Abstract or Summary
The goal of WATCH is to provide a method to evaluate the condition and trajectory of a tidal wetland site to inform decision-making, restoration project prioritization, and the selection of restoration tactics. Watch utilizes a hierarchical structure to guide the user through the evaluation of the current and future states of a suite of attributes, shown to be fundamental in salt marsh function, to gain a holistic understanding of site-specific deficiencies.
WATCH guides the user through data entry and interpretation of each functional attribute (horizontal position, vertical position, biology, and hydrology) to gain a more holistic understanding of site-specific salt marsh condition. For these attributes, WATCH evaluates data against user-defined criteria to identify evidence of current and/or future deficiencies. The combination of outcomes is used to identify indicators of overall, site-wide reduced functions. These attribute-specific deficiencies are subsequently integrated to identify unique combinations indicative of overall, site-wide diminished functionality. When the data suggest diminished functionality for one or more attributes, but the evidence is not strong enough to indicate site-wide deficiency, WATCH identifies interrelated attributes for additional, or continued, monitoring.
Additionally, to provide context for the state of the functional attributes, WATCH asks the user to provide information regarding three additional large-scale: soil type, water chemistry, and sediment qualities including availability and relationships with vertical and horizontal positions and decomposing rates. The outcomes of these evaluations are presented in the form of “considerations” that should inform intervention strategies if appropriate.
Finally, a regulatory checklist is provided that includes some requirements for commonly used permits for restoration activities in Delaware and New Jersey. These requirements are aligned with various metrics in some of the attributes and allow the user to identify and compile some information and products required for specific permits that may be sought if the output indicates that an intervention may be appropriate.
For additional resources including a training video and the user’s guide you can also go to: https://delawareestuary.org/science-and-research/tools/