Coastal Plain Tools and Resources

We've compiled the best of the best tools and resources for coastal plain watershed managers all in one place. This includes: 1) supporting resources for the articles contained in the Watershed Protection Techniques special issue on coastal plain watersheds, 2) general coastal watershed resources, 3) technical reports and studies with a coastal focus, 4) coastal training materials that have been archived online, and 5) resources related to coastal hazards and vulnerability. If you would like to include an additional resource, please let us know.

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Supporting Resources for the Watershed Protection Techniques Issue on Coastal Plain Watershed Management

Coastal Watershed Resources

Coastal Reports and Studies

Coastal Training Materials

Coastal Hazards and Vulnerability


Supporting Resources for the Watershed Protection Techniques Issue on Coastal Plain Watershed Management

Characteristics of the Atlantic Coastal Plain describes the unique features of coastal plain watersheds

  • The U.S. Atlantic coastal plain province, as defined by Fenneman and Johnson (1946), borders the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico from Cape Cod down to the Mexican border and includes portions of 21 states. A more detailed description of the characteristics of the Atlantic Coastal Plain and its sections is provided in the Middle Tennessee State University's Geomorphic Regions of the United States online textbook.

The Effects of Watershed Land Use on Coastal Plain Water Resources summarizes findings from a literature review of impacts research conducted in the coastal plain

  • We reviewed forty-six research studies that evaluate the influence of land use change on the quality of aquatic resources in the coastal plain. We then compiled the results into a database with fields summarizing the basic elements of the study and key findings. These studies provide the basis for the subsequent articles describing practical management tools for the coast. Click here to view the study database.
  • A reference list for the forty six research studies is available here.

Practicing Watershed Protection in the Coastal Plain provides a snapshot of how the coastal plain is currently being managed

  • Watershed Planning Needs Survey of Coastal Plain Communities (registration required for free download) (Law, 2008). Summarizes the methods, results and analyses of a web-based survey developed and implemented by the Center to assess the needs and current practices of watershed planning in coastal plain communities. The information generated from the survey, designed around the eight tools of watershed protection, was used to identify the watershed techniques that are most commonly applied, the major gaps in watershed management, and examples of innovative programs and practices in the Coastal Plain.

Reversing the Trend of Coastal Sprawl: Smarter Land Use Planning for Coastal Watersheds deals with the application of land use planning in the coastal plain

Conserving Critical Lands in Coastal Plain Watersheds deals with the application of land conservation in the coastal plain
Coastal Natural Resources Data and Studies

Tools for Natural Resources Inventories, Prioritization, and Site Level Planning

  • The Watershed Forest Management Information System is a spatial decision support system developed to evaluate and plan (1) forest conservation and nonpoint source pollution mitigation (2) forest road maintenance, and (3) silvicultural operations. It assists land managers with objectively evaluating the influence of these plans and activities (both positive and negative) on the landscape in order to maintain or enhance water supply and quality
  • The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Green Infrastructure Assessment is working to identify and prioritize the State’s green infrastructure: those undeveloped lands most critical to long-term ecological health. Reports that describe the methodology and resulting maps are available here
  • The Southeastern Ecological Framework Project is a GIS-based analysis to identify ecologically significant areas and connectivity in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky. The project report and data are available here 
  • Habitat Priority Planner is a geographic information system (GIS)-based tool that uses land use and natural resource information to prioritize habitat conservation and restoration areas
  • The Landscape Fragmentation Tool maps the types of fragmentation present in a specified land cover type, which can assist with prioritizing habitat areas for conservation (e.g., larger forest patches are more likely to support greater numbers of interior forest species). While the LFT was designed to analyze fragmentation in forest, it can be used to map fragmentation in any land cover of interest
  • The Resource Lands Assessment is a GIS-based analytical approach for assessing the value of forests, farms and wetlands in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.  It includes six models: Ecological Network, Water Quality Protection, Forest Economics, Prime Farmland, Cultural Assessment and Vulnerability.  The original data sets can be reclassified and applied at different geographic scales depending on management needs, and are available here
  • The Forest Areas of Local Importance Study evaluated changes in tree canopy in Northeastern Georgia, identified and prioritized remaining critical forest area, and projected future impacts based on County land use
  • The Forests, Water and People Analysis uses maps produced in a geographic information system (GIS) to highlight the connection between forests and the protection of surface drinking water quality. The analysis developed maps for 540 watersheds in the Northeast and Midwest which can be used as one input in a natural resources prioritization. A report and GIS data available here
  • The Trust for Public Land provides Greenprinting services to communities around the country, working with individual land trusts, cities, counties, regional governments, or watershed groups to create GIS conservation opportunity maps with searchable project selection criteria to help advocates and conservationists identify the land most in need of conservation according to their natural resource protection and recreation goals.  These tools are customized for every community and available here
  • The Community Resource Inventory enables you to develop a map of natural and cultural resources in your community using available statewide information.  The resulting CRI can be used for community-level planning and can help you make decisions on the range of challenges from open space preservation to economic development.
  • The University of Georgia's MAREX CoastScapes Conservation Landscaping Program launched CoastScapes to provide earth friendly native plant landscaping. CoastScapes are environmentally sound native plant conservation landscapes that benefit the people, the local environment, and coastal Georgia. This online resource provides native plant,  invasive plants, and water quality and conservation resources that include the USDA Plant Database and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center search engines.

