RESEARCH. A comparison of three visual assessments for riparian and stream health

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1 RESEARCH A omparison of three visual assessments for riparian and stream health T.A. Ward, K.W. Tate, E.R. Atwill, D.F. Lile, D.L. Lanaster, N. MDougald, S. Barry, R.S. Ingram, H.A. George, W. Jensen, W.E. Frost, R. Phillips, G.G. Markegard, and S. Larson ABSTRACT: Visual assessments are integral omponents of several widely promoted efforts to assess the health of stream and riparian areas aross the Nation. The U.S. Environmental Protetion Ageny s (EPA) Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet (HAFDS), U.S. Department of Agriulture s Natural Resoures Conservation Servie s (NRCS) Stream Visual Assessment (SVA), and U.S. Department of Interior (USDI) Bureau of Land Management s (BLM) Proper Funtioning Condition (PFC) assessment were applied to 234 rangeland riparian areas to determine: 1) how well the assessments orrelate, and 2) how site-speifi stream and riparian harateristis affet the outome of eah assessment and thus the omparison of outomes aross stream types. Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet and Stream Visual Assessment are haitat driven assessments, whih target similar parameters resulting in a strong positive orrelation etween these methods (r = 0.81). BLM s Proper Funtioning Condition fouses on parameters related to hydrologi funtion, thus a weaker orrelation was found when omparing Proper Funtioning Condition to the Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet and the NRCS Stream Visual Assessment methods (r = 0.58 and 0.54, respetively). A omination of one haitat assessment and Proper Funtioning Condition should e utilized to ondut a omprehensive assessment of riparian/stream health. Site harateristis, whih were signifiantly assoiated with assessment outomes inluded entrenhment ratio, sustrate size, hannel width to depth and slope. This presents a prolem in that omparison of assessment outomes aross different streams and stream reahes are onfounded y fators suh as slope and sustrate type, whih may not always e indiative of riparian/stream health. The Rosgen Stream Morphology Classifiation system was used to suessfully ontrol for the effet of these site-speifi effets on assessment outome, allowing for omparison of riparian/stream health assessments aross streams. Keywords: Eosystem health, Proper Funtioning Condition, rapid ioassessment, Rosgen Stream Classifiation, Stream Visual Assessment Visual assessments of aquati haitat aundane and quality as well as hydrologi funtion are integral omponents of various riparian/stream health assessment efforts eing promoted y natural resoures management and protetion agenies. While these methods are dependent upon the sujetivity and training of the individuals applying them, visual assessments provide a rapid method of evaluating various omponents of riparian/stream health aross a large numer of streams. These methods an thus failitate the inventory of unhealthy streams aross a region and allow for the prioritization of restoration efforts and resoures. Numerous visual assessments have een independently developed and roadly applied. Questions often arise aout the omprehensiveness of individual visual assessments in evaluating health, the level of agreement etween methods, and the validity of using these methods to ompare health etween stream reahes with different harateristis. Outside of the doumentation for the appliation of a given assessment method there is essentially no pulished data to address these questions. The goal of this study was to apply three ommonly used visual assessments aross a spetrum of rangeland streams in California to develop a data set allowing for the examination of the questions raised aove, providing guidane to individuals and agenies applying these methods to assess riparian and stream health. Speifi study ojetives were to 1) determine how well the outomes of eah assessment orrelate; and 2) determine if and how site-speifi riparian and stream harateristis affet assessment outome and thus omparisons aross different stream reahes. Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet. The Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet (HAFDS) is inluded as a major omponent of the U.S. Environmental Protetion Ageny s (EPA) Theresa A. Ward is a livestok/natural resoure advisor with the Stanislaus/San Joaquin Counties University of California Cooperative Extension in Modesto, California. Kenneth W. Tate is an extension rangeland watershed speialist in the Department of Agronomy and Range Siene at the University of California, in Davis, California. Edward R. Atwill is an assoiate veterinarian and assoiate speialist in the Department of Population Health and Reprodution at the University of California, in Tulare, California. David F. Lile is a livestok/natural resoure advisor with the Lassen County University of California Cooperative Extension in Susanville, California. Don L. Lanaster is an extension advisor with the Modo County University of California Cooperative in Alturas, California. Neil MDougald is a livestok/natural resoure advisor with the Madera/Fresno Counties University