Blackwater Creek Watershed: Water Quality Assessment

Transcription

1 LYNCHBURG COLLEGE FRESHWATER ECOLOGY CLASS OF SPRING 213 Blackwater Creek Watershed: Water Quality Assessment 5/1/213

2 Abstract Dr. Tom Shahady s Freshwater Ecology class conducted an assessment of the Blackwater Creek watershed to determine the watershed s health: physically, biologically and chemically. The purpose of this study was to examine the Blackwater Creek watershed, to determine if residential and commercial development was degrading the watershed. In order to collect sound and efficient data the class was divided into four research teams: macro-invertebrates, physical, fish and chemical. These research teams collected data from seven streams within the boundaries of the Blackwater Creek watershed. The following charts and tables will express collected data in spatial and temporal terms. The spatial data has been arranged by least impervious site to greatest impervious site. The temporal data shows the trend of data collected at Hollins Mill since 23. Overall, there has not been a consistent trend to determine whether the Blackwater Creek watershed s health is improving or worsening. However, it is clear that the largest order stream, Hollins Mill, has seen an increase in quality; due in large part to the stream restoration project in 2. The study concludes that the health of the watershed will be determined by the implementation of best management practices and additional stream restoration projects. Introduction Due to Lynchburg s proximity to the James River, the city is responsible for monitoring the quality of water flowing into the James, which eventually washes into the Chesapeake Bay. The City of Lynchburg encompasses the majority of the Blackwater Creek Watershed. The importance of maintaining a healthy watershed has prompted a full assessment of the Blackwater Creek watershed by students of the Lynchburg College Freshwater Ecology class. The overall health of the Blackwater Creek watershed has become a concern for the city over the past decade, as federal and state regulations are being enforced on localities, forcing them to monitor the water quality within the cities watershed. Over the past decade Lynchburg has seen a large amount of commercial and residential development along the many streams of the Blackwater Creek Watershed. This increase in development has resulted in the construction of large patches of impervious surfaces (roads, parking lots, and highways) and the alteration of streams through culverts and other engineering features. The overall health of the Blackwater Creek watershed is being degraded by the practice of urbanization. Impervious surfaces degrade not only the water quality, but the physical aspects of the cities streams. As impervious surfaces increase more and more natural riparian buffers are removed. Riparian buffers are beneficial to streams; they slow down water runoff through infiltration and provide stability to stream banks. Another negative impact of urbanization is the alteration of streams. Streams throughout Lynchburg, especially by Wards Road, are being altered through culverts and basins. Stream alteration removes the natural flow of a stream, which affects the physical, biological and chemical aspects of the stream. The measurement of stream health and its responses to environmental degradation can be determined through well-defined indicators. In a degrading stream the first indicator would be the change of the waters chemistry. Second would be a small sample of macro-invertebrates. Third would be a small collection of fish and the last indicator would be physical alteration to a stream s banks. In addition to this broad indicator there are various detailed indicators for distinct purposes: IBI, EPT and RCI. These three indices are used by the fish, macroinvertebrates and physical teams respectively when assessing streams in the field. The stream s or watershed s health depends on the results of the various indices. In the following pages each team will present their findings through these various indices.

