Ecological Indicators

Ecological Indicators describe the condition of aquatic ecosystems and related landscape characteristics. Ecological Indicators offer insight into the relative health of subwatersheds and the presence of environmental features, such as intact wetlands or riparian buffers, which may support successful restoration and protection outcomes.

The RPS Tool combines the Ecological Indicators selected for a screening into an Ecological Index score for each screened subwatershed. As illustrated below, subwatersheds with higher values of Ecological Indicators will receive higher Ecological Index scores.

Comparision of three subwatersheds showing how higher ecological indicator values lead to higher ecological index scores, indicating healthier subwatersheds with better restoration potential.

Ecological Indicator Subcategories

The RPS Tool and Indicator Database contain Ecological Indicators in the subcategories listed below.

Aquatic Life and Habitat
Forest Cover
Integrated Watershed Health Index & Sub-Indices
Natural Land Cover (All Types)
Soil Attributes
Stream Order
Wetlands Cover
Woody Vegetation Cover

Example Ecological Indicators

Forest Cover

% Forest
% Forest in Riparian Zone

Wetlands Cover

% Wetlands
% Wetlands Change Over Time

Aquatic Life and Habitat

Presence of Critical Habitat for Aquatic Species

Integrated Watershed Health Index

EPA Preliminary Healthy Watersheds Assessment (PHWA) Watershed Health Index