1. Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index Bradley Hansen John Nieber Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering For BBE 4535/5535 Fall 2011

2. Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) The QHEI was developed by the Ohio EPA for assessment of habitat loss due to sediment The QHEI was developed by the Ohio EPA for assessment of habitat loss due to sediment It can evaluate whether habitat is a limiting factor for a fish community, and which factors are the likely stressors It can evaluate whether habitat is a limiting factor for a fish community, and which factors are the likely stressors It can also help determine both the source of the sediment and the effects on the stream It can also help determine both the source of the sediment and the effects on the stream Correlated to fish IBI scores Correlated to fish IBI scores

4. Consists of 6 Metrics Substrate Substrate Instream Cover Instream Cover Channel Morphology Channel Morphology Riparian Zone and Bank Erosion Riparian Zone and Bank Erosion Pool – Riffle Quality Pool – Riffle Quality Map Gradient Map Gradient

5. Metric 1: Substrate Type Type Quality Quality

6. Substrate

7. Not embeddedEmbedded

8. Riffle Pool Riffle Pool NoneLow ModerateExtensive

10. Metric 2: Instream Cover Type Type Amount Amount

11. Instream Cover

14. Metric 3: Channel Morphology Sinuosity – number of bends in the reach Development – pool-riffle complex Channelization – human made channel modifications Stability – bank and channel stability

15. Channel Morphology

16. stability channelization

17. Pool/Riffle Development

19. Metric 4: Riparian Zone and Bank Erosion Width Width – Floodplain Quality Quality – Landuse Bank Erosion Bank Erosion – Stability

20. Riparian Zone

23. Metric 5: Pool-Riffle Quality Max. Depth Max. Depth Pool and Riffle Current Current Velocity estimate Morphology Morphology Pool-Riffle width

24. Pool-Riffle Quality

26. Metric 6: Map Gradient Channel slope - Channel slope - Measure stream length between two contours divide by contour interval

27. Map Gradient

30. Individual metrics

31. Score

32. Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index It can evaluate whether habitat is a limiting factor for a fish community, and which factors are the likely stressors It can evaluate whether habitat is a limiting factor for a fish community, and which factors are the likely stressors It can also help determine both the source of the sediment and the effects on the stream It can also help determine both the source of the sediment and the effects on the stream