3 The Blackwater Creek Watershed is located in south-central Virginia within the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The overall drainage area of the watershed is just over 42, acres and protrudes into three jurisdictions: Lynchburg City, Campbell Country and Bedford County (Shahady, 26). There are eight sub watersheds within the Blackwater Creek Watershed: Upper Ivy, Middle Ivy, Lower Ivy, Lower Blackwater, Burton, Dreaming Creek, Tomahawk and Middle Blackwater (was not included in our study). The current watershed land cover is estimated at 36% forested, and much of the remaining forested land is slowly being developed. Macros In this day and age we have continued to grow and expanded, developing in new areas, and removing forested areas to support the needs of our or developing society. With this being said, a lot of development has been linked to the degradation and impacts on the surrounding environment as well as the biota within. During this particular study we were interested in looking at the effects of urbanization on the water quality of the Blackwater/ Ivy Creek watershed. We specifically looked at the abundance of Macro-invertebrates because they are good indicators of the aquatic environment and water quality. These aquatic larval insects are particularly worth looking at because they spend a majority of their life cycle in the stream and provide the best indicators of the stream s overall health and ecological condition (Mandaville 22). They represent an enormous diversity of body shapes, survival strategies, and adaptations. Many of these invertebrates require clear, cool water, adequate oxygen, stable flows, and a steady source of food in order to survive and complete their life cycle (Shahady 213).These insects are greatly affected by human activities that alter a watershed and interfere with the natural processes of a stream. In this study, the objective was to look at a total of seven sample sites located within the Blackwater/ Ivy Creek watershed. We specifically wanted to see if macro-invertebrates were being impacted by urbanization. We hypothesized that based off of the samples collected we would be able to use the abundance of macro-invertebrates in three indices to determine if the water quality was excellent, moderate, and /or poor. Physical Physical group measures parameters around the stream and also measures stream bed and channel alterations to draw up a cross section of the stream bed. With these cross sections at hand, erosion of stream banks and beds will be more accurate and available to see. Stream bed alterations from human and natural impacts can affect how much sediment will be transported downstream. For the optimal water quality there needs to be a large area of riparian area with a stable in-stream habitat, and the stream needs to be able to meander naturally. With development and urbanization playing a large role in Lynchburg, these streams have been altered in many ways: Alteration of stream flow with more rapid rise and fall of streams Erosion of stream banks Higher peak flows Less vegetation on the stream banks Loss of over stream canopy cover Increased concentrations of chemicals, and Changes in habitat and diversity of aquatic species (Blackwater Creek Management Plan)

4 Fish For our study we used the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) to determine the presence of certain indicator species of freshwater fish within the Blackwater Creek Watershed. The IBI was first developed describe the state of small warm water streams. The IBI uses nine different parameters to show which species within the index are more sensitive to water quality and human influence. The nine parameters that are used are as follows: Total number of fish species. The number of species decreases overall as degradation increases. Typical range of species found varies for different order streams. The relative percent of darter species to the total. The number of darters decreases with increased sedimentation and decreased benthic oxygen supply. The relative percent of water column (WC) insectivores to the total. The number of WC insectivores increases with channelization and loss of riffle habitat, and decreases with loss of riparian vegetation. The relative percent of pool-benthic insectivores to the total. The number will increase with sedimentation and channelization. The relative percent of intolerant species to the total. The number is dependent on local conditions, but decreases with various chemical and physical disturbances. The relative abundance of tolerant species. The number increases with human influence because they are more tolerant to degradation. The relative abundance of omnivores. The number increases with degradation. Omnivores can live off of a variety of plant and animal material that insectivores cannot. The relative abundance of top carnivores. The number decreases with degradation. The deviation from ideal percentages or number of individuals in the sample. Expressed as catch per unit effort. (Shahady, 213, pg ). All of these parameters are measured with a qualitative score of 1-5 on each, 1 being poor and 5 being ideal. With those scores in mind, total IBI score can range from 9 at the lowest to 45 at the best (Shahady, 213, pg. 1). The overall score forms a fairly accurate view of stream health because it provides a condensed view of the total percentage of tolerant and intolerant fish in the system. Chemistry Water chemistry is important to assess the water of a stream(s). Water quality is reflective of the stream at a particular time and can change over short periods of time. The water chemistry focus, of the study, is on the streams located within the Blackwater and Ivy Creek watersheds.

5 Site Descriptions The following sites are listed in order from least amount of impervious land area to the most impervious land area cover. Figure Upper Ivy Creek Sub-Watershed. Sample site of Chaffin Farm is located the upper northern portion of the watershed. All groups gathered data from the Chaffin Farm site. The entire land area of this sub watershed only includes 1.52% impervious cover, the least amount in the entire Blackwater Creek Watershed. The overall state of this site is fair and has seen little impact from residential or commercial development. The main cause to this sites degradation is agriculture. There is little to zero riparian buffer on either side of the stream and in many areas cows can be seen sitting or standing in the water. Due to the lack of a riparian buffer this site and much of the stream is suffering from severe erosion.

6 Figure 1.2 Middle Ivy Creek Sub-Watershed. Sample site of Hooper Road is located north central portion of the watershed. All groups gathered data from the Hooper Road site. The entire land area of this sub watershed includes 3.6% impervious cover. This site has seen little disturbance, besides for the bridge that was constructed to allow traffic to pass over the stream. There is a decent riparian buffer on both sides of the stream. Because of a strong riparian presence the stream s banks are fairly undisturbed very little erosion or other natural disturbances.

