

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PRESENTATION PDF]

PRESENTER

• Rusty Griffin, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service [PRESENTATION PDF]

ABSTRACT

With the completion of digital wetland mapping for the lower 48 states and Hawaii, the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) is transitioning its mission of creating wetland maps to maintaining and updating the wetlands layer of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI).  This data stewardship role will rely on our stakeholders, such as Federal, State, Tribal and territorial agencies to assume more wetland mapping responsibilities and to produce new and updated wetland data for their areas of interest. This presentation outlined data requests and submission procedures to ensure wetland data are compliant with federal standards and integrated into the NSDI.  It also discussed wetland mapping standards and compliance with federally mandated statutes utilizing tools, models and expertise provided through a strong partnership with the NWI.

BIO

Rusty Griffin is a Physical Scientist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's, National Standards and Support Team in Madison Wisconsin. He is the National Coordinator for quality assurance and quality control providing national consistency for the wetlands layer of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure.  Rusty has over 8 years of experience in wetland mapping – creating NWI maps as a private contractor and a federal employee, holds a B.S. in Geology from Portland State University, and is a member of the National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils. 

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Part 1: A Help Guide for Using gSSURGO to Find Potential Wetland Soil Landscapes 

Held Wednesday September 17, 2014 – 3:00 p.m. ET  

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PRESENTATION PDF]

PRESENTER

• John Galbraith, Virginia Tech [PRESENTATION PDF]

ABSTRACT

Gridded SSURGO (gSSURGO, a raster version of detailed soil survey maps) is a public domain soils data layer that can be used in combination with other data to find landscape units that have some potential for containing wetlands, or former wetlands. The presence of a hydric soil does not prove that an area is currently a jurisdictional wetland, due to significant nexus connectivity requirements. Wetland soils are hydric, and they remain hydric even if they have been drained. The premise is that if a landscape unit contains hydric soils but does not meet the hydrology or vegetation, it may have been a wetland once. If so, it can likely be more easily, reliably, and inexpensively restored than creating a wetland where none previously existed. The use of any soil survey requires knowledge of when the survey was made, the quality, scale, accuracy, and purity of the soils within mapped areas. Therefore, a help guide is in progress to provide an explanation of the gSSURGO product and some example procedures for using the product to find and understand potentially restorable wetland landscapes. 

Part 2: Applications of SSURGO soil attributes to potentially restorable wetlands 

PRESENTER

• Kevin Stark, Saint Mary’s University [PRESENTATION PDF]

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

A NOAA science collaborative grant has funded a project to examine wetland planning in a watershed context in Douglas County, Wisconsin. Concerns over recent large flooding events and a general concentration of wetland mitigation projects in the county have provided some of the impetus for the project. The project combines landscape-scale wetland functional assessment data and the identification of potential wetland restorations with local engagement and environmental planning.

BIOS

John Galbraith received his B.S. and M.S. in Range and Wildlife Management at Texas Tech University. He worked for seven years as a USDA-SCS Soil Scientist in eight states. John received a Ph.D. in Soil Science at Cornell in 1997. He did a post-doc at the University of Florida, then began working at Virginia Tech in 1999. John teaches many soils and wetland courses and coaches the student soil judging team. He was a Fulbright Specialist in Nepal in 2012, he was co-lead on a study abroad course to Nepal in 2013 and has travelled to Senegal to conduct research on rice production in saline soils. John married Marilyn Braden in 1977 and they have five children and seven living grandchildren. He enjoys sports, exercise, outdoors, and nature.

Kevin Stark is a G.I.S. and Natural Resource Analyst for GeoSpatial Services (GSS) at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota (SMUMN), specializing in analyzing and communicating landscape scale spatial information. Kevin earned a B.S. of Forestry from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and an M.S. in Geographic Information Science from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Over the past eight years at GSS Kevin has worked on a variety of projects from oil industry data conversion and imagery processing to wetland mapping, wetland field verification, and natural resource condition assessments for the National Park Service, where he focused on topics such as land cover, native plant communities and natural disturbance regimes. Most recently Kevin has been engaged in wetland functional assessments. In his spare time Kevin loves scuba-diving, canoeing, gardening and especially fishing, in fact, a recent wetland field verification trip brought him to Alaska where he took a vacation day to get acquainted with lingcod. 

