Book Description

DEQ continues to make significant progress in the development of a comprehensive nontidal wetland regulatory program; refinement of our permitting/compliance database to track impacts, compliance, and compensation by watershed; and continued refinement of our wetland monitoring and assessment tools for use in management decision-making and integration within our water quality programs. This project focused on development of strategies and extension of outreach to improve understanding and protection of high ecological value aquatic resources such as headwater resources and wetlands that may provide added value in improving impaired waters in Virginia. Project activities specifically addressed three of the priority elements in Virginia's approved state wetlands plan. First, it has extended the current online Virginia Wetlands Condition Assessment Tool (WetCAT) to include data from the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) ORM database, a modification specifically requested by various user groups, and an upgrade of WetCAT to the Java Script platform. Second, the project provided reports for projects that impact high value aquatic resources, coordinated between aquatic stream biologists and wetland staff in wetland and stream surveys. Third, the project provided continued landuse/wetland calibration for wetland condition models. The WetCAT online tool is available for use by agency personnel and the general public http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/Water/WetlandsStreams/MonitoringAssessmentStrategy.aspx. In addition, new outreach strategies were developed targeting local government decision makers and the public. The overarching goal of this grant was to have the project outputs facilitate coordination across all levels of government, educate the public, and provide protection for high ecological value aquatic resources. The Center for Coastal Resource Management, Virginia Institute of Marine Science assisted the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality in the following work products.