An application of the Hydroriparian Planning Guide in six British Columbia coastal watersheds

British Columbia's Hydroriparian Planning Guide establishes a process for identifying hydroriparian ecosystems at the watershed scale. In this study I test the Hydroriparian Planning Guide by mapping hydroriparian ecosystems and reserves using electronic spatial data for six different watersheds along the BC coast: three in the South Coast, and three in the Central Coast. I also compare the resulting hydroriparian reserve networks between study watersheds to investigate trends and look for relationships between reserve area and watershed characteristics (e.g., gradient). I identified 37%-69% of each watershed as part of the hydroriparian reserve network. In comparing reserve networks between watersheds, the watershed characteristics of mainstem gradient and tributary gradient appear to be important factors, but due to the small sample size I cannot establish definitive relationships.