1. Habitat Assessment Developed by Ken Cooke Kentucky Division of Water Watershed Watch Program Coordinator Modified by Mike Kemp Professor of Environmental Engineering Technology Murray State University

2. Habitat for whom?

3. Habitat for Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Fish

4. Channel Habitat

5. In Stream Characteristics

6. Pools and Riffles Pool Riffle

7. Gabbard Substrate Scale Sand Gravel Cobble Boulder

8. 1 2 3 Name That Sediment!

9. High Gradient Stream

10. Low Gradient Stream Low-gradient streams typically have very gentle channel slopes, meandering streambeds made of fine sediments, and slow water flow.

11. 100 m 300 ft At Least 1 Riffle Your Stream Reach

12. Site Characterization Provides location information and site descriptions

13. Habitat Assessment 10 point evaluation of the stream’s ecological health and fitness

14. Habitat Assessment Measurements 1. Epifaunal substrate / available cover 2. Embeddedness 3. Velocity-depth combinations 4. Sediment deposition 5. Channel flow status 6. Channel alteration 7. Frequency of riffles 8. Bank stability 9. Bank vegetative protection 10. Riparian vegetative zone width

15. 1.Epifaunal Substrate/ Available Cover Optimal Poor

16. Epifaunal Substrate Epi = on top of Fauna = animals Substrate = material on the bottom

17. Epifaunal Substrate Hard substrates such as: - cobble - large gravel, and Other submerged structures such as: - snags

18. Bedrock Bottom (e.g. limestone)

19. Available Cover for Fish (e.g. snags)

20. Available Cover for Fish Undercut stream banks Snags and woody debris

21. 1. Epifaunal Substrate/ Available Cover  Optimal – 70% of substrate is favorable – There is a presence of woody debris, large gravel, cobble, and undercut banks.  Suboptimal – 40-70% mix of stable habitat – Presence of additional substrate in the form of new-fall may rate at high end of category.  Marginal – 20-40% mix of stable habitat  Poor – Less than 20% stable habitat – Lack of habitat is obvious; substrate is unstable or lacking.

22. 2. Embeddedness Optimal Poor

25. 2. Embeddedness  Optimal – Gravel, cobble, and boulders are 0-25% surrounded by fine sediment.  Suboptimal – Gravel, cobble, and boulders are 25-50% surrounded by fine sediment.  Marginal – Gravel, cobble, and boulders are 50-75% surrounded by fine sediment.  Poor – Gravel, cobble, and boulders are more than 75% surrounded by fine sediment.

26. Optimal Poor 3. Velocity-Depth Regime

28. Different Velocity/Depth Regimes = Different Stream Habitats

29. Caddisfly in Case Hellgrammite Madtom Sculpin Riffle Inhabitants

30. Green Drake (Mayfly) Midge Larvae Creek Chub Longnose Sucker Pool Inhabitants

31. 3. Velocity-Depth Regime  Optimal – All 4 combinations present. – Note: If only 1 riffle, score lower in this category.  Suboptimal – Only 3 of the 4 combinations present. – Note: If fast-shallow is missing, score lower in this category.  Marginal – Only 2 of the 4 combinations present. – Note: If fast-shallow or slow-shallow are missing, score lower in this category.  Poor – Only 1 of the 4 combinations is present.

32. 4. Sediment Deposition Optimal Poor

33. Point Bars Shoal 4. Sediment Deposition

34. Large Amount of Sediment Deposited Forming an Island

35. 4. Sediment Deposition  Optimal – Little or no enlargement of islands or point bars – Less than 5% of bottom affected by sediment deposition  Suboptimal – Some new increase in bar formation, mostly from gravel, sand or fine sediment – 5-30% of the bottom affected – Slight deposition in pools  Marginal – Moderate deposition of new gravel, sand or fine sediment on old and new bars – 30-50% of the bottom affected – Sediment deposits at obstructions, constrictions & bends – Moderate deposition of pools prevalent  Poor – Heavy deposits of fine material, increased bar development – More than 50% of the bottom changing frequently – Pools almost absent due to substantial sediment deposition

36. 5. Channel Flow Status?

38. Optimal: Water from bank to bank.

39. 5. Channel Flow Status?

40. Poor: Very little water in channel and water mostly present as standing pools.

41. 5. Channel Flow Status?

42. Marginal: Water fills 25-75% of the available channel.

43. #5: Channel Flow Status? 5. Channel Flow Status?

