Project Area
The Middle Blue River Watershed has suffered from frequent and serious flooding, degraded water quality, habitat loss from channelization, and economic disinvestment and blight. However, the area is rich with sustainable redevelopment and restoration potential. The largely abandoned, multiple brownfields site - Municipal Farms - has deep historical and cultural significance to the city and its residents. It also has extensive native wetland and upland areas, and a geographical nexus with the Blue River and Brush Creek confluence through a native stream – Round Creek. The former farm can be redeveloped to be a hub of connectivity to the other partnership project’s riparian greenways, conservation opportunity areas, and restoration sites, addressing the identified needs of local residents for connectivity, livable neighborhoods, recreation, river access, economic development, sustainable jobs, and access to fresh food.
Management Goals
Key management goals in the Middle Blue River Watershed include:
- Conserve the health and sustainability of forests, savannas, glades, and other natural areas in the watershed.
- Establish and maintain the ecosystem services of natural and urban ecosystems in the area, including minimizing stormwater runoff, improving water quality, improving air quality, and reducing urban heat island effects.
- Maintain and establish quality wildlife habitat.
- Improve the health and sustainability of residential and street trees in the watershed.
Climate Change Impacts
At the time of using the workbook, no climate change vulnerability assessment was available for the Kansas City area. Instead, managers from the Middle Blue River relied on regional technical input reports from the National Climate Assessment, tree species habitat suitability modeling results from the Climate Change Tree Atlas, and other relevant primary and secondary literature. Downscaled climate projections from the same dataset used in the Climate Change Response Framework project assessments were also used.
Increase in heavy precipitation events, leading to increased runoff and a greater risk of severe flooding.
Along with changes in precipitation and hydrology, temperatures in the area are projected to increase in the area by XX to XXX degrees by the end of the century
Temperatures in some places in the watershed could be even more severe due to local urban heat island effects
Changes in temperature and precipitation will lead to increased stresses on both native and cultivated species, and could increase habitat suitability for many weedy and invasive species
Challenges and Opportunities
Based on the projected impacts to the area, managers in the Middle Blue River identified challenges and opportunities to meeting their management objectives using the Adaptation Workbook. Examples of climate change-related challenges and opportunities for the management of the watershed include:
Challenges
A reduced ability to maintain diversity as many trees become stressed from increased flooding, extreme heat, and declines in habitat suitability.
More challenges for invasive species management due to an increased range of southern invasive species and longer growing seasons.
Extreme weather could inhibit recruitment and establishment of native species.
In upland sites, there could be difficulty matching appropriate weather and time for prescribed burning.
It could become challenging to find suitable species for planting in boulevards and yards that are able to withstand a suite of weather extremes.
Climate-related stressors could increase the susceptibility of trees to pests and pathogens in both natural and developed areas.
Opportunities
Some native species could benefit from the projected changes in climate.
Some invasive species might be negatively impacted by extreme rain events and heat.
A longer growing season could increase establishment of new tree species and cultivars in boulevard and residential plantings.
A longer growing season could provide a longer window of opportunity for prescribed burns.
Increases in temperature could increase public desire for shade trees to help mitigate heat island effects.
New species could be planted on developed sites that require less maintance.
Adaptation Actions
Several adaptation approaches were identified across the watershed that differed by landscape position and land use (see table). Adaptation for bottomland natural areas is centered on restoring hydrology to increase resilience to more extreme runoff and rainfall. Upland area adaptation actions focused on restoring native ecosystems and favoring native species that are more likely to withstand projected changes in climate. In developed urban areas, adaptation actions focused on replacing declining urban trees with a new, more diverse mix of species that is better suited to future climate conditions.
Adaptation actions identified were in line with conservation goals already identified by the partnership. However, climate change places an additional urgency to restore the system’s hydrology and native species diversity while also identifying new species that may be better suited to future climates.
Area/Topic
Approach
Tactics
Riparian/Bottomland Areas
1.2. Maintain or restore hydrology
2.2. Prevent the introduction and establishment of invasive plants and remove existing invasive species
2.2. Prevent the introduction and establishment of invasive plants and remove existing invasive species
Create an incentive program that encourages residents and small businesses to install inflitration practices
Adopt ordinances that require development plans to mimic predevelopment hydrology
Expand funding to remove shrub honeysuckle and other invasive species through volunteer workdays and contracted removal
Aerial photography to map honeysuckle
Upland Areas
1.5. Restore or maintain fire in fire-adapted ecosystems
4.1. Prioritize, maintain, and restore unique sites
9.1. Favor or restore native species that are expected to be adapted to future conditions
4.1. Prioritize, maintain, and restore unique sites
9.1. Favor or restore native species that are expected to be adapted to future conditions
Continue management of Blue River Glade as natural area
Plant areas where natural regeneration is less likely
Use species predicted to respond well to risks such as climate change and potential insect and disease problems
Conduct prescribed burns with appropriate timing and frequency
Developed/Urban Areas
9.2. Establish or encourage new mixes of native species
9.5. Disfavor species that are distinctly maladapted
9.5. Disfavor species that are distinctly maladapted
Develop replacement plan for declining and at risk tree species
Develop recommendations for urban trees that include new species and discourage maladapted species
Monitoring
Managers on the Middle Blue River Watershed identified a number of potential monitoring metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of their adaptation strategies. For example, in riparian areas, the number of acres of honeysuckle removed or replanted with desirable species would be measured. Across the watershed, changes in canopy cover in both developed and natural areas could be measured. In addition, as new trees are planted in developed areas, both the number and species diversity of trees could be monitored over time.
Project Documents
middle blue map.pdf
(549.92 KB)
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Keywords
Invasive species
Lowland/ bottomland hardwoods
Upland hardwoods
Urban
Water resources