ABSTRACT: A user-friendly Stream Visual Assessment Protocol (SVAP)
was recently developed in a joint effort by the National Resource
Conservation Service (NRCS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and
the University of Georgia. SVAP was designed to be introductory
screening-level assessment method for people unfamiliar with stream
assessments. It was designed for use by NRCS field staff who work with
agricultural landowners. NRCS is in a key position to influence
conservation practices since the organization works with private
stakeholders, maintaining more than 2000 field offices throughout the
U.S. with a central office in each state. The SVAP measures a maximum
of 15 elements and is based on visual inspection of the physical and
biological characteristics of instream and riparian environments. Each
element is assigned a numerical score relative to reference conditions
and an overall score for the stream reach is calculated. A qualitative
description of the stream reach is made based on overall numerical
score. While SVAP is not intended to replace more robust stream
assessment protocols, it provides quick and reliable information for
use in NRCS farm assistance programs. It is also an educational tool
through which lanowners can learn about conservation of aquatic
resources. The complete SVAP document can be found on the web at
http://www.ncg.nrcs.usda.gov/tech_notes.html.
Bjorkland, R., C. M. Pringle, and B. Newton. In press (2001). A stream visual assessment protocol (SVAP) for riparian landowners. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 68: 1-32.
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