1. Stream Ecosystem Assessment Group 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 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

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 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 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 1.4 Sue Byrd & Renee Fleshman Big Rough Run Stream Assessment

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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 19 12 16 9 7 12 20 7/7 9/9 9/6 Total = 142 (71%)

16. Big Rough Run – Benthic Invertebrates IndicesScore% Correlation % EPT Abundance72.196.1 EPT Richness1083.3 % Generally Tolerant1.1100.0 % Ephemeroptera31.563.1 Modified Hilsenhoff Index3.5100.0 % Dominance33.060.5 Taxa Richness1365.0 WVSCI84.2 Acid SCI74.4 Site Name Stream Rating Scale - SCI ExcellentGoodMarginalPoor Big Rough Run > 85.085.0 - 70.069.9 - 55.0< 55.0 Site Code Stream Rating Scale - S0S ExcellentGoodMarginalPoor 0 > 22.017.0-22.011.0-16.0< 11.0

17. Big Rough Run (Absence of Fish)

18. Big Rough Run

19. Stream Ecosystem Assessment Group 1.2 CRAIGS RUN Camp Caesar August 2003

20. 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

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 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 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 Assessment Group 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/cm 3 (Average) Total Hardness = 1 mg/l CaCO 3 Alkalinity = 0.4 mg/l CaCO 3 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 15 16 17 19 9/8 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