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Surface Waters and Wetlands Inventory: A More Comprehensive Dataset of the Nation’s Water Resources

Held Wednesday, August 20, 2014 – 3:00 p.m. EDT      

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers[PRESENTATION PDF]

PRESENTER

• Mitch Bergeson, GIS Specialist, National Standards and Support Team, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [PRESENTATION PDF]

SUMMARY

The Surface Waters and Wetlands Inventory (SWI) dataset provides more inclusive geospatial representation of all wetlands and surface water features on the landscape. It stems from the need to represent all surface waters and wetlands as polygons in a geospatial dataset to facilitate accurate area calculations and provide consistent, standardized ecological classification to allow for adaptive management, geospatial summaries, and modeling. The SWI has been created by retaining the wetland and deepwater polygons that compose the NWI digital wetlands spatial data layer and reintroducing any linear wetland or surface water features that were orphaned from the original NWI hard copy maps by converting them to narrow polygonal features. Additionally, the data are supplemented with hydrography data, buffered to become polygonal features, as a secondary source for any single-line stream features not mapped by the NWI and to complete segmented connections.  This national geospatial data product will contribute substantially to improved modeling of flow, connectivity and water movement in surface water basins, channels, and wetlands.

BIO

Mitch Bergeson is a GIS Specialist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's, National Standards and Support Team in Madison Wisconsin.  He is the Project Lead for the National Wetlands Inventory database, Wetlands Mapper and the Wetlands Status and Trends Projects.  Mitch has over 20 years of experience in the natural resource and geospatial fields and holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point and an M.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Certificate Degree in GIS, both from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

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There was not a webinar for July.

Wetland Landscapes – Techniques for Spatial Definition and Ecological Assessment Using SSURGO, HGM, and GIS Tools

Held Wednesday, June 18, 2014 – 3:00 p.m. EDT

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PRESENTATION PDF]

PRESENTER

•  Richard A. Weber, P.E., Wetland Hydraulic Engineer, Wetland Team, CNTSC [PRESENTATION PDF]

ABSTRACT

Wetland landscapes are spatial elements in a watershed network that consists of stream reaches of higher of lower order, headwaters, and contributing uplands that may contain wetlands.  Each of these landscape positions can be rationally defined and mapped using abiotic parameters.  Each element within those landscape positions can be associated with standard assessment tools that are appropriate for stream, wetlands, lentic and lotic landscapes, and other categories.  Within similar watersheds, the hydrologic interactions between landscape elements are largely consistent.  There are few methods that provide the means to merge existing landscape definitions and assessment methods in the watershed context.  Presented are classification and mapping techniques that can be employed to categorize and map watershed landscape elements, correlate the existence of stream, wetland, and other elements with landscapes, and provide the basis for predicting hydrologic processes between landscapes.  The techniques presented use GIS platforms with Digital Elevation Data (DED) and Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO) information to define, categorize, and map wetlands in the watershed framework in various locations around the U.S.  The Hydrogeomorphic (HGM) landscape classification system is introduced, and SSURGO database hydrologic parameters are presented.  With proper, watershed-based landscape classification and hydrologic interpretations, ecological functions can be assigned, appropriate hydrologic restoration techniques can be selected, and management actions can be assigned to extent maps.

