Beginning in January 1993, the Environmental Management Technical Center (EMTC) worked with the LTRMP Interagency Analysis Team concerning the Program's need to have resource agencies articulate their resource management informational needs. Program Field Station Team Leaders and Partner agencies were asked for their input on this issue to be used as criteria in development of Program Annual Work Plans.
The Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee (UMRCC) membership was involved in reviewing the current list of Program Partners' needs and expectations. The States prioritized the list and the EMTC used the input, to the extent possible, in the development of the 1994 Annual Work Plan.
The Analysis Team and UMRCC members coordinated additional review and input for consolidation at the Fall 1993 UMRCC Technical Section meetings.
The EMTC has summarized the prioritized lists in the context of the early LTRMP Problem Identification and Analysis outline format.
During 1995 the EMP-CC was asked to review and provide comments. During 1996 the Analysis Team revisited the list and agreed it was still current concerning the resource management agency needs. They will review the list on a yearly basis to determine if the entire review process needs to be undertaken.
Throughout this process, the EMTC has maintained that the Program must be management-driven (information specific to UMRS management needs), be customer-oriented, and must develop products useful to its Partners. The following represents the results of the Program partner needs and expectations process:
A. Consistent Themes in State and
Federal Partners' Input on Program Expectations
1. Management applicability of LTRMP efforts.
2. Need for a system or ecosystem view of the UMRS and the formulation of efforts accordingly. Understanding that this is an evolving need by the management community.
3. Integration of data, component, and information to support LTRMP Goal 3. Determine relationships between factors and define their distribution and patterns.
4. Evaluation of human-induced flood plain development, conducted in a historical context.
5. Development of bathymetric topographic data, especially in the 1-to-3-foot zone.
6. Development of sedimentation rates and patterns for representative reaches of the River.
7. Implementation of some form of wildlife or habitat component.
8. Develop a need-driven information transfer system.
B. Consolidated and Prioritized
State and Federal Managers' LTRMP Expectations
This list represents the combined input of the LTRMP Analysis Team, their respective State associates, and the UMRCC Wildlife, Water Quality, and Fish, Technical Sections on State and Federal data and informational Program needs and expectations. Items in bold represent responses from Fish, Water Quality, and Wildlife Sections; italics represent responses from two sections, and plain text specific section response.
1. Problem Identification and Analysis - Navigation (Commercial and Recreational), Sedimentation, Water Level Fluctuations:
Using historical information, define cumulative habitat losses resulting from development, diking, drainage, and navigation on the Upper Mississippi River (UMR). All
Bathymetric and topographic mapping. All
Evaluate sedimentation rates and impacts. All
Assess the effects of navigation on the UMRS (support navigation studies). All
Quantify habitat loss and existing conditions. All
Evaluate Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Projects (HREPs). Wildlife and Fish Sections
Develop, modify, and/or verify habitat base assessment models (i.e., WHAG, AHAG, and HEP) models for selected fish and wildlife species on the UMRS. Wildlife and Fish Sections
Define major factors causing changes in resource trends. Wildlife and Fish Sections
Evaluate impacts of floods and droughts on flood plain habitats (i.e., impact of lock and dam construction). Water Quality and Fish Sections
Evaluate the potential of expanding monitoring activities beyond the key pools (with the use of stratified random sampling). Fish Section
Publication of available datasets, including spatial and trend data. Identify a dataset contact person. Water Quality Section
Develop a status of the river publication. Water Quality Section
Expand land cover database to include UMR watersheds. Water Quality Section
Document the spread and effects of zebra mussels. Water Quality Section
Define point sources and their impacts. Water Quality Section
Develop report on the status of projects. Water Quality Section
Develop land cover data for the UMRS at a scale applicable to regulatory activities. Water Quality Section
Quantify the cumulative effects of increasing recreational boating development and activities. Wildlife Section
Create a database of recreation access sites. Create recreation use maps. Define ecological carrying capacity for this type of development. Wildlife Section
