A Stream Visual Assessment Protocol (SVAP) for Riparian Landowners

A user-friendly Stream Visual Assessment Protocol(SVAP) was recently developed in a joint effort by theNatural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of theU.S. Department of Agriculture and the University ofGeorgia. SVAP was designed to be an introductoryscreening–level assessment method for peopleunfamiliar with stream assessments. It was designedfor use by NRCS field staff who work with agriculturallandowners. NRCS is in a key position to influenceconservation practices since the organization workswith private stakeholders, maintaining more than 2000field offices throughout the U.S. with a centraloffice in each state.The SVAP measures a maximum of 15 elements and isbased on visual inspection of the physical andbiological characteristics of instream and riparianenvironments. Each element is assigned a numericalscore relative to reference conditions and an overallscore for the stream reach is calculated. Aqualitative description of the stream reach is madebased on overall numerical score. While SVAP is notintended to replace more robust stream assessmentprotocols, it provides quick and reliable informationfor use in NRCS farm assistance programs. It is alsoan educational tool through which landowners can learnabout conservation of aquatic resources. An abridgedcopy of SVAP is attached as an appendix to this articleand the complete document can be found on the web athttp://www.ncg.nrcs.usda.gov/tech_notes.html.