On June 20 and 21, 2006, the Habitat Restoration Subcommittee of the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment hosted a workshop to develop a standard framework for monitoring stream barrier removals in the region. Held at the University of Maine campus in Orono, the workshop included more than 70 experts from government agencies and non-governmental organizations.

As restoration interests promote the removal of dams, replacement of undersized culverts, and provide improved fish passage for native species, it is critically important to monitor the impacts of removals so that ecological successes can be measured. Currently around the Gulf of Maine, not all barrier removal projects are monitored, and monitoring is not implemented consistently across projects in terms of parameters evaluated and data collection and reporting standards.  This situation makes it difficult to evaluate the success of individual projects or make comparisons among projects. Standardized monitoring of barrier removal projects will enable assessment of long-term benefits of restoration efforts, development of more-effective restoration techniques, and communication of results to stakeholders and the public.

The workshop developed a standardized monitoring framework with eight critical parameters: (1) monumented cross-sections, (2) longitudinal stream profile, (3) stream bed sediment grain size distribution, (4) photo stations, (5) water quality, (6) riparian plant community structure, (7) macroinvertebrates, and (8) fish passage assessment. In December 2007, the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment published the Stream Barrier Removal Monitoring Guide, which presents an overview of the scientific context of stream barrier removal and provides methods for the eight critical monitoring parameters.

For more information or to download the document, go the Stream Barrier Removal Monitoring Guide webpage at www.gulfofmaine.org/streambarrierremoval.