Key Environmental Factors: Hydrology — upstream dams, incised channel; Grazing — slight impacts 



Rare or Unique Species: No rare species, but good riparian cottonwood stands in local landscape. 



Rare Features: Petrified logs and fossil remains in the right stream bank (Figure 21 &22). 



Introduced/Exotic Species: Green sunfish 



Overall Ecological Site Condition: Fair/Good 



Reach Summary: The 250m reach consisted of 3 run/pool complexes with the uppermost pool being 

 ~100m long and containing the most fish holding habitat. This stream reach has moderate aquatic habitat 

 and a diversity of microhabitats, thus leading to high fish species diversity ( 1 2 species, 1 native). Pools 

 averaging 10- 15m long and 2.25m wide. The first 2 riffle/pool complexes proceeding upstream were deep 

 enough to allow seining for fish, the last pool was clear and shallow enough to visibly inspect for fish and 

 amphibians. Spacing between the pools was ~20m apart for the bottom 3, and -lOOm from pool 3 to 4. 

 All substrate of the pools was gravel dominated with some silt and cobbles and pools 1 and 2 with 

 surrounding vegetation dominated by Scirpus sp. (rushes) and Eleocharis palustris, common spikerush. 

 Aquatic vegetation and overhanging banks provided the most significant stream habitat in this stream 

 reach. Livestock use index (LUI) was low with ~7 cow pies counted on a 75m walk of the left bank. 

 Pugging and hummocking was absent in the immediate riparian reach. 



Reach Riparian Ranking: BLM= 62.5% (15 of 24) EPA RBP= 64% (128 of 200) 



Reach Riparian Geomorphology: The geomorphology of this stream reach is a Rosgen F-4 with a 

 gentle-medium slope (~1 %), moderate sinuosity, and a glide-pool configuration with substrate dominated 

 by silted-cobbles and ranging from silt to gravel-dominated pools. Pools are incised and averaged >40 cm 

 in depth, wetted width of the reach was 6.8 m. Surrounding bank materials are finer than the channel bed 

 materials. 



Amphibian Community: 1 adult Northern Leopard Frog (NLF) present in the uppermost pool and a 

 garter snake in the riparian zone. 



Fish Community: 1 1 fish species (9 native) were seined in the 3 run/pools. Dominant species were 

 fathead minnows and sand shiners. Expected dominant fish species for this stream type would have 

 included fiathead chubs, sand shiners, western silvery and plains minnows and fewer fatheads. Although 

 most fish species expected are present, thus a good 0/E score, the presence of non-natives and 

 dominance of fatheads has caused a lowered IBl score and is ranked as slightly impaired. But overall a 

 good fish community. 



Fish Community Quality: IB1= 65.19 0/E= 9/1 1 or 81.8% of the expected fish community. 



Macroinvertebrate Community: This community consists of the Filtering Collector, Prairie Stream 

 and Large Prairie River assemblage of macroinvertebrates (#9, 11, 12, 40 Stagliano 2005). This 

 community was devoid of the filtering collector assemblage indicator species and few indicators of the 

 Large Prairie River assemblage indicting that the community of this site is incomplete. Only -60% of the 

 indicator species were present in this sample. 



Macroinvertebrate Community Quality: MT MMI= 45.6 0/E= 62% 



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