of California County Cooperative Extension in Madera, California. Sheila Barry is a Bay Area natural resoure advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension in San Jose, California. Roger S. Ingram is a livestok/natural resoure advisor with the Nevada/Plaer Counties University of California Cooperative Extension in Auurn, California. Holly A. George is a livestok/natural resoure advisor with the Plumas/Sierra Counties University of California Cooperative Extension in Quiny, California. Wayne Jensen is a livestok/natural resoure advisor with the San Luis Oispo/Santa Barara Counties University of California Cooperative Extension in Santa Maria, California. William E. Frost is a livestok/natural resoure advisor with the El Dorado County University of California Cooperative Extension in Plaerville, California. Ralph Phillips is a livestok/natural resoure advisor with the Kern County University of California Cooperative Extension in Bakersfield, California. Gary G. Markegard is a livestok/natural resoure advisor with the Humoldt/Del Norte Counties University of California Cooperative Extension in Eureka, California. Stephanie Larson is a livestok/natural resoure advisor with the Sonoma/Marin Counties University of California Cooperative Extension in Santa Rosa, California. Reprinted from the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Volume 58, Numer 2 Copyright 2003 Soil and Water Conservation Soiety M A 2003 VOLUME 58 NUMBER 2 83

2 Rapid Bioassessment Protool III (Barour et al., 1999). Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet was developed to provide visual assessment of instream haitat type and quality to assist in the interpretation of stream maroinverterate data olleted during rapid ioassessments as suggested y Barour et al., 1999; Hannaford and Resh, 1995; and Resh et al., Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet assesses haitat features via ten questions. Eah question targets the aundane and quality of a speifi haitat feature. The stream reah is assigned a sore of one (haitat feature not present or quality minimal) to 20 (haitat feature aundant and quality exellent). An example question from Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet is targeted on epifaunal sustrate and availale over for maroinvertarates and fish. The overall outome sore for the reah is alulated as the average sore for all 10 questions. Stream Visual Assessment. U.S. Department of Agriulture s (USDA) Natural Resoures Conservation Servies (NRCS) Stream Visual Assessment (SVA) was developed for use with landowners, and fouses on various physial parameters of stream health, speifially those related to instream haitat (NRCS, 1998). Stream Visual Assessment is similar to EPA s Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet in the type of haitat features assessed. Stream Visual Assessment is omposed of 15 questions targeting individual haitat related features of the stream reah. A sore of 1 to 10 is assigned for eah question. An example question from Stream Visual Assessment targets ank staility, where a sore of 10 is assigned when anks are stale and a sore of one is assigned when exessive stream ank failure is apparent. Overall SVA outome for a reah is alulated as the mean of sores for the 15 questions. Proper Funtioning Condition. A joint effort y the U.S. Department of Interior (USDI) Bureau of Land Management (BLM), USDA Fish and Wildlife Servie, and NRCS lead to the development of the Proper Funtioning Condition (PFC) visual assessment, designed to evaluate stream hydrologi funtion. The developmental asis was that all aspets of stream health depend upon the stream s aility to perform ritial, asi hydrologi funtions that an e assessed quikly and visually (Prihard et al., 1998). A total of 17 questions overing hydrology, vegetation, and erosion/deposition proesses are examined. Eah question an e answered as Yes, No, or Not appliale ased on the site s potential. An example question from the method is, Stream is in alane with water and sediment eing supplied y the watershed? Based upon the answers to these 17 questions, the team applying the method agrees on a final outome rating for the stream reah out of the following: Proper Funtioning Condition, Funtioning at Risk, or Nonfuntional. Methods and Materials The experimental unit in this study was a 100 m ( ft) reah of stream. During 1999 and 2000, the Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet, Stream Visual Assessment, and Proper Funtioning Condition visual assessments were all applied to eah of 234 rangeland stream reahes loated aross California (Figure 1). Stream reahes were seleted to represent the many ominations of riparian vegetation, stream morphology, and hydro- logi regime found aross California s diverse rangeland watersheds. Stream reahes ranging from oviously poor to exellent health (from the perspetive of all 3 assessments) were inluded in the study to provide a range of outome sores. Stream reahes were seleted so that eah reah was solely ontained in one omination of riparian vegetation, stream morphology, hydrologi regime and health status. A team of two to three trained memers, lead y a single team leader, visited eah site and applied eah assessment to the site following pulished guidelines for eah method (NRCS, 1998; Prihard et al., 1998; Barour et al., 1999). Eah assessment was applied to the stream reah during the same visit. Entrenhment ratio, hannel width to depth ratio, hannel slope (%), sustrate type (silt, gravel, ole, et.), haitat type (% of reah that is a run, riffle, and pool), stream anopy over (%), and dominate riparian Figure 1 Cirled areas represent rangeland regions of California, whih were targeted for the study. Stream reahes aross these regions were sampled during 1999 and JOURNAL OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION M A 2003

