Stressor Indicators

Stressor Indicators describe risks to subwatershed and aquatic ecosystem health that are the focus of planning or on-the-ground activities to restore and protect water quality. Example characteristics measured by Stressor Indicators include the amount and distribution of urban or agricultural land cover in a subwatershed, the number of point source dischargers of pollution, the magnitude of pollutant loading from anthropogenic sources or projected sea level rise.

The RPS Tool combines the Stressor Indicators selected for a screening into a Stressor Index score for each screened subwatershed. As illustrated below, subwatersheds with higher values of Stressor Indicators will receive higher Stressor Index scores.

Comparison of three subwatersheds showing how higher stressor indicator values lead to higher stressor index scores, indicating pollution sources and degradation risk

Stressor Indicator Subcategories

The RPS Tool and Indicator Database contain Stressor Indicators in the subcategories listed below.

Agricultural Cover
Flood Inundation Risk
Hazardous Waste & Wastewater
Human Population
Human Use Land Cover (All Types)
Impaired Waters
Impervious Cover
Integrated Watershed Vulnerability Index & Sub-Indices
Livestock
Mining Activity
Nutrient Application and Deposition
Pollutant Loading Severity
Projected Climate and Hydrologic Change
Roads & Railways
Soil Attributes
Urban/Developed Cover
Water Use Intensity
Wildfire Risk

Example Stressor Indicators

Impervious Cover

% Impervious Cover

Agricultural Cover

% Agricultural
% Agriculture in Riparian Zone

Pollutant Loading Severity

Phosphorus Yield
Nitrogen Yield
Suspended Solid Yield

Impaired Waters

% Impaired Waters
Impairment Cause Count

Flood Inundation Risk

% Projected Coastal Flooding

Wildfire Hazard Potential

% High or Very High Wildfire Hazard Potential