Presentation Abstract
Floodplains are some of the most economically and ecologically vital lands of Puget Sound but also some of the most impaired as well. Investments at the local and regional level aim to improve aquatic and terrestrial habitat, reduce flood risk, and protect economically important lands. However, the condition and status of Puget Sound floodplains is poorly quantified in a consistent manner across the 17 major watersheds, hindering strategic investments and planning. The Puget Sound Partnership and Washington Department of Ecology are developing an assessment of floodplain condition and status for a Sound-wide watershed-scale floodplain monitoring effort using spatial data and local knowledge. The Partnership ad Ecology are engaging technical floodplain expertise from the region’s federal, tribe, state, county, and local organizations to advise the project. The spatial assessment will initially focus on three pilot watersheds from a diverse geomorphic setting to develop a region-wide procedure that will be applied in the remaining 14 watersheds for a comprehensive condition and status of Puget Sound floodplains. This assessment and the spatial products will support: a) strategic planning for habitat protection and restoration, reduction of flood risk, and conservation of agricultural lands at the region-wide and local levels, b) the Partnership’s Vital Sign program, c) WDFW and DNR’s Floodplain Implementation Strategy, d) evaluation of potential restoration and protection projects for the region’s grant programs including Floodplains by Design, and e) tracking restoration progress and investments across the region’s watersheds in a standardized manner at both the local watershed and regional scales.
Session Title
Lessons from Management Approaches
Keywords
Floodplains, Management
Conference Track
SSE4: Ecosystem Management, Policy, and Protection
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE4-445
Start Date
6-4-2018 9:30 AM
End Date
6-4-2018 9:45 AM
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Floodpains--Washington (State)--Puget Sound Watershed; Floodplains-Economic aspects--Washington (State)--Puget Sound Watershed; Floodplains--Monitoring--Washington (State)--Puget Sound Watershed
Geographic Coverage
Puget Sound Watershed (Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Assessment of floodplain condition across Puget Sound: an emerging tool for tracking investments and communicating status
Floodplains are some of the most economically and ecologically vital lands of Puget Sound but also some of the most impaired as well. Investments at the local and regional level aim to improve aquatic and terrestrial habitat, reduce flood risk, and protect economically important lands. However, the condition and status of Puget Sound floodplains is poorly quantified in a consistent manner across the 17 major watersheds, hindering strategic investments and planning. The Puget Sound Partnership and Washington Department of Ecology are developing an assessment of floodplain condition and status for a Sound-wide watershed-scale floodplain monitoring effort using spatial data and local knowledge. The Partnership ad Ecology are engaging technical floodplain expertise from the region’s federal, tribe, state, county, and local organizations to advise the project. The spatial assessment will initially focus on three pilot watersheds from a diverse geomorphic setting to develop a region-wide procedure that will be applied in the remaining 14 watersheds for a comprehensive condition and status of Puget Sound floodplains. This assessment and the spatial products will support: a) strategic planning for habitat protection and restoration, reduction of flood risk, and conservation of agricultural lands at the region-wide and local levels, b) the Partnership’s Vital Sign program, c) WDFW and DNR’s Floodplain Implementation Strategy, d) evaluation of potential restoration and protection projects for the region’s grant programs including Floodplains by Design, and e) tracking restoration progress and investments across the region’s watersheds in a standardized manner at both the local watershed and regional scales.
