Stream Visual Assessment Protocol (SVAP)
National Water and Climate Center Technical Note 99–1 United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service Stream Visual Assessment Protocol Issued December 1998 Cover photo: Stream in Clayton County, Iowa, exhibiting an impaired riparian zone. The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Cen- ter at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. (NWCC Technical Note 99–1, Stream Visual Assessment Protocol, December 1998) Preface This document presents an easy-to-use assessment protocol to evaluate the condition of aquatic ecosystems associated with streams. The protocol does not require expertise in aquatic biology or extensive training. Least-im- pacted reference sites are used to provide a standard of comparison. The use of reference sites is variable depending on how the state chooses to implement the protocol. The state may modify the protocol based on a system of stream classification and a series of reference sites. Instructions for modifying the protocol are provided in the technical information sec- tion. Aternatively, a user may use reference sites in a less structured man- ner as a point of reference when applying the protocol.
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