Incorporating Aquatic Invasive Species Searches into an Existing Watershed Monitoring Program

Invasive species have been identified as one of the four critical threats to the Nation’s ecosystems by the Chief of the USDA Forest Service, thus identifying the presence of invasive species is a critical need for land managers. The broad geographic area sampled by the Aquatic and Riparian Effectiveness Monitoring Program (AREMP) provides an excellent opportunity to detect the presence or absence of aquatic invasive plants and animals on federal lands while surveying stream reaches in randomly selected watersheds in the Northwest Forest Plan area (NWFP; “west of the Cascade mountains” form Point Reyes, CA north to the Canadian border). Personnel from AREMP, Oregon State University (OSU), Portland State University (PSU), and the Forest Service met in 2007 to develop an Aquatic Invasive Species Early Detection Rapid Response protocol that outlined how field personnel would collect data on thirteen species of plants and animals considered of primary concern to Northwest waterways. Additionally, AREMP developed a disinfection protocol to prevent the spread of invasive species between watersheds across the landscape. Since 2008, AREMP field crews have conducted invasive species searches in 87 watersheds at 541 stream reaches across the Pacific Northwest. We will discuss our results, field survey methods, and disinfection protocol.