A Site-Specific Salt Marsh Decision Support

Tool for Guiding Restoration Efforts Joshua Moody, LeeAnn Haaf, & Irina Beal

January 30, 2020 Delaware Wetlands Conference

Wilmington, Delaware

Why a Salt Marsh Decision Support Tool?

• Increasing Interest in Green Infrastructure • Academic Literature

• Funding Agencies

• Regulatory Sector

• Increasing Number of Project Implementers • Variety of Backgrounds

• Variety of Goals

• Lack of Standardized Justification • Identifying Deficiency

• Defining Goals

• Tracking Outcomes

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-09269-z.pdf

Salt Marshes are Complex Environments

To Address an Issue, it Needs to be Accurately Identified

Symptom

Evaluation

Diagnosis

Prognosis

Treatment (Intervention)

Track Outcome

(Monitoring)

Biology or Hydrology?

Natural Feature or Expansive Ponding?

Diagnosis or Symptom?

Attributes Related to Proper Salt Marsh Function

BiologicalCommunity

HorizontalPosition

Hydrology Soil Condition VerticalPosition

Water Quality

We Need To Know The State of These Qualities Today... No Evidence of Deficiency

Evidence of Deficiency

He

alth

?

What is the Natural Trajectory?

Time

Do We Have The Time?

…And How They Are Tracking For Tomorrow

A Variety of Attribute-specific Tools Exist…

Vertical Position • GIS: DEM Stacking/LiDAR

• Flood Mapper

Horizontal Position • USGS DSAS

• AMBUR

Biological Production/Habitat • SLAMM

• Marsh Equilibrium Model

……But We Need Ecological Integration

Decision Support Tool: A framework to holistically evaluate current and future marsh function

1. regarding qualities shown to be fundamental for proper and resilient salt marsh function

2. using scientifically defensible methods

Evidence-based Action

Trajectory Evidence of Deficiency?

Current State

Preliminary Work

1. Lit Review: Qualities Influencing Salt Marsh Function and Decision Making Tools

2. Conducted Surveys: Local and National Regulatory and Practitioners (n=83)

3. Align Data Collection Methods with Regional Frameworks

4. July 2019: Tool Evaluation Workshop (Preliminary tool testing, 31 attendees)

The decision tool is something I would use when planning/evaluating restoration projects?

After this workshop, I feel more confident in my ability to use the decision tool once

it's available

Rate the overall flow/progression of the tool

How likely are you to recommend the decision tool to others?

94% 94% 84% 94%

https://www.conservationgateway.org/ConservationPractices/Marine/crr/library/Documents/Framework-Coastal-Wetland-Shoreline-Projects-New-Jersey.pdf

https://s3.amazonaws.com/delawareestuary/PDE+Reports/2018-DELS+Framework+V.2.0._Final.pdf

Work Flow: Spreadsheet Ecologist

1. Select Metric per Attribute • Lateral Position • Vertical Position • Biological Community • Hydrologic Regime • Soil Condition • Water Quality

7. Problem Today?

Y/N

8. Problem Tomorrow

Y/N 4. Select

Trajectory Data

2. Assess Current

Metric Value

3. Select Reference

Data

5. Compare Metric &

Reference Data

6.Compare Projected

Metric &

Reference

10. Integrated Attribute

Site Deficiency

9. Attribute Deficiency

Y/N

11. Model Output a) Deficiency Detected b) Further Evaluation

Recommended c) No Deficiency

Detected

User Tasks Tool Calculations

Deficiency Identification

Justifications Required for Every Decision

Site-level Integrated Output

1. Deficiency Detected: • Evidence of immediate or immanent deficiency

• Discussion among stakeholders regarding development of a project

2. Further Evaluation Recommended: • Evidence of attribute-based deficiencies may exist

• No worrisome combinations or trajectory evidence

• Continue monitoring recommended attributes

3. No Deficiency Detected: • No attribute violations = No evidence of deficiency

• can serve as baseline data for future monitoring efforts

Integrate Attributes - Site-Specific Recommendation

Deficiency Detected Combinations that reflect an overall site-wide deficiency

Further Evaluation Recommended

Certain attributes concerning, monitor all metrics

Horizontal Position X

Vertical+Biological X

Vertical+Hydrologic

Vertical+Soil Condition

Hydrologic+Soil Condition

Biological+Hydrologic

Vertical+Biologic+Hydrologic

Site-wide Deficiency Table

Summary: A Spreadsheet Ecologist

• The Salt Marsh Decision Support Tool: 1. Integrates data for a suite of attributes essential to salt marsh

function 2. Evaluates if there is evidence of a deficiency at a site

• This tool does not: 1. State an intervention is required 2. Guarantee a permit

Timeline

• Summer 2020: Training and Feedback Workshops in NJ and DE

• Fall 2020: Convene Tech Panel and Update for Tool V2.0

• 2021-2022: Field Validation at Established and Newly Installed Reference Sites

Funding

• 2018-2020: NJDEP EPA Wetland Program Development Grant

• 2020-2022: NFWF Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund

Questions or Comments

Joshua Moody, PhD Restoration Programs Manager (302) 655-4990, x115 │ DelawareEstuary.org

Connecting people, science, and nature for a healthy Delaware River and Bay