Assessing the health of—and guiding protective actions for—watersheds and aquatic habitats
The quantity and quality of water in streams significantly impacts ecosystem health, as well as all aspects of water use and management. Water flow, temperature and quality should mirror natural conditions as closely as possible to sustain a healthy, functioning freshwater stream ecosystem. Large differences from natural conditions or a decrease in the overall health of a stream can result in stressed habitats that cannot support aquatic life.
Ecological assessment services offered by the RTI Center for Water Resources can help you understand and improve the health and condition of aquatic ecosystems using statistical and geospatial analysis and hydrologic and water quality modeling. We can also help determine ecological flows for a range of stream characteristics and develop regulatory guidance to increase protection of water quality and ecological conditions.
Our ecological assessment services include the following:
- Ecological flow determination
- Ecosystem service evaluation
- Watershed health and ecological assessments
- Water quality impairment and use assessments
- Water quality monitoring and data compilation
- Pollutant source assessment and mitigation