Rocky Brushy Creek Watershed Mgmt. Plan (2007) -- Part 2

CHAPTER 8Using the data described in the following sections of this chapter, a natural systems evaluationmatrix was developed to provide a comparative tool for measuring the quality and quantity ofexisting natural habitats within the watershed. This tool can be used to evaluate the overallcondition of the watershed so that future efforts to protect or restore natural systems can beprioritized and implemented effectively either as stand-alone projects or in conjunction with floodand/or water quality improvement activities. An overall score was calculated based on the sum ofscores for each habitat parameter (Table 8-1). Using a scoring technique similar to the waterquality level of service evaluation, the overall natural system evaluation matrix score was based onthe ratio of the total watershed score divided by the maximum possible score. The watershed wasthen given a grade based on the following ratios: 1.0 to 0.8 = A, 0.79 to 0.6 = B, 0.59 to 0.4 = C,0.39 to 0.20 = D,