3 vegetation (willow, aspen, sedge, et.) data were also olleted at eah stream reah. Eah stream reah was assigned a Level I Rosgen Stream Morphologial Classifiation (A, B, C, E, F, and G) following Rosgen (1996). This lassifiation method ategorizes streams ased upon asi morphologial features suh as entrenhment ratio, hannel slope, and sustrate type, providing a simple approah to grouping stream reahes with similar morphologial harateristis and presumaly hydrologi funtion. It should e noted that only Rosgen stream types A, B, C, E, F, and G were sampled. Statistial analysis to address the first study ojetive of determining the orrelation etween EPA s Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet, NRCS Stream Visual Assessment, and BLM s Proper Funtioning Condition was the alulation of Pearson Correlation Coeffiients (r) omparing the outomes of eah assessment aross all stream reahes (n = 234). Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet and Stream Visual Assessment outome sores are ontinuous variales (1 to 20 and 1 to 10, respetively), whereas Proper Funtioning Condition outome is a ategorial rating (Proper Funtioning Condition, Funtional at Risk, and Nonfuntional). For ease of analysis, Proper Funtioning Condition ratings were onverted to a numeri value suh that Proper Funtioning Condition = 3, Funtional at Risk = 2, Nonfuntional = 1. The seond study ojetive of determining the effet of site speifi riparian and stream harateristis on assessment outome was ahieved using akwards stepwise regression via General Linear Models. A deision riteria of p<0.10 was used for inlusion of an independent variale in the final model. Separate regressions were developed for eah assessment method with overall assessment outome as the dependent variale and entrenhment ratio, hannel width to depth ratio, hannel slope, sustrate type, haitat type, stream anopy over, and dominate riparian vegetation type as the independent variales offered in the initial model. To determine if Rosgen stream lass ould e utilized as a simple tool to aount for any effets of stream harateristis on assessment outome, differenes in the mean overall outome for eah assessment aross Rosgen lass was tested using ANOVA and Tukey mean separation tehniques (p<0.05). The effet of Rosgen stream lass on assessment orrelation was investigated y alulating Pearson Correlation Coeffiients (r) for eah final assessment outome y Rosgen Level I stream lass omination. Results and Disussion Assessment orrelations. A strong positive orrelation (r = 0.81) existed etween HAFDS and SVA assessment outomes. This is not surprising given the fous of oth assessments on similar aquati haitat features suh as availaility and diversity of over, streamank staility, emeddedness in riffles, and hannel alteration. Moreover, the desription of the ondition of these features (greater than 70% over availale, less than 10% ank erosion, et.) used to assign a sore (1 to 20 or 1 to 10) is similar for questions ontained in eah assessment. A relatively weaker, yet still positive, orrelation existed etween Proper Funtioning Condition and Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet (r = 0.58) as well as etween Proper Funtioning Condition and SVA (r = 0.54). As haitat assessment outomes inreased so did likelihood of a PFC outome of Proper Funtioning Condition or Funtional at Risk. Realling the fous and design of eah assessment, there are asi differenes etween BLM s Proper Funtioning Condition and oth EPA s Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet and NRCS Stream Visual Assessment. Proper Funtioning Condition targets features refleting the hydrologi funtion of the system whereas the Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet and the Stream Visual Assessment primarily target haitat features. For example, Proper Funtioning Condition assesses if plant speies apale of withstanding flood flows are present and if the hannel is in alane with the sediment and water eing supplied y the watershed. Whereas, the Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet and the Stream Visual Assessment assess features suh as emeddedness in riffles and diversity in flow regimes for haitat. It is also important to note that the Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet and the Stream Visual Assessment outome sores are alulated as the average of sores for eah question in the assessment, giving eah question equal weight for the final outome. Sine Proper Funtioning Condition is not numerially driven the final outome sore must e derived in