BIO

Richard A. Weber is a Wetland Hydraulic Engineer with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Wetland Team, CNTSC in Fort Worth, Texas from 2006 to present. In this role, Rich has provided national leadership on wetland hydrology, including: Support for Wetland Restoration Program, Wetland Protection Policy, and E.O. 11990 Wetland Assessments.  He leads a national training cadre for Wetland Restoration and Enhancement and Hydrology Tools for Wetland Determination courses.  From 2005-2006, Rich was Design Engineer at the NRCS Nebraska State Office where he had design and A&E Contracting responsibilities for PL-566, WRP, and EQIP programs. From 1999-2005, he was a Field Engineer at the NRCS in the Scottsbluff, NE Field Office where he had design, construction, and contracting responsibilities for the Wetland Reserve Program, EQIP Irrigation and Animal Waste Management, and CTA conservation practices. From 1997-1999, Rich was an Agricultural Engineer at the NRCS in Chehalis, WA where he had design, construction, and contracting responsibilities for Conservation District funded Stream Restoration and Fish Passage projects, and EQIP program Animal Waste Projects. And from 1986-1997, he was a Watershed Project Engineer at the NRCS in Horton, KS where he performed Construction Contract Administration for PL-566 Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention projects. He holds a B.S. in Agricultural Engineering from Kansas State University in 1982.

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Using Land Cover Change Data to Better Understand Wetland Trends

Held Wednesday May 21, 2014 – 3:00 p.m. EDT 

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION 

• Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PRESENTATION PDF]

PRESENTER

• Nate Herold, Physical Scientist, NOAA Coastal Services Center [PRESENTATION PDF]

ABSTRACT

Land use and land cover are significant drivers of environmental health. Information on how land cover is changing and where those changes are occurring is essential to understanding impacts from past management practices and choosing the right course for the future.

Through its Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) produces nationally standardized land cover and change information for the coastal regions of the U.S. These products provide inventories of coastal inter-tidal areas, wetlands, and adjacent uplands (using documented, repeatable procedures), and are updated approximately every five years. This program has been in existence since the mid-1990s and features multiple dates of change information for most coastal areas of the U.S.

This presentation will summarize the availability of C-CAP data, how that data can be accessed via NOAA’s Digital Coast, recent improvements to wetland mapping accuracies, and how C-CAP can be used to highlight areas of wetland change and loss in order to inform more detailed mapping efforts (such as National Wetland Inventory mapping). The case studies provided show the audience what C-CAP data can and cannot do in terms of helping users understand wetland change, and the valuable insights this information can provide.

BIO

Nate Herold is with the Geospatial Solutions Program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coastal Services Center (CSC) in Charleston, SC where he leads up the NOAA’s land cover mapping activities, managing the Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP).  C-CAP is a nationally standardized database of land cover and change information developed for the Nation’s coastal regions.  These products are developed utilizing remotely sensed imagery and can be used to track changes in the landscape through time.

Nate came to the NOAA after several years working in the private sector, where he was involved in the production of land cover products worldwide.  He has a Bachelors in Soil Science, from Penn State University; and Masters in Geography, from George Mason University.  

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Held Wednesday, April 16, 2014 – 3:00 p.m. EST 

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PRESENTATION PDF]

The Minnesota NWI Update: A Case Study of Quality Assurance

PRESENTER

• Steve Kloiber, P.E., Ph.D., Wetland Monitoring Coordinator, Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources [PRESENTATION PDF]

ABSTRACT

Updating the NWI is a key component of Minnesota’s strategy to monitor and assess wetlands in support of efforts to ensure healthy watersheds and clean water. The NWI update is a major endeavor with a 10-year timeline and a multi-million-dollar budget. One of the keys to a successful project, such as this, is a well-designed quality assurance (QA) program. This presentation provided an overview of the Minnesota NWI update project and provide details on the QA program. A well-designed QA program has clear, measurable objectives, an effective framework, and solid integration throughout the production process. Performance measurement systems implemented for this project include multiple levels of visual inspection, field-checks, crowd-source data review, automated GIS checks, and formal statistical testing for classification accuracy.

