Tools to Support Riverscape Health Restoration Projects

This Information Bulletin (IB) communicates Bureau of Land Management (BLM) -supported resources that practitioners can use to prioritize, design, implement, monitor, and adaptively manage riverscape restoration projects using low-tech, process-based techniques. It provides information on how to implement various restoration monitoring guidance and policies by providing links to the many resources available to assist in those efforts.

The riverscapes concept is increasingly used to describe the interconnected systems that include streams and rivers and the connected floodplain, channel habitats, and shallow aquifers that make up valley bottoms, which are critical natural infrastructure and disproportionately valuable parts of the landscape. Riparian areas, the transition between upland and aquatic habitat, are important components of riverscapes and this broader concept recognizes that space, structure and complexity, resilience, and slowing water movement are also important to maintaining healthy streams. When healthy, riverscapes filter water pollution, support habitat for fish and other wildlife, form natural firebreaks, buffer the effects of drought and flood on communities and ecosystems, and support BLM’s overall multiple use and sustained yield mission. However, many riverscapes have been adversely impacted by historic and current uses and no longer provide the scope and scale of desired ecosystem services.

Given these factors, the need for restoration often exceeds available resources. Managers must prioritize project opportunities (e.g. select the right streams & treatment methods) that will produce the greatest returns on restoration investments and ensure restoration actions achieve desired outcomes. To assist, the BLM has partnered with Utah State University (USU) and the Riverscapes Consortium (RC) to produce corresponding data, analysis tools, workflows, training materials, a community engagement platform, and data exchange that practitioners can use to plan, design, implement, and track riverscape restoration efforts across all lands in the Western U.S. Additional descriptions of tools and resources, such as a quick-start guide, are available on the BLM’s aquatic resources website, which will be added to as additional resources become available.

Although the use of these resources is not mandatory, and will not affect base or project budget allocations, state and field offices will recognize substantial benefits by using these tools. Benefits include the ability to complete in-house prioritization and design work that meets high standards, comparisons to other supported projects, assembly of information to meet reporting requirements, and since other agencies and organizations use these tools, easier work across jurisdictions. These benefits will result in substantial overall project efficiencies.

Restoration Design Manual and Related Training

• The Low-Tech Process Based Restoration of Riverscapes Design Manual is a valuable resource for planning, designing, and implementing process-based restoration projects.

• USU hosts formal training on project planning, design, and adaptive management, explaining many concepts from the above manual. These modules can also be taken through USU for formal credit in DOI Talent. Search “LTPBR” under “find learning” for these links.

Data Resources and Support

• The RC has produced an array of decision-support tools that incorporate and/or produce data with different spatial extents and spatiotemporal resolutions to help practitioners answer questions that are specific to each of the spatial scales of planning.

• Riverscape Viewer allows for the visualization of geospatial data related to riverscapes health. The viewer also exposes non-GIS data, like reports, json, tabular data, xml, imagery, PDFs, databases and more.

• Riverscape Studio for QGIS (QRiS—pronounced curious) is a plug-in for monitoring riverscape health, designing projects, tracking outcomes, and providing information helpful for the permitting process. QGIS provides a flexible, extensible structure for riverscape project data, together with consistent symbology to streamline analysis, planning, and reporting. It was selected by our partners because it is free, open-source software and is available to students, academics and smaller non-profits who might be engaged in riverscape restoration. However, it will not be made available through Citrix or MS Azure GBP. The application is foundational for riverscape restoration projects as this functionality is not currently available in ArcPro+ or other software systems, and the associated data will answer local and state-level project questions while streamlining national reporting. Data and outputs are compatible with ArcPro+. The use of QGIS has been formally approved within DOI and the BLM for installation and use on government computers and is installed through a REMEDY ticket for IT. Data storage needs will be comparable to similar information created through ArcPro+. It may be helpful to coordinate with the state GIS Manager prior to requesting an install so that they are aware of the upcoming request. BLM GIS staff are not trained in QGIS or available to support this system; thus support with use and export functions will be achieved through the offices hours and help line described below. QGIS is not required but it is able at this point to produce superior restoration project documentation to tools currently available in ArcPro+.

• To assist with any Riverscapes questions, USU is hosting office hours through their Riverscapes Application Support Specialists. They can assist with any questions or problems with the Riverscape Consortium tools and datasets or planning, designing, and implementing LTPBR projects.‪‪If you are unable to attend office hours, need immediate support, want to report a bug, or chat with the development team, staff can Submit a Ticket. The RC will review the request, route it to the appropriate application support specialist, and respond accordingly.

• Knowledge Base: Explore “How-To’s,” RC supported apps, and documented solutions to common problems.

National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) Streamlining

• Several states have developed Programmatic Environmental Assessments (EA) to satisfy NEPA obligations for restoration activities within their state. Therefore, it may be useful for staff to check with their state office Aquatic Resources Program Lead about the availability of these tools. It is recommended that BLM state offices that have not yet developed a Programmatic EA for restoration consider developing one. 

For questions regarding the resources available to support riverscape health restoration projects please contact Senior Riparian Specialist Melissa Dickard at mdickard@blm.gov or (720) 236-0473.