Wetlands Regional Monitoring Project
This Prop 50 - funded project was a three-year effort to monitor and track changes in Bay Area wetland condition. This wetland monitoring toolkit meets basic information needs for managing wetlands: to develop a scientific framework with standard methods for monitoring wetlands and for interpreting the results, and to regularly report the findings to the public. These monitoring tools are intended to help provide a public measure of the environmental costs or benefits of most wetland management actions.
The toolkit follows the EPA's three-level monitoring framework.
Level 1 is assessment at the landscape scale assessment using GIS, remote sensing, and historical ecology. The WRMP generated a Bay Area Aquatic Resources Inventory (BAARI) base map of natural channels, unnatural ditches, tidal wetlands, aquatic systems and riparian areas using standardized methods.
- BAARI fact sheet
- BAARI source imagery, resolution, and scale comparison
- Mapping standards
- Mapping progress
- Riparian Mapping Model
- Habitat typology crosswalk
Level 2 is cost-effective, rapid assessment of condition via the California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM) Level 3 is intensive assessment of ecological function. This project considered Level 3 methods for monitoring and assessment of 1) mercury bioaccumulation using biosentinel species in riverine riparian areas and 2) standardized geomorphology methods for riverine systems.
- Application of biosentinel species for mercury monitoring, South Baylands Mercury Project article RMP Newsletter article December 2008
- Project Level 3 protocols
WRMP Prop 50 Science Advisory Group (SAG)
- Science Advisors
- Meetings
- July 24, 2009
- June 24, 2008
Learn more about the EPA's 1-2-3 monitoring and assessment framework (PDF)
Associated Staff:
Programs and Focus Areas:
Data Services
Information Technology Systems
Software Engineering
Resilient Landscapes Program
Wetland Monitoring & Assessment
Related Projects, News, and Events:
EcoAtlas (Project)
EcoAtlas is a set of tools for generating, assembling, storing, visualizing, sharing, and reporting environmental data and information.
California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM) (Project)
CRAM is a standardized, scientifically defensible rapid assessment method for monitoring the ecological conditions of wetlands throughout California. Because it is standardized, one can compare ecological conditions of wetlands locally, regionally and statewide.
Evaluation of CRAM performance for assessing wetland stress, small wetlands, and wetland habitat development (Project)
Caltrans funded this wetlands research to fill important gaps in knowledge about the ability of the California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM) to assess small wetlands, wetlands stress, and the rate at which wetland restoration projects develop into mature habitats. Caltrans proposed specific tasks based on the research priorities provided by the CRAM Commitee of the statewide California Wetlands Monitoring Workgroup.
SF Estuary Wetlands Regional Program Plan Released! (News)
The Wetland Regional Monitoring Program (WRMP) Plan has been released! The WRMP will improve wetland restoration project success by putting in place regional-scale monitoring increasing the impact, utility and application of permit-driven monitoring to inform science-based decision-making.