Economic Data to Support Coastal Resource Conservation

  • American Forests has conducted Urban Ecosystem Analyses for 30+ metro regions across the country. These GIS-based analyses measure tree canopy and calculate the value of the stormwater management and air quality benefits they provide. The report are available for a handful of coastal plain communities and available here
  • The American Farmland Trust’s Cost of Community Services studies are a case study approach used to determine the fiscal contribution of existing local land uses. Their particular niche is to evaluate working and open lands on equal ground with residential, commercial and industrial land uses. This document provides costs of community services from each study (some are in the coastal plain), as revenue to expenditure ratios for working lands (includes open space), residential and commercial lands
  • EPA’s Ecosystem Services Research Program is identifying and characterizing the services that ecosystems provide and identifying the value that these services represent to human health and well-being. The research will result in new tools and information to help decision makers evaluate the full costs and benefits of decisions which impact these ecosystems. Three areas of this work are relevant to coastal systems: 1) Research in the coastal counties of North and South Carolina; 2) Research in the Tampa Bay Estuary Watershed; and 3) Research on the value of wetland ecosystem services
  • The US Forest Service’s i-tree software is used to estimate urban tree canopy and place a value on the services it provides.  Links to reports from i-tree analyses are provided here
  • Additional Forest Service publications on urban forest assessment and values are provided here

Finding a Land Trust

  • The Land Trust Alliance, an organization focused on strengthening land conservation efforts across America, includes a number of resources for communities, organizations, and individuals on their website.  Additionally, the Trust for Public Land, which helps communities and government agencies identify land for protection and identify funds that might be used to protect that land, offers information on their website www.tpl.org

Funding Land Conservation

Designing Aquatic Buffers for the Coastal Plain deals with the application of aquatic buffers in the coastal plain

Managing Construction Site Runoff  deals with the applciation of erosion and sediment control in the coastal plain 

Developing Your Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan: A Guide for Construction Sites

Delaware Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook

Florida Stormwater, Erosion, and Sedimentation Control Inspector Certification

Regional Soil Loss Equation

Stormwater Phase II: Developing an Effective Municipal Stormwater Management Program For Construction Sites (Construction 101) Webcast

Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control Certification Program

Schueler, T. 2000 (a). “Muddy Water In, Muddy Water Out?” The Practice of Watershed Protection. eds. T. Schueler and H. Holland. Center for Watershed Protection. Ellicott City, MD. pp 305-314.

USEPA’s Construction Site Management Measure – III. Construction Activities

USEPA’s National Menu of Stormwater Best Management Practices

USEPA’s Stormwater Management for Construction Activities: Developing Pollution Prevention Plans and Best Management Practices

Adapting Stormwater Management Practices for Coastal Environments deals with the application of stormwater management in the coastal plain

Keeping Waste In Its Place: Preventing and Controlling Non-Stormwater Discharges deals with the management of non-stormwater discharges in the coastal plain

Watershed Stewardship in Coastal Communities deals with the application of watershed stewardship in the coastal plain

 


Coastal Watershed Resources 

Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) Program

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

  • Coastal Climate Adaptation Provides additional examples of coastal risk and vulnerability assessments.
  • Coastal Inundation Toolkit Provides an overview of causes of inundation and tools and resources for identifying and mapping hazards and vulnerabilities
  • Coastal Services Center (CSC) The Coastal Services Center works with private and public sector partners to address coastal issues
  • Coral Reef Conservation Program  Working to manage and understand coral reef ecosystems through a partnership between the National Ocean Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, and the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service. 
  • Digital Coast  Provides data, tools, training and information to coastal resource management professionals. 
  • National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)  Provides research, monitoring, assessments, and technical assistance to meet NOAA’s coastal stewardship and management responsibilities.” There are five NCCOS centers, each with research labs:
  1. Center for Human Health Risk  
  2. Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA)  
  3. Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research (CCFHR)  
  4. Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research (CCEHBR)  
  5. Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research (CSCOR)
  • National Data Buoy Center Provides information on wind, wave, and other weather related data from buoys located around the world.
  • National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS)  Consists of a network of protected ecological regions that are managed for long term research, water quality monitoring, education and coastal stewardship. 
  • National Marine Fisheries Service  Provides science-based conservation and management to manage healthy marine resources and ecosystems. 
  • National Ocean Service (NOS) “To provide science-based solutions through collaborative partnerships to address evolving economic, environmental, and social pressures on our oceans and coasts”
  • National Ocean Service Special Projects State of the Coast, Spatial Trends in Coastal Socioeconomics (STICS), NOAA Incident Coordination Center GIS, and Coastal Population Report
  • Hazard Assessment Tools Help users quickly identify potential hazards for a location
  • Ocean and Human Health Initiative (OHHI)  Investigates the relationship between human health, coastal condition and environmental stressors to improve human and ocean health.  
  • Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) Provides leadership and guidance to state and territory coastal programs and estuarine research reserves.
  • OCRM Smart Growth  Provides guidance for application of smart growth principles in coastal and waterfront development.  Includes overview of unique coastal development challenges and opportunities along with tools and resources to use. 
  • Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Tool Provides a process for conducting hazard identification, social and environmental vulnerability, and mitigation opportunity analyses as well as a storm surge visualization tool
  • Sea Grant Sea Grant is a nationwide network administered through NOAA of 32 university based programs that work with coastal communities.

