Stream Ecosystem Assessment Group 1

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Stream Ecosystem AssessmentGroup 1

• Camp Caesar
• August 2003

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Group 1 Study Sites

• Birch River
• Craigs Run
• Big Rough Run
• South Fork Cranberry River

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Birch River General Description

• Watershed
• Elk River
• 48.41 km2
• Mixed (Ag., Forest, Residential)
• Moderate NPS low local erosion
• 3rd Order
• Perennial
• Coldwater stream
• LB Forest (Sycamore, Alder)RB Narrow Riparian
  Zone (due to road)
• Low LWD
• Aquatic Veg. (Sedge 2, Biofilm 85)
• Sediment Type Boulder/Cobble Bed

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Birch River General Description

• Geology
• Stream origin Non-Glacial Montane
• Rock types
• Pottsville sandstone low buffering cap.
• Conemaugh shale moderate buffering cap.

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Birch River General Description

• Sampling Conditions
• Cloud Cover 90
• Air Temp 75 F
• Hvy rainfall in last several days
• Visual Condition
• High canopy cover
• Low erosion stream banks adj. road

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Birch River - Stream Flow

• Channel Data
• Wetted width 9 m
• Avg depth 0.28 m
• Cross sectional area 2.45 m2
• Avg velocity 0.36 m2
• Discharge Q 1.05 m3/sec

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Birch River Water Quality
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Birch RiverEPA Rapid Visual Habitat Assessment

• Epifaunal Substrate/Vegetative Cover
• Embeddedness
• Velocity/Depth Regime
• Sediment Deposition
• Channel Flow Status
• Channel Alteration
• Frequency of Riffles
• Bank Stability
• Vegetative Protection
• Riparian Vegetative Zone Width

15 14 20 15 17 13 20 9/9 6/6 7/5 Total 156 (78)
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Birch River Benthic Invertebrates
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Birch River Fish
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Birch River Overall Condition Score
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Group 1.4Sue Byrd Renee Fleshman

• Big Rough Run
• Stream Assessment

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Big Rough RunGeneral Description

• Cranberry River
• 6.99 km2 basin area (1.05 m3/s)
• Pottsville Sandstone
• Cranberry Wilderness
• Impacted by road

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Big Rough RunWater Quality

• pH 4.96
• Conductivity 27 µs/cm3
• Total Hardness 34 mg/l CaCO3
• Alkalinity 0 mg/l CaCO3
• Indicates sterile acidic conditions

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Big Rough RunEPA Rapid Visual Habitat Assessment

• Epifaunal Substrate/Vegetative Cover
• Embeddedness
• Velocity/Depth Regime
• Sediment Deposition
• Channel Flow Status
• Channel Alteration
• Frequency of Riffles
• Bank Stability
• Vegetative Protection
• Riparian Vegetative Zone Width

19 12 16 9 7 12 20 7/7 9/9 9/6 Total 142 (71)
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Big Rough Run Benthic Invertebrates
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Big Rough Run(Absence of Fish)
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Big Rough Run
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Stream Ecosystem AssessmentGroup 1.2CRAIGS RUN

• Camp Caesar
• August 2003

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Craigs Run General Description

• Williams/Gauley Watershed
• 8.71 km2 Basin Area (Discharge 0.04m3/s)
• Forest Land Use (Monongahela National Forest)
• Aggrading Stream Cobble/Gravel
• Mauch Chunk Pottsville Geology

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Craigs Run Water Quality

• pH 7.47
• Conductivity 32 microsiemens/cm3
• Total Hardness 17 mg/L CaCO3
• Alkalinity 20 mg/L CaCO3
• Data Indicates Relatively Sterile Basin

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Craigs RunEPA Rapid Visual Habitat Assessment

• Epifaunal Substrate/Vegetative Cover
• Embeddedness
• Velocity/Depth Regime
• Sediment Deposition
• Channel Flow Status
• Channel Alteration
• Frequency of Riffles
• Bank Stability
• Vegetative Protection
• Riparian Vegetative Zone Width

18 19 10 5 7 14 19 6/4 8/8 10/10 Total 138 (69)
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Craigs Run Benthic Invertebrates
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Craigs Run - Fish
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CRAIGS RUN
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Stream Ecosystem AssessmentGroup 1.3(G. Boyd,
A. Dobson, D. Redgate)

• South Fork Cranberry River
• August 2003

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South Fork Cranberry River General Description

• Cranberry River
• 45.81 km2 basin area (1.07 m3/s)
• Mauch Chunk Shale Sandstone
• Cranberry Wilderness
• Dominated by headwater bog humic acids

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South Fork Cranberry River Water Quality

• pH 7.53
• Conductivity 34.75 µs/cm3 (Average)
• Total Hardness 1 mg/l CaCO3
• Alkalinity 0.4 mg/l CaCO3
• Circum-neutral, softwater stream

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South Fork Cranberry River -EPA Rapid Visual
Habitat Assessment

• Epifaunal Substrate/Vegetative Cover
• Embeddedness
• Velocity/Depth Regime
• Sediment Deposition
• Channel Flow Status
• Channel Alteration
• Frequency of Riffles
• Bank Stability
• Vegetative Protection
• Riparian Vegetative Zone Width

16 16 15 15 16 17 19 9/8 9/9 9/9 Total 166 (83)
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South Fork Cranberry River Benthic Invertebrates
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South Fork Cranberry River Fish
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South Fork Cranberry River
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Summary

• Birch River
• Craigs Run
• Big Rough Run
• South Fork Cranberry River