A wetland is not fully protected til it s safely in a geo-database MassDEP 1 Winter Street Boston, MA

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1 Massachusetts Wetlands Mapping and Monitoring Program A wetland is not fully protected til it s safely in a geo-database

2 Massachusetts Long History of Wetlands Protection Regulations Densely developed eastern portion Rapidly developing in central and western portions

3 Tools for Wetlands Protection in Massachusetts State Regulations are implemented at local level Coastal regulations Inland regulations Rivers Act Restrictions Program Wetland Mapping Program Wetland Change Program

4 Wetlands: Unique Places in the Landscape Provide vital functions at no cost Oftentimes, functions can t be replaced by other habitat type Restoration doesn t equal Protection

5 Wetlands Under Pressure Transportation Residential Development Commercial Development

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7 Resource Restoration? Maine lost its native Atlantic salmon runs to dams, forestry and blueberry spraying Spent over $20 million No Success

8 Wetland Values Unappreciated

9 If a wetland isn t mapped..it can disappear without a trace.

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11 List of Mapping Data Specs Wetlands Data, Stereo-scopic images. Minimum Mapping Unit: 0.25 ac Digital Orthophotoquad Base Map 1:5000 scale, 0.50m resolution Mapping interval: 3-4 years

12 Different Types of Wetlands Mapping Least Accurate USGS Topo Maps Smaller Scale, Older Photography National Wetlands Inventory Small Scale, Older Photography,Limited Site Verification DEP Wetlands Mapping Large Scale Recent Photos, Site Verification, As Needed Onsite Mapping Onsite: Plant Communities, Soil Characteristics and Hydrology Most Accurate

13 Color Infrared Aerial Photograph Flown in early April leaves-off conditions Film consistently codes wet areas with a dark coloration

14 Photointerpretation Process 1:12,000 CIR Film positives 10X Magnification Stereo Viewing Comprehensive Manual of Photointerpretative Conventions Fieldwork for difficult sites

15 Analogue Interpreted Wetlands Overlay The wetlands areas are drafted onto an acetate overlay and registered to digital state base map. Questionable areas are flagged for site visit.

16 DEP Base Wetlands Map Comprehensive wetlands blue polygons Located on digital base map Also showing hydrological connections green lines Wetlands have added protection once they are in the state s GIS

17 Minimum Mapping Unit Notes MA statewide wetlands data base has a MMU of 0.25 acre If you select out polygons between 0.25 and 0.49 acres: # of polygons reduced by 29% resulting in reduction of 2.9% total acreage

18 Costs to Produce MA Digital Wetlands Data From Analogue CIR Photography (Including Staff Costs) Total Cost - $ 3, Cost/sq. mi - $399 Duration 12 years

19 Costs to Produce MASS Wetlands Data from Digital Imagery (Estimated) Total Cost - $ 1,180,000 Cost/sq. mi - $147 Mapping Interval: 3-4 years

20 Costs to Acquire Statewide Digital Imagery with enhanced DEM Digital Color Orthophotomap -- Cost $ 850, m pixel resolution Per Sq. Mile - $ 106 -individual stereo color geotiffs

21 2 nd Statewide Orthophoto Acquisition Served as change map Same geometry as earlier DOQ Date: April 2001 Costs shared with Transportation and Public Utilities

22 Change Detection Technique

23 Change Detection Technique

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25 Wetlands Change Project Process Parking Area expanded into Wooded Swamp

26 Change Technique Requirements Digital Wetlands Dataset More recent digital imagery Image Processing Software to Detect Pixel Changes

27 Wetlands Change Project Test Prototype Before Computer Change Detection Shows Pixels of Change in Red

28 Wetlands Change Project Test Prototype After Computer Change Detection Shows Pixels of Change in yellow

29 Wetlands Change Project Onsite Conditions Fill 3-4 ft. up trunks of trees

30 A picture is worth a 1,000 words April 1996 April 2001

31 April 1996 April 2001

32 What We Have With Our Statewide Imagery Analysis Acres of wetlands altered, by type Project types and acres alteration attributed to them Estimates of permitted/unpermitted for sample communities

33 What are we finding? Over 900 acres of loss in 7-10 year period Principal activities causing loss: 31% Agriculture 23% Residential 11% Commercial and industrial

34 How much is permitted? Percent of identified loss Permitted Likely unpermitted Unknown

35 Now What Are We Doing With The Data?

36 Deterring Illegal Fill Using maps to identify enforcement cases Over 50 cases so far Over 300 acres illegal fill Over $4,000,000 penalties Restoration

37 Detection DEP WETLANDS LOSS IDENTIFICATION DEP Loss Analysis Data Sources: Wetlands & Streams- based on Color Infrared (CIR) photos from 1991 Wetlands Loss Areas determined by DEP Wetlands Conservancy Program, 2003 Color Infrared (CIR) Photos DEP Conservancy Program, Apr 1991 Black & White Orthophotos MassGIS, 5/1/95 Color Orthophotos MassGIS, 4/1/01