The Minnesota NWI Update: Integrating Semi-automated Mapping Techniques into Production Level Wetland Mapping

PRESENTER

• Robb Macleod, National GIS Coordinator, Ducks Unlimited [PRESENTATION PDF]

ABSTRACT

The goal of the semi-automated mapping for the NWI update in Minnesota was to reduce the amount of time the photo interpreters spend on delineating wetland boundaries so they can focus their efforts on identifying the wetland class, water regime, and modifiers.   At the beginning of the Minnesota NWI update project, wetland mapping methods were developed by the University of Minnesota.  Ducks Unlimited modified these techniques so they could be utilized at a production level over large areas.  This presentation will provide an overview on the process Ducks Unlimited, and its partners have used in order to generate wetland boundaries for the photo interpretation process.  The use of these techniques has the potential to increase the efficiency and accuracy of NWI updates throughout the country.

BIOS

Steve Kloiber is the wetland monitoring coordinator for the Minnesota DNR, where he oversees the wetland status and trends monitoring program and the update of the National Wetland Ivnentory for Minnesota. He has over twenty years of experience in the water resources field with a special focus on geospatial analysis and environmental informatics. He received his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Minnesota in environmental engineering with a minor in water resource science and his bachelor’s degree in chemistry with a computer science concentration from St. Olaf College.

  

Robb Macleod is the National GIS Coordinator for Ducks Unlimited, where he coordinates the GIS and Remote Sensing activities for Ducks Unlimited throughout the United States.  He has over twenty years of experience in the natural resources and geospatial fields.  He received his bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University in forestry and his master’s degree in natural resources with a GIS/Remote Sensing concentration from the University of New Hampshire. 

 

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Held at March 4-6, 2014: ASWM Winter Meeting Workshop

Held Wednesday, February 19, 2014 – 3:00 p.m. EST    

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PDF PRESENTATION]
  

Mapping Forested Wetland Inundation with the Landsat historic Record 

PRESENTER

• Megan Lang, Senior Research Scientist with Science Systems and Applications, Inc. and Coordinator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Mid-Atlantic Wetland Conservation Effects Assessment Project [PDF PRESENTATION]

ABSTRACT

Wetland areas in the Mid-Atlantic region are inundated or saturated for a relatively short period, usually in the spring after snowmelt and before leaf-out so monitoring the hydrologic condition of wetlands can be difficult. Remote sensing provides a major data source for monitoring wetland dynamics. The purpose of this study was to develop a new approach to map wetland inundation using combined data from LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and Landsat time series data. The results demonstrate that accurate maps of wetland inundation can be developed using this approach and that Landsat images can be calibrated to reveal the inundation state of wetlands over large regions. The importance of this finding is linked to the 40+ year continuous record of Landsat images, which can now be used to look at long-term trends in wetland hydrology. This will enhance our ability to detect influences of climate and land use change on wetland ecosystems and the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

Mapping the Relationship between Inundation and Stream Flow using Landsat Time Series Data

PRESENTER

• In-Young Yeo, Assistant Professor of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland

ABSTRACT

While it is known that wetland hydrology is affected by the climate, the relationship among wetland inundation extent, weather variability, and downstream hydrology has rarely been assessed at the landscape scale.  We report findings from time series satellite observations that illustrate changes in wetland inundation in depressional palustrine forested wetlands located in the Coastal Plain of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed at a high spatial resolution (30 m) over the period 1985-2010.  Mapping results demonstrate that extent of wetland inundation is highly variable.  Inundation extent changes in response to weather variability, and it was proportionally related to the downstream flow discharge, but this relationship varies according to NWI wetland hydrologic modifiers. This study demonstrates that inundation patterns of headwater wetlands that are often considered to be geographically isolated are strongly related to stream discharge, thus supporting the conclusion that all wetlands and streams are closely linked at the watershed scale within the Maryland Coastal Plain.

