Ohio NPSMP: Watershed Restoration And Protection Strategies: Stream Integrity

Stream integrity, shown as items A and B in Figure 1, includes:

key physical features such as energy input, flow regime, vertical channel stability, floodplain/channel form and bed material and form or substrate; and
key biological features such as riparian cover, floodplain vegetation, adjacent wetlands, number and diversity of aquatic organisms, invasive species, etc. that affect aquatic life use attainment. For example, if a stream is channelized (habitat modification) and dammed (hydromodification), even if you reduce the overland transport of pollutants into the stream, the likelihood that the stream will become a viable ecosystem and attain its designated use is low.

Therefore, management practices to address stream integrity, may be necessary if:

available data indicates that aquatic life use attainment is impaired or threatened; AND
high magnitude causes and sources of impairment or threat include habitat modification or hydromodification; OR
Outstanding state waters and/or waters classified as superior high quality waters (generally waters designated as exceptional warmwater habitat) are attaining aquatic life uses, but water quality is threatened due to habitat or hydromodification (due to development pressure (pdf 210KB), ditch maintenance, etc).

A considerable amount of jargon exists to describe the mechanisms to address nonpoint sources. Terms include best management practices (BMPs), management practices, management practice systems, management measures, and resource management systems (RMSs).

Management practice systems, that focus on stream integrity are designed to:

increase and/or preserve the amount and quality of instream/riparian habitat leading to increased QHEI (Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index) and aquatic life use scores (e.g. constructed wetlands in floodplain, riffle/pool construction, restoration of floodplain vegetation); and/or
maintain or restore vertical channel stability, an active floodplain and self sustaining stream channel (e.g. natural channel restoration, dam or levee modification or removal, controlled drainage, tile removal/interruption, establishment of streamway meander widths and protection zones).