By Frank X. Browne, Ph.D., P.E., President of F. X. Browne, Inc.
Baseline environmental studies can be used by everyone: developers, municipalities, industries, homeowner organizations, and the general public. Baseline studies document the existing conditions of a stream, lake, pond, or wetland. They provide crucial environmental information that can be used to protect against lawsuits or to provide scientific data for initiating a lawsuit. Too often, when a developer or industry is sued for allegedly impacting the water quality and biological community of a stream, the developer or industry does not have baseline data to prove that they did not affect the stream. Conversely, a municipality or community organization may want to sue someone for adversely impacting a stream, but they do not have scientific baseline data to verify their claim. A scientific baseline study is a form of insurance. It provides good scientific data that can be used to demonstrate the ecological condition of a lake, stream or wetland prior to development or other action that might affect the downstream environment.
Baseline studies should be custom-tailored to the ecosystem being studied. A baseline study of a stream, for example, may evaluate the water quality, the benthic macroinvertebrates, the periphyton (attached algae), the stream habitat, and the physical condition of the stream (erosion, siltation, etc.). A baseline study of a lake may include water quality (especially nutrients), phytoplankton, water clarity, and oxygen dynamics.
Baseline studies are inexpensive compared to the costs involved in lawsuits and defending against claims of environmental damage. Baseline studies should be performed before any construction or earthmoving is performed. These environmental studies can benefit everyone.
F. X. Browne, Inc. performs baseline environmental studies of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. If you would like more information about conducting a baseline study or implementing a long-term water quality monitoring program at your lake or river, please contact F. X. Browne, Inc. at info@fxbrowne.com.
