Introduction to Stream Restoration - Hydro-Environmental Analysis: Freshwater Environments - page 220

TABLE 8.2
Restoration Guiding Principles
Preserve and protect aquatic resources

Use reference sites

Restore ecological integrity Anticipate future changes

Restore natural structure Involve a multidisciplinary team

Restore natural function Design for self-sustainability

Work within the watershed/landscape context Use passive restoration, when appropriate

Understand the potential of the watershed Restore native species, avoid nonnative species

Address ongoing causes of degradation Use natural ixes and bioengineering

Develop clear, achievable, and measurable goals Monitor and adapt where changes are necessary

Focus on feasibility -

Source: USEPA, Principles for the ecological restoration of aquatic resources, Ofice of Water
(4501F), United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, 2000.

However, BMPs may also be used to reduce air pollution (or odor) or for water conservation
management.
BMPs encompass a wide variety of practices, such as structural modiications or nonstructural
methods such as education and public involvement (Table 8.3). Many of the methods that are used
for stream restoration discussed elsewhere in this chapter may also serve to reduce pollutant loads,
such as the restoration of riparian zones. Livestock exclusion, discussed separately, is also an agri-
cultural BMP. In addition, while BMPs focus on pollutant load reductions or water management,
their impact is often a critical component of stream restoration projects. Thus, while the focus of
the projects differs, the practices for pollutant load reduction and stream restoration produce syn-
ergistic beneits.
This section will focus on agricultural BMPs, while urban BMPs will be discussed separately,
although many of the BMPs are applicable to both environments.
The USEPA (2010) maintains a website for agricultural management practices for water quality
protection. The National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) maintains a national handbook
of conservation practices (maintained as a table), updated continuously, which details nationally
accepted management practices (160 at the time of this writing; see http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/tech-
nical/standards/nhcp.html). The NRCS, for each conservation practice, provides information on the
conservation practice standards, information sheets, conservation practice physical effects (CPPE)
work sheets, job sheets, templates for statements of work associated with each conservation prac-
tice, effects diagrams, and conservation practice standards. The conservation practice standard con-
tains information on why and where the practice is applied, and it sets forth the minimum quality
criteria that must be met during the application of that practice in order for it to achieve its intended
purpose(s). The NRCS conservation practice code-numbering scheme is commonly used to identify
particular practices. For example, some of the general farm practices (and conservation practice
numbers) are: access road (560), forage harvest management (511), pasture and hay planting (512),
pond (378), and roof runoff structure (558) (Figure 8.7).
With the increased interest in sediment and nutrient management and water conservation, a
large body of guidance has been developed for agricultural BMPs. Many of the available guidance
documents contain information on design and implementation, estimates of removal eficiencies,
cost effectiveness considerations, and references to assist end users in implementation. Guidance on
agricultural BMPs is available from a number of federal agencies. The U.S. EPA (USEPA 2003b)
provided the guidance manual “National management measures to control nonpoint source pollu-
tion from agriculture.” The U.S. EPA also provides a training module in their online Watershed
Academy on “Agricultural management practices for water quality protection,” and “Forestry BMPs