River Ecosystem Assessment Group 2

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River Ecosystem AssessmentGroup 2

• Josh Parenti
• Tristan Bond
• Brady Russell
• Laura Kingsbury
• Robert Michalow

• Jason Workman
• Chandra Inglis-Smith
• Ryan Braham
• Norse Angus
• Eric Nieman

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Birch River Ecosystem Assessment Group 2.1

• Josh Parenti
• Tristan Bond
• Brady Russell

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Description of Birch River Study

• Assessment of Ecosystem was done above the falls
• Weather and Time
• 145 p.m.
• Cloudy
• 26 C
• Basin Area
• 29.2 km2

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Description of Birch River Study (cont)

• Watershed
• Part of the Elk River watershed
• Second order stream

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Description of Birch River Study (cont)

• Geology
• Pottsville Sandstone

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Stream Flow and Water Quality

• Stream Flow
• Discharge rate of 0.948 m3/s
• Water Quality
• CaH Ratio - 1077.012
• Ph - 7.65
• H concentration - .0276
• Ca concentration - 27.4
• Conductivity - 390.5
• Fecal Coliform Bacteria - 2
• Toatal Aluminum - 0.05
• Total Iron - 0.07

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RVHA

• Epifaunal Substrate/Available cover
• Score of 13/20
• Embeddedness
• Score of 14/20
• Velocity/Depth Regime
• Score of 16/20
• Sediment Deposition
• Score of 13/20
• Channel Flow Status
• Score of 14/20
• Channel Alteration
• Score of 13/20
• Frequency of Riffles (or bends)
• Score of 18/20

• Bank Stability
• Left Bank
• Score of 3/10
• Right Bank
• Score of 6/10
• Vegetative Protection
• Left Bank
• Score of 6/10
• Right Bank
• Score of 5/10
• Riparian Vegetative Zone Wiidth
• Left Bank
• Score of 5/10
• Right Bank
• Score of 2/10

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RVHA (cont)

• Reference condition according to the EPA for the
  RVHA is gt170
• Total RVHA score for the Birch River was 128/200
• The final component score is a 36

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Benthic Macroinvertebrates

• Most Predominant Groups
• Stonefly
• Mayfly
• Caddisfly
• Common Netspinner
• Midge Larva

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Benthic Macroinvertebrates (cont)

• Total WVSCI score
• 89.2
• Total Acid SCI
• 76.9
• The final Rating is an Excellent Score

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Fishes

• Most Predominant Fishes
• Northern Hogsucker
• Creek Chub
• River Chub
• Final IBI Component Score
• 75
• Final Rating is an OK Stream

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Summary

• Overall Site Condition
• General impact has a rating of 69
• Acid (precip) has a rating of 75
• Acid (AMD) has a rating of 67
• The overall assessment of the Birch River
  watershed gives the stream a moderately
  impaired rating

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Craigs RunEcosystem AssessmentGroup 2.2

• Laura Kingsbury
• Robert Michalow

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Overall Description of Site

• New River watershed
• 2nd order stream
• Basin Area 7.77km2
• Geology Pottsville sandstone

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RVHA
Epifaunal Substrate Embed- dedness Velocity regime Sediment deposition Channel flow Channel alterations
18 17 19 15 15 20
Frequency of riffles Bank Stability Vegetative protection Riparian Vegetative zone width Overall Score
20 19 20 20 91
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Stream Flow and Water Quality
Using EPA defined protocols we tested the flow
and quality of the water flowing in Craigs run
Discharge (m3/s) 0.03745
pH 7.83
H1conc (moles/L) 0.01479
Ca2 (mg/L) 6.8
CaH 460
Conduct (micro S/cm2/sec) 24

• Discharge smallest stream we sampled (compare
  with Cranberry 1.8m3/s)
• pH VERY surprising to be this basic
• CaH ratio is excellent (gt100)
• Conductivity excellent (lt150)
• Mn Fecal NO DATA

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Benthic Invertebrates

• EPA EMAP protocols followed (modified by picking
  in the field!)
• 18 total taxa found
• Nearly 50 were web spinners (tolerant)
• 10 midges (tolerant)
• 10 Capniidae stoneflies (tolerant)
• 10Heptageniidae mayflies (sensitive)

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Indices Score Correlation Correlation  
EPT Abundance 83.3 100.0 100.0  
EPT Richness 11 91.7 91.7  
Generally Tolerant 11.7 85.4 85.4  
Ephemeroptera 9.7 10.0 10.0  
Modified Hilsenhoff Index 4.5 89.2 89.2  
Dominance 49.4 40.5 40.5  
Taxa Richness 18 90.0 90.0  
  WVSCI WVSCI 82.8  
  Acid SCI Acid SCI 63.5  
Site Name Stream Rating Scale - SCI Stream Rating Scale - SCI    
  Excellent Good Marginal Poor
Craig's Run gt 85.0 85.0 - 70.0 69.9 - 55.0 lt 55.0
Site Code Stream Rating Scale - S0S Stream Rating Scale - S0S    
  Excellent Good Marginal Poor
0 gt 22.0 17.0-22.0 11.0-16.0 lt 11.0
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Fishes

• Taxa
• Only 2 taxa found, 13 individuals
• Cyprinidae (Black-nose dace)
• Salmonalidae (Brook trout)
• Component Scores
• Reduction in score
• Tolerant species in black nose dace
• No sensitive species (Sculpin)
• Total Coldwater IBI 60
• MAH IBI 62

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Summary

• Craigs Run is a wild wonderful looking
  tributary of the Williams River!
• Due to its geological origins, it is a naturally
  acidic stream system and the biota within the
  stream has either evolved to deal with that or
  happily invaded because it could! (ex. Brook
  Trout, Capnid stoneflies Crayfish)

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• We were surprised to find the pH over 7
  especially since we were sampling in the rain
  (normally acidic precipitation) and that the
  water runs over sandstone that has no buffering
  capacity.
• The area does not fall within a coal mining zone
  so AMD would not be a stressor to this system.
• Great little trib. but would need more
  assessments to its health throughout the
  year.why no Sculpin?

