Potash Brook (Lake Champlain Direct Flow) - Tier 3 Report - Ashley Eaton, 09/10/14

Physical Parameters Assessment

Investigator Name(s):

Champlain College

Collection Date & Time:

Wednesday, September 10, 2014 - 10:00am

School:

Champlain College

Watershed:

Lake Champlain Direct & Grand Isle Basins

River:

Potash Brook (Lake Champlain Direct Flow)

Surrounding Development or Land Use:

Farm

Residential

Forest

Do you see any pipes entering into the river?:

Is there a water treatment plant upstream?:

Canopy Cover:

76-100%

Water Appearance:

Clear

Water Odor:

Odorless

Average Embeddedness:

0-25%

Exact Location

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Latitude:

44.44

Longitude:

-73.22

Weather

Present:

Overcast

Past 48 Hours:

Clear/Sunny

Chemical Assessment

Introduction:

Materials and Methods:

Results:

Discussion:

Stream Habitat Assessment

Good Habitat: Score of 80 to 60 ----- Fair Habitat: Score of 59 to 40 ----- Poor Habitat: Score of 39 to 0

Substrate Habitat Types (Score):

40 to 70% has mix of stable habitat types (6)

Embeddedness:

0 to 25% embedded; rocks easy to move (8)

Sediment Deposition:

5 to 30% of riverbed effected by new deposition (6)

Velocity / Depth Types:

Slow & shallow

Velocity / Depth Types (Score):

1 velocity/depth type present (2)

Channel Flow Status:

Water fills > 75% of channel; < 25% of substrate exposed (6)

Channel Alteration:

Alteration minimal; river with natural pattern (4)

Frequency of Riffles:

Occasional riffles (2)

Bank Stability (Left Bank):

Unstable; 60 to 100% eroded or collapsed (1)

Bank Stability (Right Bank):

Unstable; 60 to 100% eroded or collapsed (1)

Riparian Vegetation (Left Bank):

< 50% covered by natural vegetation (1)

Riparian Vegetation (Right Bank):

< 50% covered by natural vegetation (1)

Riparian Zone Width (Left Bank):

Width > 18 meters; no human impact (4)

Riparian Zone Width (Right Bank):

Width 12 to 18 meters; minimal human impact (3)

Stream Habitat Quality Score

Calculated by adding all of the points from the above fields.

60-80 (Good)
40-59 (Fair)
0-39 (Poor)

Stream Habitat Quality Score for This Report:

Biological Assessment

The Water Quality Score is calculated by adding together the the Index Values calculated for each Sensitivity Group on the field sheet.

40+ (Excellent)
30-39 (Good)
20-29 (Fair)
0-19 (Poor)

Group I (Sensitive) Index Value:

16.0

Group II (Moderately Sensitive) Index Value:

9.0

Group III (Tolerant) Index Value:

0.0

Water Quality Score for This Report: