Eastern Ecological Science Center research ecologists are working with state and local partners to develop multiple biological assessments of non-tidal stream and river conditions in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
The current study has four primary objectives. First, researchers will use an index of biological condition based on benthic macroinvertebrates developed by the ICPRB, the Chessie BIBI (“Chessie BIBI” Index for Streams - ICPRB (potomacriver.org), and landscape data summarized with the SHEDs data set (Spatial Hydro-Ecological Decision System | SHEDS (ecosheds.org) to develop improved predictive models of stream condition for the entire watershed. Second researchers are working with providers of fish data (e.g, state, federal and local monitoring programs) to develop a compiled database of fish for the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed for use in an assessment of fish habitat. Third, this study will test improvements to models predicting fish habitat when using higher resolution data sources (e.g. 1:24,000) through development of joint pilot studies with NOAA. Fourth, the team is working with both biological datasets to identify stream reaches with long-term data for eventual use in analyses of status and trends. Under objectives one through three, researchers will use the summarized predictor data (i.e. catchment summaries) to develop models and make predictions of stream health and fish habitat based on future conditions using projected land use and climate scenarios. This project is aimed to assist the Chesapeake Bay Program’s partners and stakeholders.
- Improve predictive models of stream health (using benthic macroinvertebrates) for small streams across the entire Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
- Acquire fish survey data from programs across the watershed and compile into a single database and develop an assessment of fish habitat for all lotic systems from headwaters to the tidal fresh system.
- Test improvement in model predictive ability when using 1:24,000 scale data versus 1:100,000 scale for assessing landscape impacts on fish communities through pilot studies.
- Analyze status and trends for both benthic macroinvertebrate and fish data sets with sufficient temporal data.
Attribution of Chessie BIBI and fish sampling data to NHDPlusV2 Catchments within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Fish community and species distribution predictions for streams and rivers of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Modeled estimates of altered hydrologic metrics for all NHDPlus v21 reaches in the Chesapeake Bay watershed
Community metrics from inter-agency compilation of inland fish sampling data within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Chesapeake Bay Watershed historical and future projected land use and climate data summarized for NHDPlusV2 catchments
Using fish community and population indicators to assess the biological condition of streams and rivers of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA
Time marches on, but do the causal pathways driving instream habitat and biology remain consistent?
Disentangling the potential effects of land-use and climate change on stream conditions
Predicting biological conditions for small headwater streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed
- Overview
Eastern Ecological Science Center research ecologists are working with state and local partners to develop multiple biological assessments of non-tidal stream and river conditions in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Chesapeake Bay is the Nation's largest estuary and its restoration and protection is a priority. The USGS provides scientific information to help manage this vital ecosystem. As part of that role, staff at the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center created this true color composite image. The image was created using Provisional Surface Reflectance data from five Landsat 8 scenes, acquired in October and November 2014.More information on this image can be found in the National Land Imaging Image Collections page. The current study has four primary objectives. First, researchers will use an index of biological condition based on benthic macroinvertebrates developed by the ICPRB, the Chessie BIBI (“Chessie BIBI” Index for Streams - ICPRB (potomacriver.org), and landscape data summarized with the SHEDs data set (Spatial Hydro-Ecological Decision System | SHEDS (ecosheds.org) to develop improved predictive models of stream condition for the entire watershed. Second researchers are working with providers of fish data (e.g, state, federal and local monitoring programs) to develop a compiled database of fish for the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed for use in an assessment of fish habitat. Third, this study will test improvements to models predicting fish habitat when using higher resolution data sources (e.g. 1:24,000) through development of joint pilot studies with NOAA. Fourth, the team is working with both biological datasets to identify stream reaches with long-term data for eventual use in analyses of status and trends. Under objectives one through three, researchers will use the summarized predictor data (i.e. catchment summaries) to develop models and make predictions of stream health and fish habitat based on future conditions using projected land use and climate scenarios. This project is aimed to assist the Chesapeake Bay Program’s partners and stakeholders.
- Improve predictive models of stream health (using benthic macroinvertebrates) for small streams across the entire Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
- Acquire fish survey data from programs across the watershed and compile into a single database and develop an assessment of fish habitat for all lotic systems from headwaters to the tidal fresh system.
- Test improvement in model predictive ability when using 1:24,000 scale data versus 1:100,000 scale for assessing landscape impacts on fish communities through pilot studies.
- Analyze status and trends for both benthic macroinvertebrate and fish data sets with sufficient temporal data.
- Data
Attribution of Chessie BIBI and fish sampling data to NHDPlusV2 Catchments within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
This data release links fish survey data from a suite of programs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed as well the benthic macroinvertebrate sites included in the Chesapeake Bay Basin-wide Index of Biotic Integrity (Chessie BIBI) developed by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) and available from the Chesapeake Bay Program. The data set contains site name, survey program, coordFish community and species distribution predictions for streams and rivers of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
This data release contains predictions of selected fish community metrics and fish species occurrence using Random Forest models with landscape data for inland reaches across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW). Predictions were made at four time intervals (2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016) according to changes in landcover using the National Land Cover Database (NLCD). The fish sampling data used to comModeled estimates of altered hydrologic metrics for all NHDPlus v21 reaches in the Chesapeake Bay watershed
Data are modeled estimates of flow status (inclined, diminished, or indeterminant) for 12 published hydrologic metrics (HMs) that characterize main components of flow regimes (duration, frequency, magnitude, timing, and rate of change). Model estimates came from random forest models independently built for each HM that predict flow status category using drainage area and previously summarized upstCommunity metrics from inter-agency compilation of inland fish sampling data within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
This data release contains calculated metrics which summarize various biodiversity and functional/life history trait information about fish communities sampled across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed as well as ancillary data related to time/place of sampling and sampling methodology. The fish sampling data used to compute these metrics were compiled from various fish sampling programs conducted by stChesapeake Bay Watershed historical and future projected land use and climate data summarized for NHDPlusV2 catchments
This dataset consists of historical estimates and future projections of land use and climate data summarized within the 1:100,000 National Hydrography Dataset Version 2 (NHDPlusV2) framework for catchments and upstream accumulated watersheds. Historical land use data are for the year 2005 and future land use projections are for the years 2030, 2060, and 2090. The projections offer a unique combina - Publications
Using fish community and population indicators to assess the biological condition of streams and rivers of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA
The development of indicators to assess relative freshwater condition is critical for management and conservation. Predictive modeling can enhance the utility of indicators by providing estimates of condition for unsurveyed locations. Such approaches grant understanding of where “good” and “poor” conditions occur and provide insight into landscape contexts supporting such conditions. However, as aAuthorsKelly O. Maloney, Kevin P. Krause, Matt J. Cashman, Wesley Daniel, Benjamin Paul Gressler, Daniel J. Wieferich, John A. YoungTime marches on, but do the causal pathways driving instream habitat and biology remain consistent?
Stream ecosystems are complex networks of interacting terrestrial and aquatic drivers. To untangle these ecological networks, efforts evaluating the direct and indirect effects of landscape, climate, and instream predictors on biological condition through time are needed. We used structural equation modeling and leveraged a stream survey program to identify and compare important predictors drivingAuthorsRichard H Walker, Matthew J. Ashton, Matt J. Cashman, Rosemary M. Fanelli, Kevin P. Krause, Gregory B. Noe, Kelly O. MaloneyDisentangling the potential effects of land-use and climate change on stream conditions
Land‐use and climate change are significantly affecting stream ecosystems, yet understanding of their long‐term impacts is hindered by the few studies that have simultaneously investigated their interaction and high variability among future projections. We modeled possible effects of a suite of 2030, 2060, and 2090 land‐use and climate scenarios on the condition of 70,772 small streams in the ChesAuthorsKelly O. Maloney, Kevin P. Krause, Claire Buchanan, Lauren Hay, Gregory J. McCabe, Zachary M. Smith, Terry L. Sohl, John A. YoungPredicting biological conditions for small headwater streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed
A primary goal for Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration is to improve stream health and function in 10% of stream miles by 2025. Predictive spatial modeling of stream conditions, when accurate, is one method to fill gaps in monitoring coverage and estimate baseline conditions for restoration goals. Predictive modeling can also monitor progress as additional data become available. We developed a raAuthorsKelly O. Maloney, Zachary M. Smith, Claire Buchanan, Andrea Nagel, John A. Young - Partners