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| SARP Newsletter |
Winter 2010 |
With partners, protect, conserve, and restore aquatic resources including habitats throughout
the Southeast, for the continuing benefit, use, and enjoyment of the American people. |
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Don't Forget to Update your Favorites!
SARP has a New Web address: southeastaquatics.net
In the summer of 2010, SARP launched a new and improved website at southeastaquatics.net.
The new site features project updates, funding opportunities and other work going on in our region that is accessible by location or focus area. It includes information on funding opportunities and a special log-in for SARP partners.
If you still have the old web address saved in your favorites list or posted somewhere on your web site, please be sure to update them with the new address: southeastaquatics.net
The new web site is constantly being updated with new resources and information. An interactive Google Map has been added that shows the location of past projects and links to additional information.
We welcome comments and suggestions Questions and comments may be sent to Scott at Scott.Robinson@dnr.state.ga.us. | |
Partnership Develops Between SARP and SFC
 Science and Data Committee Co-Chair Will Duncan (USFWS) and Habitat Assessment Committee Chair Adam Kaeser (GA DNR) gave presentations on SARP's habitat assessment work at the Southeastern Fishes Council (SFC) meeting at Lake Guntersville State Park last November. Both presentations were well received by the group. SARP and SFC are now in the process of formalizing a relationship between the two entities. We look forward to working with the Southeastern Fishes Council. Their members represent a vast amount of expertise and experience in working with imperiled aquatic species in the southeast. |
Regional Aquatic Habitat Assessment Update:
Work on First Habitat Component Nears Completion
Work is continuing to progress on SARP's Regional Aquatic Habitat Assessment. This ongoing effort, lead by SARP's Habitat Assessment Committee of the Science and Data Committee, is taking a science-based approach to assessing the aquatic habitat conditions in 14 states in the southeast by focusing on each habitat component addressed in the Southeast Aquatic Habitat Plan. After months of research, conference calls, and data processing and analysis, work on the first habitat component - riparian areas - is nearly complete. Reports explaining the results and methodology, along with the raw data, will be announced as they become available.
To start addressing the water quality objective in the SAHP, SARP representatives met with data managers and GIS specialists of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at their office in Atlanta to assess the availability of regional water quality datasets. EPA indicated that some water quality databases are available, and that sharing these databases will enable both EPA and SARP to accomplish their mutual objectives of improving water quality. Another meeting will be scheduled in the following months to do more hands-on work with their databases.
SARP initiated an evaluation of habitat connectivity in streams and rivers in order to meet objectives in the SAHP. The assessment results will highlight potential fish barrier mitigation sites that could be funded by SARP. Members of the Science and Data Committee are collaborating with leaders of a similar study, the Northeast Aquatic Connectivity Assessment. They are sharing ideas on best available data, approaches, as well as potential problems and solutions that could arise with this assessment.
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Aquatic Restoration Projects for 2010
 SARP and the NOAA Restoration Center will be awarding more than $400,000 in funding for restoration projects in five southeastern states (FL, LA, NC, SC and TX). The projects all encourage partnerships between local communities and state agencies while protecting marine resources.
There are 11 projects in all and range from improving seagrass management in Florida to oyster reef restoration in Georgia to coastal wetland restoration in North Carolina. When the projects are complete, the acres created or restored will be approximately
- 5.5 acres of coastal marsh
- 3 acres of oyster reef
- 6 acres of brackish marsh
- 5.5 acres of wetlands may be created or restored.
These projects will also achieve the goals of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP), which nationally coordinates and supports regionally-based fisheries protection, restoration and enhancement.
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SIFN's 2nd Annual Workshop a Great Success!
 On December 1-3, 2009, more than 60 members of the Southern Instream Flow Network (SIFN) gathered in Nashville, TN for the SIFN Second Annual Workshop, "Setting Instream Flow Standards: What Do We Need to Know?"
The attendees represented 13 southern states and worked through a rigorous agenda organized around the Ecological Limits of Hydrologic Alteration (ELOHA) framework for developing instream flow standards.
The overall focus of the workshop was on the science needed to support recommendations for state instream flow standards. There were two main objectives:
1. Examine the river classification and flow-ecology information needed to support credible instream flow standards
2. Identify research needs to develop and improve instream flow standards.
Workshop participants heard about state instream flow case studies from national instream flow experts, as well as "Test Cases" from within the region. All of the attendees contributed to the discussions and out of that conversation, three general themes emerged:
1. SIFN states already have many of the necessary tools and resources needed to develop credible flow-ecology relationships.
2. Science-based flow-ecology relationships help guide the stakeholder process of setting instream flow standards with information about ecological consequences of flow regime alterations.
3. Targeted monitoring and future research will provide additional information to improve the standards and protection of aquatic resources over time.
Additionally, the discussions allowed the SIFN Steering Committee to get member input for the SIFN work plan in 2010. Finally, a prioritized list of research needs was created for the draft unified Southern Instream Flow Research Agenda.
Many thanks to Eloise Kendy, Chris Konrad, Colin Apse, and Mark P. Smith of The Nature Conservancy's Global and Eastern Freshwater Teams for their expertise and facilitation of the workshop. Click here to view the presentations from the workshop on the SARP website. | |
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