RELEASE-2024

Each aquatic site is surveyed once per year within the site-specific peak greenness window. As part of the survey percent riparian cover is collected at wadeable stream and river sites, but not collected at lake sites. Protocols are based on the U.S. EPA's Statewide Riparian Mapping protocol. Ten riparian transects are evenly distributed throughout the 1km wadeable stream sampling reach. At wadeable stream sites, at each transect, riparian canopy percent cover measurements are taken at 3 points along each transect: the wetted center of the stream, 0.3m from the wettted edge of the left bank, and 0.3 m from wetted edge of the right bank. At the center stream sampling point, 4 densiometer readings are taken facing upstream, downstream, river right, and river left; at the left and right banks a single densiometer reading is taken, facing the bank. At river sites, percent canopy cover is collected at 1 point located about 0.3m from the wetted river edge at five of ten paired plots. The plot nearest the river thalweg is selected and the following measurements are collected from the boat at 0.3m above the water: upstream, downstream, river right, and river left. Instrumentation: