Riparian Soils and the National Riparian Service Team
By Susan Casby-Horton
AWSS Newsletter, August 2003

In June 2002, I attended a phenomenal training on Proper Functioning Condition of Riparian Areas conducted by the National Riparian Service Team. Proper functioning condition (PFC) refers to a qualitative method for assessing the condition of riparian-wetland areas - it is a qualitative assessment based on quantitative science. The PFC assessment is a "consistent approach for considering hydrology, vegetation, and erosion/deposition (soils) attributes and processes to assess the condition of riparian- wetland areas".

Interest in riparian areas caused the Agency heads of BLM and USFS (in March 1996) to sign a letter of agreement to "aggressively implement a cooperative management strategy to accelerate the restoration and improved management of riparian-wetland areas in the western United States". NRCS is a principal partner in this initiative. The National Riparian Service Team (and an extended coordination network) was then created to focus efforts on this approach to cooperative riparian restoration.

The web site for the National Riparian Service Team is http://www.or.blm.gov/nrst/. The site provides several training materials, including PFC publications and Powerpoint presentations on Riparian Soils and Riparian-Wetland Areas. In addition, reference materials include the publication "Soil Bioengineering - An Alternative for Roadside Management". I had the good fortune to meet the author (Lisa Lewis, soil scientist) at NRCS training this summer, and she also mentioned that a publication on riparian soils would soon be available. Lisa and the entire team are strong resources and contacts for restoration and soils work in riparian areas.

(Portion of text modified from web site and "A User Guide to Assessing Proper Functioning Condition and the Supporting Science for Lotic Areas", TR 1737-15, 1998.)