Framework evaluates how to appropriately protect streams, wetlands vulnerable to climate change

SCCWRP and its partners have developed a management framework intended to bring technical rigor and consistency to the process of evaluating when it is appropriate to allow conversion of a stream or wetland to a different type of aquatic resource to improve its long-term resiliency to climate change and other stressors.

The Aquatic Resource Type Conversion Framework, published in March as Version 2.0, reflects a growing recognition among environmental managers that aquatic resources may not be sustainable under future climate conditions, including changes in precipitation patterns that will alter the hydrologic regimes of streams and wetlands.

Thus, the framework is intended to help managers evaluate whether converting a water body to a different type of aquatic resource could result in a greater long-term environmental benefit.

The framework is expected to be particularly useful for managers responsible for implementing stream and wetland restoration projects under regulatory permitting programs, including achieving compliance with compensatory mitigation requirements.