a more sujetive fashion ased upon the assessment team s olletive deision. In suh a senario, ertain questions ould e given more or less weight in the derivation of the final outome (Proper Funtioning Condition, Funtional at Risk, Nonfuntional) depending upon the team s opinion. It is not possile to determine whih approah to developing the final assessment outome is most appropriate from these data. It is lear that Proper Funtioning Condition evaluates riparian and stream health in a different manner than the Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet and Stream Visual Assessment. Site harateristis and assessment outomes. Tale 1 reports the signifiane of several important stream harateristis in final akwards stepwise regression models prediting assessment outome y stream harateristis. Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet outome was affeted y entrenhment, sustrate size, perent riffle, pool, and anopy. The Stream Visual Assessment outome was affeted y entrenhment, slope, sustrate size, perent run, and anopy. The relationship of perent run, riffle, and pool have to the EPA s Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet and NRCS Stream Visual Assessment outome is not surprising. Both assessments have several questions whih target diversity in flow regime and haitat type, whih are diretly related to pool-rifflerun omplexes. Stream Visual Assessment outome dereased as hannel slope (%) dereased. This relationship ould e aounted for y the fat that lower gradient hannels tend to have less diversity in haitat, partiularly maroinverterate haitat, ompared to steeper stream hannels. As with the Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet and the Stream Visual Assessment, Proper Funtioning Condition was orrelated to entrenhment, sustrate size, and perent anopy. This indiates that these site harateristis are important determinants of assessment outome on California s rangeland stream systems. Sustrate size. Outome sores derease as sustrate size dereases in size from oulder (>10 in diameter) to silt, indiating that lower sores an e expeted on streams dominated y fine sustrates. The presene of exessive fine sediments an indeed e an indiator of lowered stream health and disturane and thus it is appropriate that all three-assessment outomes are sensitive to sustrate size. An inrease in fine sediments due to exessive erosion within the watershed an redue haitat quality y filling in pools, emedding riffles, and overing haitat strutures. However, inherent differenes in stream su- M A 2003 VOLUME 58 NUMBER 2 85

4 Tale 1. Results of akwards-stepwise regression model development to determine relationships etween riparian/stream assessment outome and site-speifi riparian and stream harateristis. Reported values are p-values (n.s. = nonsignifiant; p>0.05) for eah harateristi in final models for eah of the 3 visual assessment methods--haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet (HAFDS), Stream Visual Assessment (SVA), and Proper Funtioning Condition (PFC). Data are from 234, 100 m ( ft) rangeland stream reahes aross California rangelands. Site harateristi HAFDS 1 SVA 2 PFC 3 Entrenhment ratio Width to depth ratio n.s. n.s. n.s. Slope (%) n.s n.s. Sustrate size < Run (%) n.s <0.001 n.s. Riffle (%) <0.001 n.s. n.s. Pool (%) <0.001 n.s. n.s. Stream anopy over (%) <0.001 < Dominant vegetation type n.s. n.s. n.s. Model adjusted R-squared Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet (Barour et al., 1999). 2 Stream Visual Assessment (NRCS, 1998) 3 Proper Funtioning Condition (Prihard, 1998) strate etween streams must e aounted for when making omparisons aross streams using these assessments. For instane, a high gradient (>5% slope) headwater stream with naturally ourring oulder or ole sustrate stream (Rosgen A or B lass stream) will inherently have a higher assessment outome sore than a low gradient (<2% slope) meadow or valley stream naturally dominated y fine sediment sustrates (Rosgen E stream lass). Entrenhment ratio. Entrenhment ratio is the ratio of the width of the flood prone area to the surfae width of the ank full hannel (Rosgen, 1996). The results indiate that assessment outome dereases as entrenhment ratio dereases. A redution in entrenhment ratio on a stream an e an indiator of lowered stream health. A redution in entrenhment ratio ould indiate that the stream is eroding downward in its ed thus losing aess to its floodplain. This an lead to hannel instaility, loss of riparian vegetation, lowered water tale and redued haitat availaility and quality. However, as with sustrate size, there are inherent, natural differenes in entrenhment ratio etween stream types ased upon position in the watershed, as well as geologi and topographi fators. For instane, a stream in a steep, narrow, roky anyon will inherently have a lower entrenhment ratio relative to a low gradient valley stream. Stream anopy over. Assessment sore inreased as stream anopy over inreased, indiating the importane of woody riparian vegetation in these assessments. This is a logial relationship given that woody riparian vegetation an provide over, serves as an important soure of organi matter and nutrients for stream systems, inreases