Nonpoint Source Stream Reach Assessment Form 



IMPAIRHENT INDICATORS 



(IF IMPAIRMENTS ARE EVIDENT AND CONCENTRATED IN A SPECIFIC AREA, PLEASE NOTE LOCATIONS ON HAP) 



TURBIDITY 



CLEAR SLIGHTLY OFF COLOR CLOUDY OPAQUE COLOR: 



SOURCE, IF KNOWN 



PRECIPITATES OTHER THAN SEDIMENT ON CHANNEL BOTTOH 



NONE SLIGHT , MODERATE , PROFUSE COLOR: 



SALINIZATION 



NONE EVIDENT: 



SOME: EVIDENCE OF SALINITY IS PRESENT IN THE WATERSHED HOWEVER NO SALT CRUSTS WERE OBSERVED WITHIN 100' OF THE STREAM. 



MODERATE: SALT CRUSTS PRESENT <100' FROM THE STREAM. MAY BE MINOR EVIDENCE OF SALTS ON THE STREAM BANK. PLANT DIVERSITY 



AND ABUNDANCE MAY BE REDUCED OR DOMINATED BY SALT TOLERANT SPECIES (I.E. SALTGRASS, RABBIT BRUSH, FOXTAIL BARLEY, W. 



WHEATGRASS) . 

 SEVERE: SALT CRUSTS COMMON WITHIN 1(X3' OF THE STREAM OR ON STREAM BANKS. VEGETATION HAY BE SEVERELY REDUCED DUE TO SALT. 



SALT DEPOSITS MAY BE EVIDENT ON STREAM ROCKS. 



FOREIGN DEBRIS: CONSIDER MATERIALS SUCH AS GARBAGE, MANURE, LOGGING SLASH, ETC. AND POSITION REUTIVE TO STREAM CHANNEL. 



LOCATION OF DEBRIS RELATIVE TO DISTANCE FROM CHANNEL AMOUNT POTENTIAL TO REACH CHANNEL 



(N = NONE, (P = PRESENT, C= COMMON, E = EXCESSIVE) (L » LOU, M = MOD., H » HIGH) 



>200' FROM STREAM CHANNEL. 



50-200' OF STREAM CHANNEL. 



- < 50' FROM THE STREAM CHANNEL. 



MATERIAL PRESENT ON BANKS AND IN THE STREAM CHANNEL. 



• DESCRIBE THE MATERIAL OBSERVED. 



HATER ODOR 



NONE , SLIGHT , MODERATE , STRONG 



SEWAGE , PETROLEUM , CHEMICAL , NATURAL , OTHER 



DEUATERING: AS A RESULT OF IRRIGATION OR NATURAL FACTORS SUCH AS SUBSURFACE FLOWS. 



NO APPARENT WATER LOSS (IRRIGATION MAY BE SUPPLEMENTING BASE FLOW) 



WATER LOSS NOTICEABLE, HOWEVER FLOWS ARE ADEQUATE TO SUPPORT AQUATIC ORGANISMS. 



FLOW WILL SUPPORT AQUATIC ORGANISMS, THOUGH HABITAT, ESPECIALLY RIFFLES IS DRASTICALLY REDUCED. 



CHANNEL MAY BE DRY OR FLOW LOW ENOUGH TO PRECLUDE OR SEVERELY IMPAIR AQUATIC ORGANISMS. 



• SUSPECTED CAUSES: NATURAL HUMAN-CAUSED 



• WERE IRRIGATION RETURN FLOWS OBSERVED? YES NO IF YES, RATE TURBIDITY H M_ L_ 



• STREAM TEMPERATURE? ABOVE RETURN BELOW RETURN 



AQUATIC ORGANISMS 

 FISHERIES 



• WERE FISH OBSERVED? YES NO IF YES, PRESENT, COMMON, ABUNDANT. SPECIES) IF KNOWN^ 



• DID FISH EXHIBIT ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR? YES NO 



• WERE ANY FISH BARRIERS (IMPENETRABLE BLOCKAGES >3' HEIGHT) OBSERVED? YES NO BE SURE AND LOCATE BARRIERS ON MAP. 



AQUATIC PLANT GROWTH 



ABSENT PRESENT/NOT COMMON COMMON ABUNDANT 



DOES PLANT GROWTH APPEAR NORMAL GIVEN THE SEASON AND NATURAL STREAM CONDITIONS? YES NO 



IS ALGAE FILAMENTOUS? YES NO 



WHAT COLOR IS THE ALGAE? 



PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOUING OUESTIONS 



- WAS WATER SURFACE FOAM >3" HIGH OBSERVED? YES NO 



- HAS CHANNEL BEEN ARTIFICIALLY MODIFIED? CONSIDER ONLY PRACTICES SUCH AS DREDGING. STRAIGHTENING. AND CHANNELIZATION. 

 YES NO 



IF YES, INDICATE THE TYPE OF MODIFICATION AND APPROXIMATELY HOW RECENT? 



<5YRS. 5-1QYRS. >10YRS. 



- HAVE THE MODIFIED PORTIONS OF THE CHANNEL STABILIZED? YES NO . 



- WERE POINT SOURCES OBSERVED? YES NO IF YES, PLEASE DESCRIBE AND RECORD LOCATION ON MAP 



Page 210 Flathead Basin Cooperative Program Final Report 



