Stream Corridor Assessments The Stream Corridor Assessment Protocols manual is available as a 2.5 MB Acrobat pdf file. Many Stream Corridor Assessments were conducted as part of the Watershed Restoration Action Strategies (WRAS) in Maryland. These reports can be found at
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The Stream Corridor Assessment (SCA) survey was developed by DNR's Watershed Restoration Division as a tool to help environmental managers identify environmental problems and prioritize restoration opportunities on a watershed basis. As part of the survey, trained personnel walk the watershed's entire stream network and record information on a variety of environmental problems that can be easily observed within the stream corridor. Common environmental problems documented in the survey include: eroding stream banks, inadequate stream buffers, exposed pipes, altered stream channels, fish migration barriers, pipe outfalls, in-stream construction sites and trash dumping locations. In addition to identifying the location of common stream problems the survey also collects information on both in- and near-stream habitat conditions so that comparative assessments can be made of the condition of different stream segments. It is important to note that Stream Corridor Assessment Survey is not intended to be a detailed scientific evaluation of a stream system nor will it replace the more standard chemical and biological surveys. Instead the survey is intended to provide a rapid method of examining an entire drainage network so future monitoring and management efforts can be better targeted. Part of the need for this type of survey is that many existing scientific surveys are very time consuming, expensive and can only collect information for a relatively small section of stream at any one time. The Stream Corridor Assessment Survey, on the other hand, is designed so that teams of 2 or 3 volunteers are able to survey 2 or more stream miles per day. Individuals performing the survey receive training in both stream ecology and how to conduct the survey. Over the past several years, more than 3,000 miles of streams in Maryland have been surveyed and over six million dollars of restoration work has been initiated based on the survey. (Below Figure shows watersheds where the Stream Corridor Assessment survey has been done in Maryland.) It is important to note that all of the problems identified in the Stream Corridor Assessment Survey have solutions. For more information on some of the fixes to common stream problems go to (Restoration & Protection - Problems & Fixes). Stream Corridor Assessment surveys are presently being done to support the development of Watershed Restoration Action Strategies (WRAS) in Maryland. Information generated from the SCA survey is combined with historical information about the watershed and water quality information to provide a strong scientific base from which the WRAS is developed. Action Strategies have or are in the process of being developed in 15 watersheds in Maryland with plans to do an additional 5 watershed per year for the indefinite future. As part of this effort over 500 miles of streams corridors will be surveyed each year. For more information on Maryland's Watershed Restoration Action Strategies program go to /watersheds/surf/proj/wras.html. Overall, the survey has proven to be a valuable management tool at both the State and local level. For more information on the Maryland Stream Corridor Assessment survey contact Ken Yetman at kyetman@dnr.state.md.us.  Map showing watersheds where Stream Corridor Assessment Survey has been done in Maryland. |
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Search Maryland DNR Rivers & Streams 101 | Monitoring & Research | Restoration & Protection Return to the Maryland DNR Home Page. |
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