Ecobot includes the USACE Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM) form, so you can record OHWM data for rivers and streams in Ecobot Collector or Ecobot Manager. This article explains what the OHWM is and how to start an OHWM survey.
What is the OHWM?
The ordinary high water mark is the boundary of a river's or stream's typical, recurring high water level, not the level reached in unusual events like storms or floods. Trained field staff observe and record it.
Accurate OHWM data matters for permitting, land use planning and protecting aquatic resources.
In 2022, USACE and EPA released the Interim Draft of the National Ordinary High Water Mark Field Delineation Manual for Rivers and Streams, with its data sheet. The OHWM form in Ecobot follows that data sheet. See Resources below.
Start an OHWM survey in Collector
- In your survey list, tap Add Survey.
- Under Type, choose Streams.
- Under Survey, choose USACE Ordinary High Water Mark, then tap Done.
- Tap Continue, and fill in the survey information.
Then add points and fill in the form, following the USACE guidance. The form steps through the data sheet, such as the geomorphic indicators.
Start an OHWM survey in Manager
- On the Surveys page, select Add survey.
- Choose USACE Ordinary High Water Mark, then select Start.
- Fill in the survey information, then select Add survey.
For more on creating surveys, see Create a survey and set defaults.
Resources
- Wetlands Regulatory Assistance Program (WRAP): National Ordinary High Water Mark Field Delineation Manual for Rivers and Streams, Interim Version.
- Interim Draft Rapid Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM) Field Identification Data Sheet, ENG Form 6230, December 2022.
- ERDC, January 28, 2023: ERDC releases new data sheet for identifying ordinary high watermarks.
- USACE, December 1, 2022: Release of the Interim Draft of the National Ordinary High Water Mark Field Delineation Manual for Rivers and Streams.