US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)



Coastal Reports and Studies

 
National

Regional and Local



Coastal Training Materials

  1. Coastal Web Atlas Interoperability Prototype (March 25, 2010)
  2. Marine Integrated Decision Analysis System (MIDAS) (March 10, 2010)
  3. SLAMM and SLAMM-View (February 23, 2010)
  4. Comparing tool-based and stakeholder-based approaches for designing marine reserve networks (February 3, 2010)
  5. Ocean and Coastal EBM Implementation Handbook (January 20, 2010)
  6. Connie 2.0 (December 14/15, 2009)
  7. Integrated Land-Sea Planning Toolkit (September 22, 2009)
  8. Reef Resilience Toolkit (July 29/30, 2009)
  9. Coastal Resilience EBM Tool Demonstration Project (July 16, 2009)
  10. Cumulative Impact Mapping of Human Activities on Marine Ecosystems (July 8, 2009)


Coastal Hazards and Vulnerability

 
Tools for Predicting and Mitigating Coastal Hazards and Climate Change Impacts


Modeling coastal hazard impacts

  • ASA’s Inundation Toolbox Predicts coastal inundation by applying storm surge model predictions to local topography datasets to generate maps
  • HAZUS-MH Estimates physical damage, economic losses, and social impacts from floods, hurricane winds and earthquakes 
  • Land Use Portfolio Model Links financial portfolio theory with natural hazard, land use, mitigation and emergency preparedness information to estimate risk to a community from natural disasters at the regional scale and identify cost-effective risk reduction policies 
  • SLOSH Estimates storm surge heights and winds resulting from actual and possible hurricanes.  The model is run by the U.S. National Hurricane Center, and graphical output is provided.

Modeling climate change impacts

  • Climate Assessment Tool Works with the BASINS 4.0 watershed modeling system to modify historical weather data to create climate change scenarios for assessing the influence of climate variability and change on water quantity and quality.
  • Climate Wizard Provides easy-to-use, web-based visualization for historic and predicted temperature and rainfall maps worldwide 
  • MAGICC and SCENGEN Coupled tools for investigating climate change and its uncertainties at global and regional levels.  MAGICC predicts changes in greenhouse gas concentrations, temperature, and sea level resulting from anthropogenic emissions. SCENGEN uses these results to produce spatially detailed information on future changes in temperature, precipitation and mean sea level.
  • SLAMM Simulates the dominant processes in wetland conversion and shoreline modification during long-term sea level rise and predicts wetland distributions under accelerated sea level rise.

Assessing and mitigating climate change impact vulnerability

  • Coastal Resilience Web Mapping Tool Developed for Long Island, New York by a coalition led by The Nature Conservancy.  This tool uses SLOSH, the Community Vulnerability Assessment Tool (part of the Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Tool), HAZUS, and additional GIS analyses to address both coastal hazard mitigation and conservation goals for the region.  The tool helps local officials and coastal managers design, build, and discuss potential scenarios for sea level rise, storm surge, community vulnerability, and conservation.  It then helps them identify solutions that meet both ecosystem protection and community resilience goals. 
  • CRiSTAL Helps planners and managers understand links between livelihoods and climate in their project areas, assess a project’s impact on community-level adaptive capacity, and adjust projects to increase adaptive capacity and reduce vulnerability to climate change
  • SimCLIM Helps assess the impacts of and adaptations to climate variability and change including extreme events and sea-level rise.  Coastal hazard and climate change modeling and vulnerability assessment tools can also be used to provide powerful decision support tools that address multiple ecosystem based management objectives.  

Coastal contact:

    • Sadie Drescher Watershed Planner
      Center for Watershed Protection
      8390 Main St., 2nd Floor
      Ellicott City, MD 21043
      (P) 410-461-8323

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