Roles of Geomorphic Assessments

DNR participates in the assessment of geomorphic conditions in stream and river channels for four primary purposes:

1. Evaluation of the effects of land use activities on streams and rivers
2. Morphometric assessment of watershed and drainage networks
3. Development of stream channel stabilization/ rehabilitation criteria and techniques
4. Assessment of aquatic habitat
5. Environmental education and awareness

Evaluation of the effects of land use activities on streams and rivers

Example Assessment Question - How much of the sediment in Maryland’s major rivers comes from farming activities, development, and stream channel erosion?

On the left: DNR often evaluates watershed sediment sources during state-wide aquatic habitat assessments efforts. Photo: MANTA-DNR.

Morphometric assessment of watershed and drainage networks

Example Assessment Questions - How many of our headwater stream channels are currently unmapped?

DNR performs evaluations of the extent to which headwater channels are currently included in USGS 7.5' quadrangle maps and other spatial data layers used by government agencies and consultants to perform watershed aquatic habitat and nonpoint source pollution evaluations. The image above is Cattail Creek watershed and drainage network in Howard County (USGS blue line streams and extended synthetically-derived headwater channels by M. Herrmann, Ecosystem Analysis Center-DNR).

Related Links:
Supporting document: Smith, S. and M. Herrmann. 2005. Stream mapping in Maryland...finding first order Piedmont channels (a background literature review). Landscape and Watershed Analysis Division, Maryland DNR, Annapolis, Maryland.1.1 MB pdf file.
Presentation: Smith, S. and M. Herrmann. 2005. Finding and mapping headwater channels in Maryland's Piedmont. Landscape and Watershed Analysis Division, Maryland DNR, Annapolis, Maryland. (PowerPoint Show (20.8 MB) version of presentation.) Help  for those who don't have PowerPoint.

Development of stream channel stabilization/rehabilitation criteria and techniques

Example Assessment Question - How can eroded stream channels be stabilized to address habitat, safety, and/or water quality issues?

Left: In urban streams, such as Muddy Bridge Branch in Anne Arundel County, efforts by DNR, other government agencies, environmental consultants, and community organizations attempt to meet multiple objectives, such as fish passage and channel stabilization, using geomorphically-based approaches to stream channel engineering. ; Photo: Sean Smith, ERC-MDDNR

Assessment of aquatic habitat

Example Assessment Questions - Do aquatic communities change in response to artificially-induced stream channel alterations?

DNR uses geomorphic characterizations of the landscape to help evaluate and rehabilitate aquatic habitat in stream channels on Maryland’s Eastern Shore that have been modified to provide agricultural drainage. ; Photo: Niles Primrose, ERC-MDDNR

DNR participates in aquatic habitat enhancement projects that use native materials and historic channel information to enhance aquatic habitat in channels where past channelization activities have over-widened streams. ; Photo: Sean Smith, ERC-MDDNR.

Specialized physical stream survey techniques are used by DNR to evaluate the effects of habitat enhancement projects, such as the sediment mapping procedure implemented in German Branch in Queen Anne’s County. ; Figure: Sean Smith, ERC-MDDNR.

Related Links: Smith, S.. 2005. Stream mapping for reach-scale monitoring assessments: quantifying surface sediment distributions and macroinvertebrate populations (Preliminary results compiled by S. Smith and T. Anslow). Presentation at the 2005 Maryland Streams Symposium, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Annapolis, Maryland. (PowerPoint Show (2.8 MB) version of presentation.) Help  for those who don't have PowerPoint.

Environmental education and awareness

Example Assessment Question - Why do the streams and rivers in Maryland’s landscape look and change differently in the western and eastern sides of the state?

Left: Streams in western Maryland, such as Bear Creek in Garrett County, flow through Maryland’s mountainous region that is characterized by steep slopes and rock outcrops. ; Source: Sean Smith, ERC-MDDNR

Right: Streams on the eastern side of Maryland, such as Watts Creek in Queen Anne’s County, flow relatively slowly through Coastal Plain sands. ; Source: Sean Smith, ERC-MDDNR

Understanding the different stream channel conditions across the state is important to effective watershed planning and aquatic habitat protection.

Related Links:

Stream course (Ecological and Geomorphic Principles of Stream Restoration):
The MDDNR Ecosystem Restoration Center annually collaborates with University of Maryland and The Johns Hopkins University to present a one week course on the scientific principles associated with stream restoration. The summer course is held at Cromwell Valley Park in Baltimore County and can be taken for college credit through the UMD MEES program. The curriculum includes both classroom and field exercises covering topics in hydrology, hydraulics, geomorphology, and aquatic ecology. See pdf of 2006 course announcement (878 KB) for more details.

Summer stream class of 2005 in White Marsh Run, Baltimore County. Source: ERC-MDDNR

Supporting Document: Smith, S., L. Gutierrez, and A. Gagnon. 2005. Streams of Maryland, take a closer look. Landscape and Watershed Analysis Division, Maryland Department of Natural Resources. http://www.dnr.state.md.us/streams/pubs/md_streams_wrd.pdf (1.3 MB)

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This page was updated on 7/19/2006