BIOS

Dr. Megan Lang is a Senior Research Scientist with Science Systems and Applications, Inc. and Coordinator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Mid-Atlantic Wetland Conservation Effects Assessment Project. After earning her bachelors (Biology and Geology) from the College of Charleston in South Carolina, she obtained her doctorate in Geography from the University of Maryland. She is currently working to assess the effect of conservation practices, including wetland restoration, on the provision of ecosystem services.  She specializes in characterizing the location and function of wetlands and other aquatic ecosystems through the use of advanced geospatial data and techniques. 

 

In-Young Yeo, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of Geographical Sciences at the University of Maryland.  Her research interests include watershed hydrology, Geographical Information Sciences, and spatial optimization for decision making.  She is interested in studying the impacts of land use changes and management practices on water resources using various geospatial information, field monitoring data, and numerical models. In-Young is working to understand the role of wetlands in improving water quality and their hydrological connection to the streams.  She has Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from Ohio State University (OSU) and BS and MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering.



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Note: Mapping the Relationship between Inundation and Stream Flow using Landsat Time Series Data will be uploaded at a later date.



The Evolution of NWI and How it Has Changed: A Comparison of Old and New Methodologies, Strengths and Weakness

Held Wednesday, January 22, 2014 - 3:00 p.m. EST

View Recorded Webinar

INTRODUCTION

• Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PDF PRESENTATION]

PRESENTER

• Andy Robertson, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota [PDF PRESENTATION]

SUMMARY

Since 2002, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota GeoSpatial Services (GSS) has been partnering with the National Wetland Inventory Program and other federal and state agencies to update digital wetland mapping across the nation.  Through numerous projects in a range of different ecoregions, GSS has had the opportunity to work with: increasingly more detailed aerial and space-based imagery; new technologies for wetland delineation and classification; a wide variety of collateral spatial data sources; and new tools for data validation and quality assurance. In this webinar we examined how GSS continues to employ traditional wetland image interpretation techniques in a fully digital environment supported by a wide range of collateral datasets and new spatial tools in order to meet the FGDC Federal Wetland Mapping Standard.  In short, when compared to original NWI for the same areas, these new wetland geodatabases provide: more detailed delineation; improved spatial accuracy; additional/enhanced attribution (e.g. LLWW, HGM, adjacent land use, watershed and ecoregion address etc.); greater support for end used applications; and cost effectiveness.

BIO

Andy Robertson joined Saint Mary’s University as GeoSpatial Services Project Manager in 2004.  In this current position, he is responsible for the management of project resources for a wide range of wetland inventory, spatial data development and natural resource related projects. Andy has over 25 years of natural resource project management experience with both the public and private sectors and as a consultant.  Andy earned a Forest Technology Diploma from Sault College of Applied Technology in Ontario, Canada, a B.S in Environmental Science from the University of Waterloo and completed post graduate work at the University of Toronto.  Andy is a Registered Professional Forest Technologist and a member of both the Canadian Institute of Forestry and the Society of American Foresters. 

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View Past Wetland Mapping Consortium Webinars

PDF List of Past Wetland Mapping Consortium Webinar Recordings Here
  
View Upcoming Wetland Mapping Consortium Webinars
  

Next Steps and Future Directions

Held October 26, 2011

Developing Unique identifiers for Mapping Wetlands

Held July 13, 2011

Using the Wetland Mapping Consortium (WMC) Scholar Site

Held June 28, 2011

• PowerPoint presentation is available in PDF, click here.
  

Enhancing Wetland Conservation through Improved Mapping and Monitoring

Held May 18, 2011, 2:00 p.m. EST

• PowerPoint presentation is available in PDF, click here.

