Watershed assessment tool: Developing an index of watershed health

A watershed-based approach is increasingly recognized as the most effective tool for understanding and managing streams and lakes.  We are developing a meta-analyses and syntheses to support the broad-scale, long-term quantification of watershed health in major Minnesota watersheds (8-digit HUC boundaries) including, the selection of a set of health metrics and an application of these metrics across watersheds in Minnesota.  We are developing the multi-metric index much like an IBI in concept using available GIS data to facilitate the development of the index.  Our framework consists of five components:  hydrology, geomorphology, biology, connectivity, and water quality to facilitate quantification of healthy watershed function and interactions.  Our goal is to select 3-6 metrics for each of the five components.  Our metrics are chosen based on two criteria; they must be readily available GIS layers that are easily accessible, broadly applicable, and in a summarized form and provide information of the functional response at a watershed level.  An example of a metric for the biology component is a percent deviation of IBIs for fish and macroinvertebrates from a regional mean.  This project is specifically designed to support the development of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) watershed assessment tool.