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Issue link: http://wateronline.epubxp.com/i/597858
measure the amount of woody understory cover in terms of stem density, cover, or both. On-board tablet functions, such as a cam- era, are integrated into the app as a time-saving measure to avoid carrying separate pieces of equipment into the field. Rachel Werling, an Oregon State University extension instructor, has tested the StreamBank Monitoring app with high school stu- dents as part of the Student Watershed Assessment Team (SWAT) program, which trains students to collect quality scientific data for natural resource management efforts in Jackson County, OR. "Compared to traditional data entry methods with pen and paper, the StreamBank app halved the time we spent collecting field data," said Werling. "For example, it was quick and easy to snap photo points to visually capture changes at a site using the camera on the tablet. The app then recorded GPS loca- tion, site name, and other data along with the photo. Without the app, the students spent a lot more time transferring and processing data when we returned from the field." Werling's time-saving experi- ence with StreamBank Monitoring matches other users' experiences. Duren noted that StreamBank Monitoring usage by The Freshwater Trust's field staff has saved, on aver- age, three and a half hours per acre in vegetation monitoring data entry, management, and analysis. Most sites are at least two acres, so this saves almost a full eight-hour staff day per site. "StreamBank Monitoring bypass- es the process of entering data by hand from paper datasheets, thus saving time, and also prevents deci- sions from being made based on poor quality data, because errors can be recognized quickly and fixed more readily on site," said Duren. Putting Data To Work Back in the McKenzie River area, EWEB has successfully used the StreamBank tool to help define and visualize healthy riparian systems. "With StreamBank, the metrics collected at reference sites are then compared with landowner [assessed] conditions, allowing landown- ers to see what constitutes a healthy riparian area and what actions they can take to increase the health of these critical areas," said Karl Morgenstern, environmental management supervisor of EWEB. EWEB has established a boundary identifying riparian forests and floodplains that are eligible to enroll in the VIP. Participation is open to private landowners, local governments, and non-profit organizations that own land within the designated boundary. "The VIP is built on the concept of creating and sustaining protection and restoration activities at a meaningful scale and con- necting upstream landowners with downstream water users," said Morgenstern. "To that end, an integrated approach to managing our shared water resource is important." Additionally, the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC) in Springfield, OR is beginning to use the data collected by EWEB and its partners for a complementary program in the same service area. Integration of these two water programs is increasing efficiency, because data does not have to be recollected by MWMC staff. It is also minimizing program costs, because site identification and prioritization have already been completed for the subbasin, and interested landowners have already been identified. While EWEB is focusing on preserv- ing healthy riparian areas, MWMC will focus on restoring the areas that lack healthy streamside vegetation. These combined efforts will allow maximized conservation and restoration outcomes for both source water protection and wastewater compliance. The StreamBank toolkit can also be applied to other types of watershed restoration and protection programs. It can conduct GIS mapping of potential riparian restoration sites, prioritized according to ecological and economic criteria, for water quality trading pro- grams geared toward temperature com- pliance for wastewater facilities. It can model a "water budget" for the sustainable allocation of surface water and groundwater resources for uses, such as irrigation and municipal drinking water, using water-quantity and water- usage data. Finally, multi-stakeholder, cooperative source water protection program planning can be done based on conservation priorities as well as pollutant reductions. Werling sees the big picture when it comes to all the field data generated by restoration actions. "Monitoring the success of restora- tion projects, sometimes more than 20 years for large trees, is a big deal," she said. "It's exciting for professionals and citizen scientists to use digital tools such as StreamBank to collect reliable data." n wateronline.com n Water Innovations WATERSUPPLYANDMANAGEMENT Danielle Dumont is the Marketing Manager for The Freshwater Trust in Portland, OR. She brings nearly two decades of experience in corporate and marketing communications to The Freshwater Trust's environmental consulting and watershed analysis services. About The Author With photo point monitoring, users can capture photos at the same location over a period of time, providing a visual record of project site conditions. 35