haitat omplexity, and in ertain stream types is an important omponent of ank staility. While anopy over provided y woody riparian vegetation is a generally important omponent of stream health, are must e taken when utilizing these assessments on stream reahes, whih inherently do not provide suitale haitat for willows. Streams suh as low gradient, fine sediment dominated meadows systems typial of Rosgen E streams tend not to provide water tale or sustrate onditions favorale for woody riparian vegetation. These stream types attain healthy onditions with appropriate over y riparian dependent heraeous speies suh as sedges (Carex spp.) and rushes (Junus spp.). Rosgen stream lassifiation and assessment outome. Entrenhment ratio, stream hannel width to depth ratio, hannel slope, and sustrate type were signifiantly related to assessment outomes. Entrenhment ratio, hannel width to depth and slope are expliit determinants in Rosgen s Level I lassifiation, and sustrate is somewhat aounted for in Level 1 lassifiation (Rosgen, 1996). The results illustrate the need to ontrol for these parameters when omparing assessment outomes aross streams with naturally different levels of these parameters. Sine Rosgen s lassifiation system is well pulished and widely used we explored our data further to evaluate its utility for ontrolling for these parameters when making ross-stream omparisons. Assessment orrelations y Rosgen stream lass. Tale 2 reports the Pearson Correlation Coeffiients (r) illustrating the orrelation etween the EPA s Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet, NRCS Stream Visual Assessment, and BLM s Proper Funtioning Condition for eah Rosgen stream lass. The Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet and Stream Visual Assess-ment outomes are onsistently more strongly orrelated with eah other than the Proper Funtioning Condition is to either haitat-ased assessment. These results indiate the need to employ oth a haitat ased assessment (HAFDS or SVA) and the Proper Funtioning Condition to optimize stream health assessment efforts regardless of stream type. Rosgen stream lass. Mean assessment outome was alulated for eah Rosgen stream lass. These means were tested for signifiant Tale 2. Pearson Correlation Coeffiients for omparison of Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet (HAFDS), Stream Visual Assessment (SVA), and Proper Funtioning Condition (PFC) visual assessment outomes stratified y Rosgen Stream Morphologial Classifiations A, B, C, E, F, and G. Data are from 234, 100 m ( ft) rangeland stream reahes aross California rangelands. Rosgen stream lass 1 HADFS 2 x SVA 3 PFC 4 x HAFDS PFC x SVA A B C E F G Rosgen (1996). 2 Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet (Barour et al., 1999). 3 Stream Visual Assessment (NRCS, 1998). 4 Proper Funtioning Condition (Prihard, 1998). 86 JOURNAL OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION M A 2003

5 Figure 2 Mean U.S. Environmental Protetion Ageny s (EPA) Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet outome (1 = limited haitat availaility and quality, 20 = exellent haitat availaility and quality) for 100 m ( ft) rangeland stream reahes (n=234) y Level I Rosgen Stream Morphologial Classifiation system. Signifiant differenes are indiated y different letters (p<0.05). 20 Figure 3 Mean U.S. Department of Agriulture s Natural Resoures Conservation Servie s Stream Visual Assessment outome (1 = limited haitat availaility and quality, 10 = exellent haitat availaility and quality) for 100 m ( ft) rangeland stream reahes (n=234) y Level I Rosgen Stream Morphologial Classifiation system. Signifiant differenes are indiated y different letters (p<0.05). 10 HAFDS outome sore a a a SVA outome sore a a a A B C E F G Rosgen stream lass A B C E F Rosgen stream lass differenes via ANOVA and Tukey s means separation proedures. Figures 2 through 4 report the results of these analysis. Signifiant differenes in mean assessment outome due to Rosgen stream lass existed for all three assessments (p<0.05). This is not surprising given the signifiant relationships etween assessment outome and stream morphologial features reported in Tale 1. Within the sample of streams inluded in this study, Rosgen A streams tended to e loated high in the watershed, and had relatively steep hannel slopes with edrok-oulder-ole dominated sustrates. Rosgen B streams were similar to A lass streams ut ourred at a slightly lower positions in the watershed, and had lower hannel slopes with oulderole-gravel dominated sustrates. Rosgen C and E streams ourred in meadow situations. Rosgen C streams had slopes from 2 to 4% with sustrate dominated y ole and gravel. Rosgen A, B and C streams provided a diverse set of haitat nihes, typially had low sediment aumulations, and ontained varying amounts of large woody deris. Rosgen E streams had slopes less than 2% with fine sustrates. Haitat nihes for E streams were typially limited to deep pools, root mats, and small woody deris. F and G streams were reently eroded or atively eroding, entrenhed, fine sustrate dominated hannels at slopes less than 4%. The reader is referred to Rosgen (1996) for more detailed desriptions of eah Rosgen stream