Overall Ecological Site Condition: Poor/Kair 



Reach Summarj: The 100 m reach consisted of 1 run/pool complex with the run having been recently 

 refilled and the pool (-1 5iti long) containing no fish and the onl\ macroin\ertebrates in the reach. This 

 stream reach has sparse aquatic habitat and severely trampled riparian area. All substrate of the run was 

 silt dominated with some embedded gravel in the run upstream. The surrounding vegetation was 

 dominated bv C'urex iwhrnscensis (a hea\y-grazing indicator), Scirpm sp. (rushes) and Eleocharis 

 palustris. common spikerush. Riparian vegetation and grassy banks were heavily grazed. Livestock use 

 index (LL'i) was high -45 cow pies counted on a 50 m walk of the left & right banks. Pugging and 

 hummocking was especially noticeable at the top of the run where the cows have a stream crossing. This 

 sediment 



Reach Habitat Ranking: BLM= 66.7% (16 of 24) EPA RBP= 63% (126 of 200) 



Reach Riparian CJeomorpholog>': The geomorphology of this stream reach is a Rosgen F-6 with a 

 gentle slope (~ 1 "o). moderate sinuosity, a rifile-pool configuration u ith silt-dominated runs and pools. 

 Pools are slightly incised and averaged -25 cm in depth, wetted width of the reach averaged Im. 

 Surrounding bank materials are coarser than the channel bed materials indicating an accumulation of 

 sediments in the reach. 



.Amphibian Cctmmunity: No amphibians reported from this site. 



Fish Community: None 



Macroinvertebrate Community: This community of intermittent prairie stream invertebrates consists 

 of the Prairie Pool assemblage (#12. Stagliano 2005). The community indicator species are characterized 

 bv tolerant, damsellly taxa. Coenui^rion Enallagma sp. Kmillii^inui civile. Lcilcs and /.shnitru. the 

 crustaceans (Hyalella and Gammarus), many genera and species of the water boatman (Corixidae: 

 Sigara alternate. Trichocorixa nais. and Corisella). the snails (Pliysella. (;it</h/m.v. anil Siai^nicola), 

 mavflies (C'aeni.s and C'allihaeli.s). and beetles (Oreodvtes. I.accophilus. Hvdroporus and Ihsiroim). 

 As the complexity of the pool habitat decreases the dinger habitat species are lost, such as the 

 damselflies and many of the water boatman taxa. Over 60% of the indicator species were present in this 

 sample for a F.005 stream type indicating slight impairment. The Montana MMI ranks the community as 

 slightK impaired as well. 



Macroinvertebrate Communit> Quality: MT MMI= 32.5 0/E=61% 



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