Develop a management-driven approach to defining research priorities. Wildlife Section
Measure effects of navigation on ice-covered backwaters during periods when critical habitats are limited. Wildlife Section
Analyze the loss rate and distribution of islands lost due to erosion throughout the UMRS. Wildlife Section
2. Information Transfer - Publications, Data Access, Geographic Information System (GIS) Data, etc.:
Develop a good set of base maps for UMRS (land-water, vegetation, development, bathymetry, habitat). All
Develop an information management and access system to entire database, including products. All
Educate public on river issues and ecosystem management to help develop a common vision for the UMRS. Water Quality and Fish Sections
Expand land cover database to include UMR watersheds. Wildlife and Water Quality Sections
Publish available datasets, including spatial and trend data. Identify dataset contact person. Wildlife and Water Quality Sections
Develop land cover data for the UMRS at a scale applicable to regulatory activities. Water Quality and Wildlife Sections
Develop a management-driven approach to define research priorities. Fish Section
Develop a status of the river publication. Water Quality Section
Develop report on the status of projects. Water Quality Section
Data entry and conversion of forest inventory data to compatible formats. Wildlife Section
Develop GIS datasets for HREPs. Wildlife Section
LTRMP should be the "one-stop" center for accessing information. Wildlife Section
Products to managers (scaled to fit applications) at LTRMP cost. Wildlife Section
Digital copies of GIS data for refuge areas. Wildlife Section
Database entry (to allow overlay analysis) of bald eagle, heron colony, and waterfowl count data. Wildlife Section
Printed reports are most useful products at this time. Wildlife Section
3. Resource Trend Analysis - Expand Spatial Scale and Add Components (Wildlife, Recreation, Bluffs, etc.):
Define changes in relative abundance and distribution of UMRS species with emphasis on target and rare and endangered species. All
Use historical and current trend information to describe effects of human-induced changes and predict future conditions under various management scenarios. All
Define the frequency and significance of resource changes (e.g., habitat, water quality, floodplain characteristics, etc.). Wildlife and Fish Sections
Document the spread and effects of zebra mussels. Water Quality Section
Define point sources and their impacts. Water Quality Section
Expand monitoring efforts into leveed areas (Trempealeau Refuge, Spring Lake, Green Island, etc.). Wildlife Section
Gather and analyze current and historical data on hydrology, fisheries, vegetation, substrates, wildlife, water quality, etc. for the UMRS. Wildlife Section
Create historical vegetation maps. Wildlife Section
Design monitoring program to be sensitive to changes like the introduction of zebra mussels. Zebra mussel investigations should not be a priority. Wildlife Section
Develop population trend data on species identified by the states as "management emphasis species." Wildlife Section
Develop a vegetation succession model from the vegetation data. Wildlife Section
4. Multi component Synthesis - Habitat, Interactions, Correlations
Determine the relationship between habitat distribution and species abundance to the ecosystem. All
Define correlations between river discharges, temperature, life stages, and relative abundance of various species. All
Component integration. All
Develop information on spatial and temporal variability of species use of habitats. All
Describe presettlement natural communities and habitats and determine factors necessary to restore and maintain them. All
C. Management Applications and Partner
Product Expectations
1. Ecosystem Management (describe and characterize at multiple spatial and temporal scales, assess status, define primary driving functions at various spatial and temporal scales, and assess and formulate management alternatives):
Develop a status of the river publication. Water Quality Section
Develop a management-driven approach to defining research priorities. Fish and Wildlife Sections
Expand land cover database to include UMR watersheds. Wildlife and Water Quality Sections
Continue to gather current and historical data to determine trends, impacts, and interrelationships (e.g., water quality, fish, vegetation, wildlife, invertebrates, and others). Wildlife Section strongly expects that some form of wildlife function be developed at the EMTC. All
Use historical and current trend information to describe effects of human-induced changes and predict future conditions under various management scenarios. All
Define the frequency and significance of resource changes (e.g., habitat, water quality, flood plain characteristics, etc.). Wildlife and Fish Sections