lass. Considering the role whih entrenhment, slope, and sustrate size play in determining assessment outome and as determinants in Rosgen s lassifiation system, the results reported in Figures 2 through 4 are not surprising. These results indiate that the most are must e taken when omparing haitat assessment (EPA s Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet and NRCS Stream Visual Assessment) outomes from A, B, and C streams to E streams and to F and G streams (Figure 2 and 3). HADFS and SVA assessment outomes are prone to generate lower sores for Rosgen E streams relative to A, B, and C streams, likely due to the effet of sustrate size and haitat diversity. Rosgen F and G streams have a lowered potential for haitat sine the systems may e atively eroding (G streams) or just stailized (F streams) and are laking many ommon haitat strutures suh as underut anks, large woody deris, root mats, no riparian vegetation, or only olonizer speies, inreased fines, et. Figure 4 illustrates the roust nature of Proper Funtioning Condition relative to Rosgen stream lass. There was no signifiant differene in mean Proper Funtioning Condition outome for Rosgen s A, B, C, or E stream lasses. Proper Funtioning Condition outome for these stream lasses were all signifiantly different from F and G streams. These results indiate that the Proper Funtioning Condition outome more readily aounts for potential onfounding stream morphologial harateristis than do the Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet or Stream Visual Assessment. The developers of oth the Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet and Stream Visual Assessment (Barour et al., 1999; NRCS, 1998) learly state that omparisons etween streams should e onduted within similar stream types, and the results onfirm this reommendation. Summary and Conlusion Strong positive orrelations were found to exist etween EPA s Haitat Assessment Field Data Sheet and NRCS Stream Visual Assessment outome. These results indiate that there is signifiant overlap in the omponents of riparian/stream health, whih these assessments target. They provide similar M A 2003 VOLUME 58 NUMBER 2 87

6 Figure 4 Mean U.S. Department of Interior s Bureau of Land Management s Proper Funtioning Condition assessment outome (1 = Nonfuntional, 2 = Funtional at Risk, 3 = Funtional) for 100 m ( ft) rangeland stream reahes (n=234) y Level I Rosgen Stream Morphologial Classifiation system. Signifiant differenes are indiated y different letters (p<0.05). 3.5 PFC outome sore a a a a A B C E F G Rosgen stream lass information on haitat omponents of riparian and stream health, so the utility of applying oth methods is limited. Both methods were found to e well doumented and straightforward to apply in the field y a trained team. Relatively weaker orrelations existed etween the two haitat assessments (HADFS and SVA) and BLM s Proper Funtioning Condition, whih targets hydrologi funtion omponents of riparian/ stream health. The appliation of one haitat assessment in omination with PFC is reommended to provide the most information on riparian/stream health. Assessment outomes were found to e influened y fundamental stream morphologial features suh as entrenhment ratio, sustrate size and hannel slope, as well as y stream vegetative anopy over. While the relationships etween assessment outome and these features are important to the aility of the assessments to detet prolems within stream reahes, it ould also present a prolem when omparing aross stream types. The Rosgen Stream Morphologial Classifiation system (Rosgen, 1996) was found to aount for muh of the variaility in streams due to morphology It is reommended that stream morphology e taken into aount when making omparisons of assessment outomes etween streams, and that the Rosgen system appears to provide a simple approah to aomplishing this. Referenes Cited Barour, M.T., J. Gerritsen, B.D. Snyder, and J.B. Striling Rapid Bioassessment Protools for Use in Streams and Wadeale Rivers: Periphyton, Benthi Maroinverterates and Fish, Seond Edition. U.S. Environmental Protetion Ageny 841-B U.S. Environmental Protetion Ageny, Offie of Water, Washington, D.C. Hannaford, M.J. and V.H. Resh Variaility in maroinverterate rapid-ioassessment surveys and haitat assessments in a northern California stream. Journal of North Amerian Benthologial Soiety 14(3): Prihard, D., J.Anderson, C. Correll, J. Fogg, K. Gehardt, R. Krapf, S. Leopnard, B. Mithell, and J. Staats Riparian Area Management TR A User Guide to Assessing Proper Funtioning Condition Under the Supporting Sienes for Loti Areas. National Business Center, BC-650B, P.O. Box 25047, Denver, Colorado. Resh,V.H., R.H Norris, and M.T. Barour Design and implementation of rapid assessment approahes for water resoure monitoring using enthi maroinverterates. Australian Journal of Eology 20: Rosgen, D Applied River Morphology. Wildland Hydrology, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. U.S. Department of Agriulture s Natural Resoures Conservation Servie Stream Visual Assessment Protool. NWCC-TN National Water and Climate Center, Portland, Oregon. 88 JOURNAL OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION M A 2003