Process-based stream classification system:
Foothills Research Institute Fish and Watershed Program hosted a spring field tour. The purpose of the tour was to present Foothills Research Institute partners with a new naming system for stream channels. We are exploring an alternative classification because forest technologists have found that the Ground Rules Watercourse Classification is difficult to consistently apply.
The Watercourse Classification is the foundation for riparian management, therefore inconsistencies can propagate throughout planning and harvesting process. Streams channel are shaped by the volume of water and sediment that they routinely transport. The channel shape includes width and depth, as well as characteristics of the channel bed and stream banks. Stream width is extremely variable in the early stages of water course development, therefore, our new classification – based on conveyance of water and sediment – focuses on other features.
During the field review, we first trained the participants to recognize and measure the channel features used in the classification, then we visited multiple sites where participants used our flow chart to complete the classification. By the end of the tour we had covered all of the channel types.
At the end of the day tour participants agreed that our new system passes the “simple and sound” test – that is it strikes the balance of simplicity required for management applications while maintaining scientific rigor. They encouraged us with the next step of the project – to develop a new map layer for the region, with streams generated from the new high resolution (LIDAR) digital elevation model. The stream layer will include the both process-based classification and Ground Rules Watercourse Classification as attributes.
Please contact Richard McCleary (richmccleary@shaw.ca, 250-342-0553) if you would like to receive a copy of our draft classification procedure.