44. Suboptimal: Water fills >75% of channel. #5: Channel Flow Status? 5. Channel Flow Status?

45. 5. Channel Flow Status  Optimal – Water reaches base of both lower banks. – Minimal amount of channel substrate is exposed.  Suboptimal – Water fills >75% of the available channel; OR – <25% of channel substrate is exposed.  Marginal – Water fills 25-75%of the available channel; AND/OR – Riffle substrates are mostly exposed.  Poor – Very little water in channel – Water mostly present as standing pools.

46. 6. Channel Alteration Optimal Poor

47. A highly disturbed, channelized stream like this contains little habitat for fish and invertebrates due to no rocks or wood, uniform depth, and limited aquatic habitat diversity.

48. Hardening Channel

49. Stream Hardening Gabbions Riprap

50. Stream Hardening

51. 6. Channel Alteration  Optimal – Channelization or dredging absent or minimal – Stream with normal pattern  Suboptimal – Some channelization present, usually in areas of bridge abutments – Evidence of past channelization may be present, but recent channelization is not present (greater than past 20 yr)*  Marginal – Channelization may be extensive. – Embankments or shoring structures present on both banks – 40-85% of stream reach channelized and disrupted  Poor – Banks shored with gabion or cement – More than 80% of stream reach channelized and disrupted – Instream habitat greatly altered or removed entirely

52. 7. Frequency of Riffles Optimal Poor

53. Frequency of Riffles = Distance Between Riffles Width of Stream

54. Frequency of Riffles Width of Stream 10’ Distance Between Riffles 50’ 50’ 10’ = 5:1

55. 7. Frequency of Riffles  Optimal – Occurrence of riffles relatively frequent – Distance/Width < 7:1  Suboptimal – Occurrence of riffles infrequent – Distance/Width between 7:1 and 15:1  Marginal – Occasional riffle—bottom contours provide some habitat – Distance/Width between 15:1 and 25:1  Poor – Generally all flat water or shallow riffles – Poor habitat

56. 8. Bank Stability Optimal Poor

57. 8. Bank Stability Undercut Steeply Sloping Gradually Sloping

58. Bank Erosion

59. 8. Bank Stability  Optimal – < 5% of bank affected – Banks stable (evidence of erosion or bank failure absent or minimal). – Little potential for future problems  Suboptimal – 5-30% of bank in reach has areas of erosion – Moderately stable (infrequent, small areas of erosion mostly healed over)  Marginal – 30-60% of bank in reach has areas of erosion – Moderately unstable – High erosion potential during floods  Poor – 60-100% of bank has erosional scars – Raw (bare) areas frequent along straight sections and bends – Unstable (obvious bank sloughing)

60. 9. Bank Vegetative Protection Optimal Poor

61. Lack of Vegetation = Banks Easily Eroded

63. 9. Bank Vegetative Protection  Optimal – More than 90% of the streambank surfaces and immediate riparian zone covered by native vegetation  Suboptimal – 70-90% covered, but one class of plants is not well represented – Disruption evident but not affecting full plant growth potential to any great extent – More than ½ of the potential plant stubble height remaining  Marginal – 50-70% covered (disruption obvious) – Patches of bare soil or closely cropped vegetation common – Less than ½ of the potential stubble height remaining  Poor – Less than 50% covered (disruption of vegetation is very high) – Vegetation has been removed to 5 cm or less in average stubble height

64. Optimal Poor 10. Riparian Vegetative Zone

65.  Provides Shade  Filters Runoff  Provides Food (leaves & stems)  Wildlife Habitat Riparian Zone

66. Riparian Vegetative Zone Width Optimal width is about 18 meters = ~60 feet.

67. Manmade Alterations Roads Parking Lots Fields (e.g. crops, grazing) Lawns Bare Soil Buildings (e.g. barns, houses) Golf Courses

68. 10. Riparian Vegetative Zone  Optimal – Width of riparian zone > 18 meters (~60 ft) – Human-made alterations have not impacted zone  Suboptimal – Width of riparian zone 12-18 meters (~37-60 ft) – Human activities have impacted zone only minimally  Marginal – Width of riparian zone 6-12 meters (~19-37 ft) – Human activities have impacted zone a great deal  Poor – Width of riparian zone <6 meters (~19 ft) – Little or no riparian vegetation due to human activities

69. RBP - physical and chemical parameters 3. Riparian vegetation Width of the vegetation zone on either side of the stream How Wide is This Riparian Zone?

70. RBP - physical and chemical parameters 3. Riparian vegetation Width of the vegetation zone on either side of the stream How Wide is This Riparian Zone? 0 Feet