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Stream Ecosystem AssessmentGroup 2.3 Cranberry
(above Rough Run)

• Jason Workman
• Chandra Inglis-Smith
• Ryan Braham

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Cranberry Short Summary

• Williams River? New River Watershed
• Stream Order 3rd Order
• Basin Area 134.45 KM2
• Geology consists of Mauch Chunk Shale
  Pottsville Sandstone
• Visual Conditions 60 cloud cover and 31C

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Cranberry WVSCI
  Total of Kinds 11 SOS Index 24
Indices Score Correlation Correlation  
EPT Abundance 85.5 100.0 100.0  
EPT Richness 15 100.0 100.0  
Generally Tolerant 1.6 100.0 100.0  
Ephemeroptera 16.0 32.1 32.1  
Modified Hilsenhoff Index 3.4 100.0 100.0  
Dominance 33.4 59.9 59.9  
Taxa Richness 23 100.0 100.0  
  WVSCI WVSCI 93.3  
  Acid SCI Acid SCI 78.4  
Site Name Stream Rating Scale - SCI Stream Rating Scale - SCI    
  Excellent Good Marginal Poor
Cranberry gt 85.0 85.0 - 70.0 69.9 - 55.0 lt 55.0
Site Code Stream Rating Scale - S0S Stream Rating Scale - S0S    
  Excellent Good Marginal Poor
0 gt 22.0 17.0-22.0 11.0-16.0 lt 11.0
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Cranberry Above Rough Run
Data Source Discharge (m3s) pH HConc Ca CaH
Group 2.3 1.7925 7.405 0.0 10.2 256.34
DEP N/A 7.4 0.0 7.33 192.79
Conduct Fecal Al Fe Mn
Group 2.3 34.5 5 .05 .06 .01
DEP 44 5 .05 .06 .01
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Rapid Visual Habitat Assessment
Epifaunal Substrate Embeddedness Velocity/Depth Regime Sediment Deposition Channel Flow Status Channel Alteration Frequency of Riffles/Bend
15 18 19 16 14 19 18

Left Bank Stability Right Bank Stability Left Vegetative Cover Right Vegetative Cover Left Riparian Zone Right Riparian Zone Total
9 10 10 10 10 10 180
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Overall Stream Condition Score Overall Stream Condition Score Overall Stream Condition Score Overall Stream Condition Score
    Observed Component
  Reference Data Score
CaH gt 100 256.35 100
Conductivity (microsiemens /cm2/s) lt 150 34.5 100
Manganese Conc. (mg/L) lt 0.15 0.01 100
Fecal Coliform lt 100 5 100
       
EPA RVHA gt 170 180 100
       
WV SCI (STANDARD) gt 85 93 100
WV SCI (ACID) gt 85 78 92
       
MAH IBI gt 85 . .
Overal Site Condition GENERAL IMPACT GENERAL IMPACT 100
Overal Site Condition ACID (PRECIP) ACID (PRECIP) 97
Overal Site Condition ACID (AMD) ACID (AMD) 98
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Cranberry (above Rough Run)Conclusion

• Our site kicked ass
• The local geology makes the area susceptible to
  acid precipitation, but the Dosing station (800
  tons/yr) in the North Fork and Dogway buffer the
  system.
• The bug and habitat data below dosing stations
  are indicative of a historically excellent Brook
  Trout fishery.

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Stream Ecosystem AssessmentSouth Fork of
Cranberry River Group 2.4

• Norse Angus
• Eric Nieman

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Cranberry Watershed Description

• The sample area drains 45.81km2
• This area is well forested with minimum
  development and light impacts(gravel roads,
  dosing stations, recreational uses).
• The S. Fork of the Cranberry is located in a WMA
  in the Mon. National Forest.
• The Cranberry drains Northwest into the Gauley
  River at Woodbine.
• The S. Fork is a 3-4th order stream with shale
  and sandstone dominating the geological
  formations.

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Stream Flow and Water Quality
Discharge m3/s pH H Ca CaH Conductivity Fecal Mn
1.15 7.53 .030 6.8 230 36.5 250 .024
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RVHA
Epifaunal Substrate 16 Embeddedness 16 Vel./
Depth Regime 14 Sediment Deposition 18 Channel
Flow 18.5
Channel Alteration 19.5 Freq. of Riffles 17 Bank
Stability 20 Veg. Protection 20 Riparian Veg.
Zone 20 Avg. TOTAL 178
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Benthic Invertebrates
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Fishes
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South Fork Cranberry Summation

• very little watershed problems
• known acid rain effects.
• High quality cold water stream.
• Geology buffering the acid problems
• Low fish score
• Subjective collecting methods

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Super Secret Post-Conclusion Conclusion

• Cost of Tuition, Food and Lodging 730.00
• Cost of Alcohol 437.80
• Cost of Higher Learning Priceless