Evaluate stream health and indirect watershed health. An index of biotic integrity (IBI) combines several metrics from stream monitoring data to evaluate overall stream health. The IBI index score has been shown to be correlated with different levels of human disturbance. Where data exists it can be evaluated against IBI scores for forested areas with unimpaired streams that serve as reference conditions.

This indicator will provide information in tabular, graphical, and map formats that integrates complex biological data into a single number that, together with reference condition information, indicates the degree of biological alteration or quality of a given water body. Maintaining high quality aquatic biological assemblages is very important to the public, and protecting those biota forms the basis for water quality standards. Although indirect or surrogate indicators are important, only biological indicators can directly assess biological condition.

Protecting soil and water condition often involves protecting the overlying vegetation. If they are of sufficient size, forests near streams (riparian forest) and other water-bodies can protect soils from eroding into these surface waters. Trees may also provide structure (from fallen trees) and nutrients (e.g., leaf matter) important for habitat and food for fish and invertebrates.

Agencies responsible for regulation of water quality can declare streams "impaired" if they do not meet ecological and other standards needed to provide clean water and other ecosystem services. A high proportion of impaired streams may indicate that there are actions in a watershed causing these impairments.

Soils are home to minerals and organic compounds that individually or in reaction with other compounds maintain certain pH in the soil. Soil pH can be permissive to certain plants and prohibitive to others.

Evaluate moisture stress to forest vegetation from drought conditions. CWD is a measure of water availability: Potential Evapotranspiration minus Actual Evapotranspiration (PET – AET) and is an indicator of prolonged drought. As CWD increases there is less moisture available for forest vegetation and a corresponding drying of forest fuel condition. CWD is used to represent moisture stress from prolonged drought conditions.

This indicator will provide the results in tabular form of assessments of three forest road condition factors. The primary purpose of the assessment information will be to assist landowners in identifying the road elements that pose the greatest risk to soil and water resources. This indicator will be a byproduct of that survey work. Roads are a landscape altering feature, and can have negative effects on both water and soil resources.

Evaluate water quality impairments on forest and rangelands. This is calculated as the length of stream miles on forest or rangelands that are 303d listed for water quality impairments. Under the Clean Water Act the State Water Resource Control Board (SWRCB) and its Regional Boards establish water quality standards for California waterways. Every two years the Regional Water Quality Control Boards identify waterbodies (i.e. 303d list) that are impaired and not supporting beneficial uses.

Soils have been classified by their reaction, or pH conditions (R metric) and nitrogen conditions (N metric). The mR and mN are the mean metric values for a site and have been shown to correlate with growing conditions for specific plants.

Soil pH is a direct measure of the acidity or alkalinity, which affects nutrient cycling, plant growth, and the types of plants that can grow and reproduce on a site.