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 3 rd 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

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

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

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

Birch River – Water Quality

Birch 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 /9 6/6 7/5 Total = 156 (78%)

Birch River – Benthic Invertebrates

Birch River – Fish

Birch River – Overall Condition Score

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

Big Rough Run General Description Cranberry River 6.99 km 2 basin area (1.05 m 3 /s) Pottsville Sandstone Cranberry Wilderness Impacted by road

Big Rough Run Water Quality pH= 4.96 Conductivity = 27 µs/cm 3 Total Hardness = 34 mg/l CaCO 3 Alkalinity = 0 mg/l CaCO 3 Indicates sterile acidic conditions

Big Rough Run 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 /7 9/9 9/6 Total = 142 (71%)

Big Rough Run – Benthic Invertebrates IndicesScore% Correlation % EPT Abundance EPT Richness % Generally Tolerant % Ephemeroptera Modified Hilsenhoff Index % Dominance Taxa Richness WVSCI84.2 Acid SCI74.4 Site Name Stream Rating Scale - SCI ExcellentGoodMarginalPoor Big Rough Run > < 55.0 Site Code Stream Rating Scale - S0S ExcellentGoodMarginalPoor 0 > < 11.0

Big Rough Run (Absence of Fish)

Big Rough Run

Stream Ecosystem Assessment Group 1.2 CRAIGS RUN Camp Caesar August 2003

Craigs Run – General Description Williams/Gauley Watershed 8.71 km 2 Basin Area (Discharge = 0.04m 3 /s) Forest Land Use (Monongahela National Forest) Aggrading Stream: Cobble/Gravel Mauch Chunk & Pottsville Geology

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

Craigs Run 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 /4 8/8 10/10 Total = 138 (69%)

Craigs Run– Benthic Invertebrates

Craigs Run - Fish

CRAIGS RUN

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

South Fork Cranberry River – General Description Cranberry River km2 basin area (1.07 m3/s) Mauch Chunk Shale & Sandstone Cranberry Wilderness Dominated by headwater bog – humic acids

South Fork Cranberry River – Water Quality pH= 7.53 Conductivity = µs/cm 3 (Average) Total Hardness = 1 mg/l CaCO 3 Alkalinity = 0.4 mg/l CaCO 3 Circum-neutral, softwater stream

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 /8 9/9 Total = 166 (83%)

South Fork Cranberry River – Benthic Invertebrates

South Fork Cranberry River – Fish

South Fork Cranberry River

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