Monitoring Protocol

Portions of this indicator would be covered through the monitoring of wetlands, plant communities, and landscape change. Issues not specifically addressed by these indicators would be developed for more specific riparian monitoring.

Aerial photograph interpretation:

• Width of Riparian Zone: width in meters of riparian habitat along either side of creek. Relates to functions such as dissipation of stormwater flows, nutrient retention/water quality improvement, and ratio of edge to interior habitat for wildlife species.
• Width of Corridor Available for Lateral Migration: channel migration through avulsive or accretive meandering is highly associated with riparian establishment and senescence processes. Corridor width is determined not only by geologic/topographic constraints (e.g., narrow gorge or canyon), but anthropogenic-related structures such as levees, construction of flood control channels, residential, commercial, and agricultural development adjacent to creeks, etc.
• Length of Unfragmented Riparian Corridor: length of unfragmented riparian habitat along either side of creek in meters. Averaged for both sides of creek and expressed as average per kilometers of creek. Unfragmented habitat provides more of the functions associated with riparian habitat, including better transportation corridor for wildlife.

Channel Typing: Use of Rosgen/CDFG Methodology:

• Degree of Entrenchment: The degree of channel incision. The ability of a creek to support a diverse, broad expanse of riparian habitat is related to the degree of entrenchment. The more entrenched the creek, the less potential for riparian establishment and successional processes.
• Degree of Disturbance/Functionality: Assessment for signs of disturbance such as excessive erosion, signs of rip-rap, stresses from cattle use, etc.

Vegetation Field Surveys:

• Total Percent Vegetation Cover in herb/forb, shrub, subcanopy tree, and overstory tree strata. Percent cover in the various strata as determined through releve or point-intercept methods. A diverse mixture of cover in various strata increases attractiveness of riparian habitat to wildlife species.
• Community Composition, including percentage of non-native species: Composition of species within riparian habitat, including percentage of non-native species.