38 Enforcement

39 2005 Imagery Detection -- Enforcement Restoration

40 Publicity = Deterrence

41 New 2005 Imagery Acquired April Band 12bit 0.5m pixel

42 What are we finding? Almost 500 acres of loss in 4 year period Principal activities causing loss: 24% Residential 16% Clearing Unknown Reason 12% Commercial and industrial

43 DEP Wetlands (1:12,000) Change - March 2007 Download this layer (ESRI Shapefile, with ArcGIS 8.3 LYR and ArcView 3.x AVL) OVERVIEW The DEP Wetlands Change Datalayer comprises two polygon feature types, wetlands change from 2001 imagery and wetlands change from 2005 imagery. The attribute codes in the polygon layer describe different types of wetland environments and different types of reasons for the wetlands change. View the Wetlands Change online The layer is named WETCHANGE_POLY.

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45 LIMITATIONS/DISCLAIMER The DEP Wetlands Change Datalayer has been developed and is made available for distribution for the purpose of serving as a tool to monitor changes within the wetland areas which DEP has included in its statewide wetlands datalayer. The DEP Wetlands Change datalayer is based on the interpretation of aerial photographs and digital aerial imagery. Because the changes represented on these maps have been determined solely through photo-interpretation, they do not represent, and should not be used as, wetlands delineation under the Wetlands Protection Act (M.G.L. c. 131, sec. 40) and the implementing regulations (310 CMR et seq.). While aerial photography can be a useful and reliable tool for ascertaining the existence, past or present, of wetland resource areas, it is not a substitute for and should be used in conjunction with appropriate ground survey observation (vegetation; history of hydrology; soil profiles, etc.).

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47 Digital On-Screen Stereo Mapping

48 Image Comparisons IR Band True Color Band

49 Improve Wetlands Mapping Data

50 Wetland Changes for New Wetlands Data Duration 2 Years Polygon Registration Errors New Wetlands Areas/Polygons Original Map Errors (including tidal flat corrections) Changed Wetlands (human vs. natural in metadata) Hydro Edits (registration) New Hydro (within & outside wetland polygons) ADOPT MAPPING PROTOCOLS OF FGDC

51 Back yard Encroachments

52 Beaver Activity

53 Cranberry Bog Expansion

54 Coastal Erosion

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57 Eventually Permitting data base that links with GIS Electronic submission of NOIs Easy match of permit files with GIS identified change locations

58 Improving Compatibility of Data Combining Wetlands Change Data with Permit Data

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60 Seagrass Beds

61 Zostera marina Primary Producer of Estuarine Habitats Robust system of Rhisomesstabilizing the bottom Shoots float above bottom providing safe haven for larval scallops and other shellfish Highly stressed from macroalgal competition in enriched embayments In some embayments 2-3% areal decline per year

62 Aerial Imagery 1:20,000 Scale Low Tide Low Sun Angle

63 Methods Acquire high resolution aerial imagery to the specifications of the NOAA-C-CAP Program Photointerpret imagery Conduct fieldwork as required to verify photointerpretation Record field data Geo-reference analogue data to state digital map base

64 Efficient Observer

65 Brief History Conducted pilot project to develop methods Completed first state coastal mapping. Made a digital coverage 2001 Completed 2 nd state coast-wide mapping Monitored all waterbodies To conduct 3 rd mapping of state s most stressed waterbodies

66 Poor Water Quality

67 Jehu Pond at Waquoit Bay

68 Lake Tashmoo

69 Land Use in Estuarine Zone Incompatible with habitat requirements

70 A B Minimum-light water quality requirement Median concentration Management trajectories [TSS] Chlorophyll only (µ c, µ s ) TSS only Line of Constant Attenuation Projection to origin 0 0 [Chl ]

71 Establishing the Optical Requirements of Seagrass Light Profiles

72 Establishing the Optical Requirements of Seagrass AC 9 - Water Column Particulates

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75 Improve Wetlands Mapping Data

76 Final Recommendations It s never too late to begin an update to wetlands data Work with local resources (universities, environmental groups) to cooperate. Money may be tight, but in MA they found the money and it proved to be a shrewd investment. Insure the procedures you develop give you the product you want and need.

77 How to get started: Insure that all future statewide aerial imagery acquisitions include as deliverables the stereo viewable raw images. Prioritize area s of state most needing better wetlands data Lobby for funds to get a pilot project started which includes training for staff involvement Set schedule to complete (regardless of duration)

78 Charles Costello, Section Chief Wetlands Mapping Program Dept. Environmental Protection One Winter Street Tel