COASTAL WETLANDS PLANNING, PROTECTION AND RESTORATION ACT

PROJECT STATUS REPORT as of 04-Oct-2024

Coastwide Reference Monitoring System - Wetlands

PROJECT DATA

PROJECT: Coastwide Reference Monitoring System - Wetlands
PRIORITY LIST: 0.1 PROJECT NO: CRMS CWPPRA NO: LA-30 DNR NO: LA-30
PROJECT TYPE: Monitoring NET ACRES BENEFITTED:
REGION: 0 BASIN: Coastal Basins PARISH: Coastal Parishes
LEAD AGENCY: USGS
LOCAL SPONSOR: DEPT. OF NATURAL RESOURCES, STATE OF LA

MILESTONES:

CSA EXECUTION: 13-Feb-2013 ( Actual )    
DESIGN COMPLETION:    
CONSTRUCTION START: 14-Aug-2003 ( Actual )    
CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION:    
ESCROW AMENDMENT No:
MONITORING PLAN APPROVAL: 24-Jun-2004 ( Actual )    
O and M PLAN APPROVAL:    
DEAUTHORIZATION DATE:      
CASH FLOW PROECTS:        
Phase 1 Approval: 14-Aug-2003 ( Actual )    
Phase 2 Approval: 14-Aug-2003 ( Actual )    

LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS:

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: 0 Multiple
STATE SENATE DISTRICT: 0 Multiple
STATE HOUSE DISTRICT: 0 Multiple

Point of Contact:

DEPT. OF THE INTERIOR
U.S. Geological Survey

Greg Steyer



, LA 
PHONES:  
Office:
Fax:

COASTAL WETLANDS PLANNING, PROTECTION AND RESTORATION ACT

PROJECT STATUS REPORT as of 04-Oct-2024

Coastwide Reference Monitoring System - Wetlands

PROJECT LOCATION:

This project is throughout coastal Louisiana including all 9 coastal basins. The habitat types monitored include swamp, fresh, intermediate, brackish and saline marshes.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Louisiana’s coastal protection and restoration efforts, implemented through numerous CWPPRA projects, require monitoring and evaluation of project effectiveness and cumulative effects of all projects to achieve a sustainable coastal environment. In 2003, the CWPPRA Task Force approved the implementation of a Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS) as a means to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of CWPPRA projects at three levels: project, region, and coastwide. The CRMS network is currently funded through CWPPRA and provides data for a variety of user groups including resource managers, academics, landowners, and researchers. The CRMS approach includes a suite of sites (approximately 390) that encompass a range of ecological conditions across the coast. Sites are located within (project sites) and outside (reference sites) of coastal restoration projects. Trajectories of changing conditions in reference sites are compared with trajectories of change within project sites through time. The CRMS design not only allows for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of each project but will also support ongoing evaluation of the cumulative effects of all CWPPRA projects throughout the coastal ecosystems of Louisiana.

PROJECT STATUS: (Project Status Last Updated: 24-Apr-2012 )

The status of the CRMS network and data collection is as follows: all sites (391) have approved landrights and are fully constructed. Data collection is occurring at all sites. All data are posted within the DNR SONRIS database. Available data includes hydrologic, vegetation, elevation/accretion, and soil properties and coastwide aerial photography and satellite imagery. Ten CRMS sites were equipped with real time continuous hydrologic gages in September 2010. A CRMS website has been established as an offshoot of LaCoast.gov (http://www.lacoast.gov/crms2/Home.aspx). The CRMS website provides graphing, visualizations, and data download functionality. The website is designed to facilitate easy access to data and products. CRMS analytical teams, including agency and academic personnel, were established for landscape, hydrology, vegetation, soils, and data delivery. The teams have developed ecological indices in consultation with the CWPPRA Monitoring Work Group. The ecological indices are incorporated in the CRMS report card which was released in 2011 and is accessed through the CRMS website. The website continues to evolve to support the data and tools that are developed through the CRMS program. CRMS data are being used in the Operations, Maintenance, and Monitoring Reports for CWPPRA projects and will be incorporated into the 2012 CWPPRA Report to U.S. Congress to evaluate project effectiveness. Several articles have been submitted for publication and are in peer review, but the following documents have been published: Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS): U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2010-3018, 2 p. http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2010/3018/. Cretini, K.F., and Steyer, G.D. 2011, Floristic Quality Index -- An assessment tool for restoration projects and monitoring sites in coastal Louisiana: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2011-3044, 4 p. http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2011/3044/. Cretini, K.F, Visser, J.M., Krauss, K.W., and Steyer, G.D. 2012. Development and use of a floristic quality index for coastal Louisiana marshes. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 184(4):2389-2403.

FUND STATUS:

The current project estimate is $186,907,559 , which includes $0 for construction first costs, and $186,907,559 and $0 for 20 years of monitoring and operations and maintenance, respectively.

LaCoast.gov Project Managers' Technical Factsheet