Headwater Habitat Evaluation Index (HHEI)
October 17th - 18th
Summit Soil and Water Conservation District in partnership with Ohio Stream Assessment Training is offering a two-day training course for the stream habitat evaluation developed by Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Headwater Habitat Evaluation Index (HHEI). The HHEI was developed as a critical component in the assessment of small headwater streams, typically with drainage areas less than 1 square mile (640 acres). These small streams, referred to as Primary Headwater (PHW) streams, have different biological characteristics than larger streams and often cannot achieve Ohio EPA biological water quality criteria attainment status, even in unimpacted conditions. The physical habitat characteristics for PHW streams are assessed using the HHEI, a three-metric index, which replaces the use of the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI). The scoring results for assessments using HHEI can be used to predict the characteristics of the fauna of these PHW streams. Please note, Ohio EPA has not established training or testing requirements to achieve Credible Data Collector (QDC) status for the HHEI under the Credible Data Program. This training is modeled upon past Ohio EPA training efforts.
This course will be taught by taught by Paul Anderson, a stream biologist retired from Ohio EPA with over 25 years of experience in conducting fish community assessments. Paul holds Level 3 Qualified Data Collector status for Fish Community Assessment and Stream Habitat Assessment and is a Qualified Trainer for these methods through the Ohio EPA Credible Data Program. Paul is the principal of Ohio Stream Assessment Training, a company offering various training courses for stream assessments.
This two-day training includes both classroom and field training.
OCTOBER 17TH – CLASSROOM (online training): The classroom portion of the course is approximately 4 hours in length and will be conducted using Microsoft Teams. Topics of discussion include the ecology of primary headwater streams, the primary headwter biological classification system, the development and use of the HHEI, and the use of the Ohio EPA Primary Headwater Field Assessment Manual.
OCTOBER 18TH – FIELD TRAINING: This portion of the training includes hands-on training and will consist of evaluations of three stream sites at multiple locations. Field training sites are TBD. Transportation to and from the field sites is up to the participant. Participants will need to bring their own writing utensils, clipboards, etc. Participants will need to wade into the streams to successfully complete the course so please dress appropriately.
Training cost per participant: $400.00
Summit SWCD is a host site for the Americorps program.