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Stream Ecosystem Assessment Group 1

Stream Ecosystem Assessment Group 1. Camp Caesar August 2003. Group 1 Study Sites. Birch River Craig’s Run Big Rough Run South Fork Cranberry River. Birch River – General Description. Watershed Elk River 48.41 km^2 Mixed (Ag., Forest, Residential) Moderate NPS; low local erosion

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Stream Ecosystem Assessment Group 1

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  1. Stream Ecosystem AssessmentGroup 1 Camp Caesar August 2003

  2. Group 1 Study Sites • Birch River • Craig’s Run • Big Rough Run • South Fork Cranberry River

  3. Birch River – General Description • Watershed • Elk River • 48.41 km^2 • 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

  4. Birch River – General Description • Geology • Stream origin: Non-Glacial Montane • Rock types: • Pottsville sandstone – low buffering cap. • Conemaugh shale – moderate buffering cap.

  5. 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

  6. Birch River - Stream Flow • Channel Data • Wetted width = 9 m • Avg depth = 0.28 m • Cross sectional area = 2.45 m^2 • Avg velocity = 0.36 m^2 • Discharge Q = 1.05 m^3/sec

  7. Birch River – Water Quality

  8. 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%)

  9. Birch River – Benthic Invertebrates

  10. Birch River – Fish

  11. Birch River – Overall Condition Score

  12. Group 1.4Sue Byrd & Renee Fleshman Big Rough Run Stream Assessment

  13. Big Rough RunGeneral Description • Cranberry River • 6.99 km2 basin area (1.05 m3/s) • Pottsville Sandstone • Cranberry Wilderness • Impacted by road

  14. 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

  15. 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%)

  16. Big Rough Run – Benthic Invertebrates

  17. Big Rough Run(Absence of Fish)

  18. Big Rough Run

  19. Stream Ecosystem AssessmentGroup 1.2CRAIGS RUN Camp Caesar August 2003

  20. 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

  21. Craigs Run – Water Quality • pH – 7.47 • Conductivity – 32 microsiemens/cm^3 • Total Hardness – 17 mg/L CaCO3 • Alkalinity – 20 mg/L CaCO3 • Data Indicates Relatively Sterile Basin

  22. 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%)

  23. Craigs Run– Benthic Invertebrates

  24. Craigs Run - Fish

  25. CRAIGS RUN

  26. Stream Ecosystem AssessmentGroup 1.3(G. Boyd, A. Dobson, D. Redgate) South Fork Cranberry River August 2003

  27. 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

  28. 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

  29. 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%)

  30. South Fork Cranberry River – Benthic Invertebrates

  31. South Fork Cranberry River – Fish

  32. South Fork Cranberry River

  33. Summary • Birch River • Craig’s Run • Big Rough Run • South Fork Cranberry River

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