View Past Wetland Mapping Consortium Webinars

PDF List of Past Wetland Mapping Consortium Webinar Recordings

 View Upcoming Wetland Mapping Consortium Webinars
  

Wetlands Assessment and Level I Mapping Techniques

Held November 28, 2012 – Rescheduled for November 28     

View Recorded Webinar

PRESENTER

• Andy Robertson, St. Mary’s University of Minnesota
   

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Wetlands Data in the National Atlas

Held October 17, 2012 – 3:00 p.m. EST

View Recorded Webinar

PRESENTER

• Annie Neale, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  
  

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Held September 19, 2012 – 3:00 p.m. EST

Conference Call

Agenda 

Welcome and Introductions

Recommended Topics for Future Webinars

SURRGO Wetland Soils Project Update

Discussion on 'How to' Map Natural Floodplains

Update on What Folks are doing

Wrap-up

Wetland Mapping Consortium Project Summary January 2012

 Scalable Wetlands Mapping

Held August 15, 2012 – 3:00 p.m. EST   

View Recorded Webinar

PRESENTERS

• Tom Dahl, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Bill Wilen, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Jill Michaelson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM) and SLAMM View

Held July 18, 2012 – 3:00 p.m. EST 

View Recorded Webinar

Origins of SLAMM

• Bill Wilen, National Wildlife Service

Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM)

• Jonathan Clough, Lead Modeler, Warren Pinnacle Consulting

SLAMM-View

• Jeff Ehman, Senior Analyst, Image Matters
  
  

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NWI Wetland Mapping Projects

Held June 20, 2012 – 3:00 p.m. EST  

View Recorded Webinar

Development of CARI (California Aquatic Resources Inventory)

• Kristen Cayce, San Francisco Estuary Institute

Saint Croix Headwaters Wetland Mapping Project

• Chad Richtman, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Please click only once on each video recording to view in this window.

Held May 16, 2012 – 3:00 p.m. EST

Automation Techniques for Mapping Wetlands

• Image Segmentation for Wetlands Inventory: Data Considerations and Concepts – Patrick Donnelly, Intermountain West Joint Venture

• Updating The Minnesota national wetland inventory, An integrated Approach Using Object-Oriented Image Analysis, Human Air-Photo Interpretation and Machine Learning – Aaron Smith, Equinox Analytics, Inc.

Conference Call – April 23, 2012 – Training Needed for WMC SURGGO Dataset

Held April 18 – 3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. EST

National Enhanced Elevation Requirements and Benefits Assessment and New LiDAR Standards

• USGS LiDAR Guidelines and Base Specifications v.13 – Dave Maune, Dewberry
• Use of LiDAR for Wetland Mapping – Amar Nayegandhi, Dewberry
• National Enhanced Elevation Requirements and Benefits Assessment – Greg Snyder, U.S. Geological Survey
  
  

Held March 15, 2012 – 8:30 a.m.- 12:00 noon

Restorable Wetlands Database Panel

• Demonstration of the Potential Wetland Soils Landscapes (SSURGO) Data Set – John Galbraith, Virginia Tech

• LiDAR Based Topographic Wetness Index – Megan Lang, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service

• Identifying Potentially Restorable Wetlands in WY – Andy Robertson, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

• Innovations in Integrated Resource Mapping

• National Atlas for Sustainability
  • Marie Venner, Venner Consulting
  • Anne Neale, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

• Obtaining National Coverage for NWI: Strategy Sessions
  • Alaska Project, Andy Robertson, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
  • Discussion

• Discussion on Potential Wetland Soils Landscapes Data Set and questions for speakers – All (Time Permitting)
  
  

Potential Wetland Soil Landscapes (SSURGO) Data Set

Held February 15, 2012 – 3:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. EST

Potential Soil Landscapes Dataset

•  John Galbraith, Virginia Tech

Wetland Identifiers/Proposed Changes to Cowardin Classification

Held January 18, 2012 – 3:00 p.m.- 4:30 p.m. EST

Proposed Changes to Cowardin Classification System

• Bill Wilen, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Development of Technical Guidance on Unique Identifiers for Mapping and Monitoring Wetlands 

• Jane Awl  

View Past Wetland Mapping Consortium Webinars

PDF List of Past Wetland Mapping Consortium Webinar Recordings
  
View Upcoming Wetland Mapping Consortium Webinars