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California Integrated Assessment of Watershed Health - Multimetic Index

California Integrated Assessment of Watershed Health - Multimetic Index

Aug 22, 2016

Created by Conservation Biology Institute

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Description

This map shows the three multimetric index layers created as part of the California Integrated Assessment of Watershed Health:

Relative Watershed Condition Index
Relative Stream Health Index
Relative Watershed Vulnerability Index

More information on the project can be found here.

The overarching goal of the Assessment is to characterize the relative health of watersheds across the state for the purpose of guiding future watershed protection initiatives. The Assessment synthesizes disparate data sources and types to depict current watershed condition and stream condition throughout California. It is framed around the recognition that the biological, chemical, and physical health of a stream are fundamentally connected to one another and to the maintenance of natural watershed processes. The Assessment further recognizes that California’s watersheds are dynamic, ever-changing systems and characterizes the vulnerability of watershed health to future degradation. By integrating information on multiple ecological attributes at several spatial and temporal scales, a systems perspective on watershed health is provided.

Readers are asked to consider the following points regarding the scope of the Assessment as they review methods and interpret results:

The term watershed health can have several connotations. Its use here refers to the holistic condition of freshwater ecosystems within a watershed. The condition of terrestrial, estuarine, coastal, and marine ecosystems are not explicitly analyzed and results should not be used to infer the condition of these ecosystem types.
The Assessment characterizes relative watershed health throughout the state using a collection of indicators that focus on the natural attributes of a watershed and its freshwater streams. No statement on the absolute condition of any watershed or water body is made and results do not reflect the influence of factors not considered for analysis.
Watershed health data generated by the Assessment are intended to support a screening-level assessment of protection priorities across broad geographic areas (e.g., statewide or within the jurisdiction of a Regional Water Control Board). The data should not supplant in-depth, site-specific evidence of protection priorities. Conclusions drawn for smaller-sized areas should be validated with site-specific information.

Location

Credits: CALIFORNIA INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT OF WATERSHED HEALTH November 2013 EPA 841-R-14-003 Prepared by The Cadmus Group, Inc. for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Support for this project was provided by the U.S. EPA Healthy Watersheds Initiative (http://www.epa.gov/healthywatersheds)

Use Constraints: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

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Tags: health, vulnerability, condition, california, watershed

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About the Map Author

Conservation Biology Institute

The Conservation Biology Institute (CBI) provides scientific expertise to support the conservation and recovery of biological diversity in its natural state through applied research, education, planning, and community service.