Expand monitoring efforts into leveed areas (Trempealeau Refuge, Spring Lake, Green Island, etc.). Wildlife Section
Gather and analyze current and historical data on hydrology, fisheries, vegetation, substrates, wildlife, water quality, etc. for the UMRS. Wildlife Section
Create historical vegetation maps. Wildlife Section
Design monitoring program to be sensitive to changes like the introduction of zebra mussels. Zebra mussel investigations should not be a priority. Wildlife Section
Determine the relationship between habitat distribution and species abundance to the ecosystem. All
Define correlations between river discharges, temperature, life stages, and relative abundance of various species. All
Component integration. All
Develop information on spatial and temporal variability of species use of habitats. All
Describe presettlement natural communities and habitats and determine factors necessary to restore and maintain them. All
2. Habitat Management (multiple spatial and temporal scales, spatial distribution, change analysis, description and characterization, species relationships, aquatic and terrestrial, relationship to Program, and primary driving functions):
Using historical information, define cumulative habitat losses resulting from development, diking, drainage, and navigation on the UMRS. All
Bathymetric and topographic mapping. All
Evaluate sedimentation rates and impacts. All
Quantify habitat loss and existing conditions. All
Evaluate HREPs. Wildlife and Fish Sections
Develop, modify, and/or verify habitat base assessment models (i.e., WHAG, AHAG, and HEP) models for selected fish and wildlife species on the UMRS. Wildlife and Fish Sections
Define major factors causing changes in resource trends. Wildlife and Fish Sections
Evaluate impacts of floods and droughts on flood plain habitats (i.e., impact of lock and dam construction). Water Quality and Fish Sections
Evaluate the potential of expanding monitoring activities beyond the key pools (with the use of stratified random sampling). Fish Section
Develop GIS datasets for HREPs. Wildlife Section
Analyze the loss rate and distribution of islands lost due to erosion throughout the UMRS. Wildlife Section
Data entry and conversion of forest inventory data to compatible formats. Wildlife Section
Develop a vegetation succession model from the vegetation data. Wildlife Section
3. Community and Population Management (aquatic and terrestrial including fish, wildlife, migratory birds, invertebrates, exotics, etc. and how above interrelate):
Document the spread and effects of zebra mussels. Water Quality Section
Define changes in relative abundance and distribution of UMRS species with emphasis on target and rare and endangered species. All
Document the spread and effects of zebra mussels. Water Quality Section
4. Commercial and Recreation Navigation Evaluation (multiple scales, infrastructure effects, and vessels):
Assess the effects of navigation on the UMRS (support navigation studies). All
Quantify the cumulative effects of increasing recreational boating development and activities. Wildlife Section
Create a database of recreation access sites. Create recreation use maps. Wildlife Section
Define ecological carrying capacity for this type of development. Wildlife Section
Measure effects of navigation on ice-covered backwaters during periods when critical habitats are limited. Wildlife Section
Develop population trend data on species identified by the states as "management emphasis species." Wildlife Section
5. Water Quality Assessment and Management (water quality databases, professional interaction, etc.):
Define point sources and their impacts. Water Quality Section
Develop report on the status of projects. Water Quality Section
6. Home, Site, or State/Federal Management Missions (base maps, resource databases, data interfaces, and water quality databases):
Publication of available datasets, including spatial and trend data. Identify a dataset contact person. Water Quality Section
Develop land cover data for the UMRS at a scale applicable to regulatory activities. Water Quality Section
Develop a good set of base maps for UMRS (land-water, vegetation, development, bathymetry, habitat). All
Develop an information management and access system to entire database, including products. All
Educate public on river issues and ecosystem management to help develop a common vision for the UMRS. Water Quality and Fish Sections
LTRMP should be the "one-stop" center for accessing information. Wildlife Section
Products to managers (scaled to fit applications), LTRMP cost. Wildlife Section
Digital copies of GIS data for refuge areas. Wildlife Section
Database entry (to allow overlay analysis) of bald eagle, heron colony, and waterfowl count data. Wildlife Section
Printed reports are most useful products at this time. Wildlife Section