Key Environmental Factors: Hydrology — upstream dams or diversions in the watershed; Grazing — 

 sheep grazing on right bank looking downstream 



Rare or Unique Species: The dominance of large river species (goldeyes, sauger and channel catfish) 



Rare Features: Cottonwood stand with good recruitment and regeneration. 



Introduced/Exotic Species: Northern pike & carp 



Overall Ecological Site Condition: Good to Excellent 



Reach Summary: The 300 m reach consisted of 3 riffle/run/pool complexes with full flowing water 

 connectivity and a braided channel around an island. The uppermost pool was ~ 12m wide, ~50m long 

 (averaged 0.5 m deep) and contained the most fish holding habitat, a riffle above this pool was the top of 

 the reach. This pool was followed by a 50m deep run which divided around an island forming a braided 

 channel (see photo). This stream reach has excellent aquatic habitat (30% of the channel depths were 

 >0.5m), and a diversity of microhabitats leading to high fish species diversity (14 species). Pools 

 averaging 25-40m long and 8- 10m wide. Substrate of the upper pool was gravel-dominated with some silt 

 and cobbles, and the lower pools dominated by sand/gravel. Aquatic vegetation and overhanging banks at 

 the margins provided significant stream habitat in this stream reach. Riparian vegetation coverage was 

 dominated by grasses and shrubs with a significant cottonwood grove with regeneration on the left bank. 

 Livestock use index (LUI) was moderate with -20 sheep pies counted on a 75m walk of the right bank. 



Reach Riparian Ranking: BLM= 90% (22 of 24) EPA RBP= 90% ( 1 80 of 200) 



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

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

 by gravel/cobbles and ranging to gravel-dominated pools. Pools are slightly incised and averaged >40 cm 

 in depth, wetted width of the reach was 1 5.4m. Surrounding bank materials are finer than the channel bed 

 materials. 



Amphibian Community: None recorded. 



Fish Community: 14 fish species (11 native) were seined in the 3 rififle/run/pools. Dominant species 

 were goldeyes, sand shiners and channel catfish. Expected dominant fish species for this stream type 

 would have included flathead chubs, western silvery and plains minnows. Expected fish for this stream 

 type have been met and included the important species, sauger (Figure 14) and the intolerant goldeye 

 (Figure 15). The presence of these species substantially raised the IBI scores, and compensated for the 

 occurrence of 2 introduced species in this river reach, the carp and northern pike. Overall, excellent fish 

 community. 



Fish Community Quality: 181= 87.6 0/E= 1 1/1 1 or 100% of the expected fish community. 



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

 and Large Prairie River assemblage of macroinvertebrates (#3, 9, 1 1, 37 Stagliano 2005). Over 80%) of 

 the indicator species expected were present in this sample. 



Macroinvertebrate Community Quality: MT 1VIM1= 72.6 0/E= >80%) 



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