7 Figure 1.3 Tomahawk Watershed Sample site of Tomahawk Creek is located in the south central portion of the watershed All groups gathered data from the Tomahawk Creek site. The entire land area of this sub watershed includes 13.12% impervious cover. This is the first site that groups began to see the effects of residential development. The stream has been heavily affected by channeling of the flow through culverts and littered debris found along the streambed. Both of these actions are causing a redirection of the water flow and erosion. There is decent riparian buffer found at this site.

8 Figure Lower Ivy Creek Watershed Sample site of Peaks View Park is located in the northern portion of the watershed. All groups gathered data from Peaks View Park. The entire land area of this sub watershed includes 13.69% impervious cover. This stream has seen heavy development, resulting in extreme stream alteration. The stream runs right through dozens of playing fields, which basically hug the stream banking. This allows little room for any type of riparian buffer and many of the banks show signs of erosion. Much of the erosion has resulted in heavy sediment build-up on the stream s underlying bed.

9 Figure Dreaming Watershed Sample site of Dreaming Creek is located in the southern portion of the watershed. All groups gathered data from Dreaming Creek. The entire land area of this sub watershed includes 15.45% impervious cover. The flow of this stream is heavily altered, as the stream passes under major highways and residential roads. Due to the alteration of this stream the riparian buffer is fairly poor. There are sections of the stream walk that show healthy buffer areas, but the majority of this site lacked a strong riparian buffer.

10 Figure Burton Watershed The sample site of Rock Castle Creek is located in the Southwest portion of the watershed. All groups gathered data from Rock Castle Creek on Wards Road. The entire land area of this sub watershed includes 2.96% impervious cover. This stream has been heavily degraded through residential and commercial development and permanent stream alteration features have been constructed. Due to the sites larger percentage of impervious surface the stream is flooded with sediment and other runoff during times of heavy rain. There is zero riparian buffer coverage due to the development of shopping malls and apartment complexes the lack of such a buffer only increases the impacts heavy rain has on the stream s state.

11 Figure Lower Blackwater Watershed The sample site of Hollins Mill is located in the Northeast portion of the watershed. All groups collected data at Hollins Mill, down river from the dam. The entire land area of this sub watershed includes 23.56% impervious cover. Large stream flows have altered the stream by widening the channel and triggering extreme erosion. This site has previously undergone an extreme restoration process; which has proven to be worth the cities time and money. There is a very heavy presence of a riparian buffer on each side of the stream bank.

12 Methods Macros During the research of this project the macro team studied the water quality of seven streams in the Blackwater/ Ivy Creek watershed. In each stream, three collections of macroinvertebrate samples were gathered in different riffles in order to have an adequate amount of data. These six riffles samples were gathered via kick nets. The duration of time spent kicking up rocks into the catch net was about two minutes per riffle. After catching the macros in the net, we walked over to the stream bank to collect the visible specimens with forceps. The use of an alcohol spray bottle helped identify any remaining macros that were hard to spot. The macros were then transferred into Nalgenes which were labeled to their collection area as well as which riffle, from which they were sampled. A week later we brought the Nalgenes to the lab where we used a dissecting microscope as well as a North American macro-invertebrates identification book to help identify the species of Macros caught. The recorded species were written down on a spread sheet where it was then transferred to Microsoft Excel. In Excel, a spread sheet had been previously made with various species of macro-invertebrates that were used to help create an FBI, EPT and PMA. These three metrics of water quality were chosen because of their help in identifying the stream health. The Family Biotic index is an index that is developed on the sensitivities of the specific macro-invertebrates, which helps to identify which species are sensitive or very tolerant of organic pollution. They are assigned a value of being extremely sensitive to 1 being very tolerant of organic pollution. To calculate the FBI one must multiply the tolerance value of each species by the number of individuals, summing the product, and then dividing by the total number of individuals (Shahady 213). EPT is the presence and amount of families of three main macro-invertebrates, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera, which are each indicators of pollution and generally are accepted as clean-water specimens. The ranges are as follows; greater than 1 shows excellent water quality, 6-1 showing slightly impacted, 2-5 showing moderately impacted and -1 depicted as severely impacted (Shahady 213). To calculate the EPT one must add the total number of EPT families found in the samples. PMA is the Percent Model Affinity which is a based on a theoretical model of abundance. It is measured similarly to a non-impacted stream that is based on the percent abundance in 7 major groups, 4% Ephemeroptera, 5% Plecoptera, 1% Trichoptera, 1% Coleoptera, 2% Chrionomidae, 5% Oligochaeta and 1% other ( Shahady 213). Based on one s findings, a PMA of >64 would be considered as excellent or non-impacted and as the rating decreased to <35, it would be considered a poor/or severely impacted. As Lynchburg College Environmental Science Dr. Shahady say, To calculate PMA you first have to determine the percent of each of the 7 major groups, and then find the absolute difference in percentage from the model value for that group. Following this you then add the differences, multiplying the total of differences by.5 and subtract this number from 1 (Shahady 213).

13 Physical Reach Condition Index: The Reach Condition Index is employed to measure the physical condition of the stream and the immediate area surrounding through the utilization of observations. The USM Stream Assessment Form, provided by the Virginia DEQ, was used to provide numerical values for each of the observations. The form is broken down into four sections: channel condition, riparian buffers, in-stream habitat, and channel alteration. Each condition is given a range from poor or severe to optimal with a numerical value assigned to each condition category. All of the numerical values of each condition were added together and divided by five to calculate the RCI. To determine RCI, the reach was first established to define the area of study. This was accomplished by measuring the width of an area of the stream in feet. We determined which site of the stream to measure by choosing an area that most closely exemplified the stream as a whole. After measuring the width, the number was multiplied by thirty to obtain the reach. After the reach number was obtained, one member walked the reach number upstream from the site while another walked downstream the same distance. A GPS was used to mark the end of each reach site. While walking up or down the stream, the team member used the USM form and observations to obtain the RCI. Stream Transect: The stream channel cross section was documented and measured at each of the seven locations used for this study. Each location was measured in the same way and provided enough data to determine the average water level and the overall stream condition. A GPS or physical observation was used to record the exact location being examined. A Slope Rotary laser was placed on the stream bank, attached to it was a tape measure that reached across the stream to determine the stream width. The initial laser height was measured with a meter stick with an attached laser indicator, when beeping was constant between the indicator and Rotary laser we recorded the initial height. Every few feet using the Rotary laser, laser indicator, and meter stick we measured the channel cross section on the stream, documenting the water s edge and overall water depth. Lastly we used a water velocity meter to record the stream flow at each location. Fish To complete our study we enumerated fish populations within seven different streams within separate sub-watersheds of the Blackwater Creek watershed. The process that was used at each site was to electroshock the stream and collect specimens with nets whereupon they were placed in buckets and identified after the designated shock period had ended. We then entered the data collected at each site into a spreadsheet and calculated the IBI score for each site. With these scores we were able to create a graph comparing each site and one that measured temporal change at the Hollins Mill Dam sampling site. Chemical At each of the eight streams we sampled, we tested the water chemistry above the activity of all the groups as to not have the results affected by others. A YSI meter was used for our conductivity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen. A ph meter was used for our ph measurements. For our E. Coli test, a sealed and un-opened container was taken into the field. It

14 was then opened and conditioned, then the water sample was taken with little to no sediment being allowed in the sample. Water samples of each site were taken for further examination in the lab by an auto-analyzer. All of the data was recorded and each sample properly labeled. The E. Coli samples were opened in the lab and had an added enzyme to make the samples with E. Coli present become florescent under a black light. We calculated the number of positive fluorescent out of the 5 total tabs in the sheet. Lab work with boiling down solutions. The water samples we boiled down in the lab were then examined in an auto-analyzer to determine how much nitrate and phosphate was present in the water samples. At each of the eight streams we sampled, we tested the water chemistry above the activity of all the groups as to not have the results affected by others. A YSI meter was used for our conductivity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen. A ph meter was used for our ph measurements. For our E. Coli test, a sealed and un- opened container was taken into the field. It was then opened and conditioned, then the water sample was taken with little to no sediment being allowed in the sample. Water samples of each site were taken for further examination in the lab by an auto- analyzer. All of the data was recorded and each sample properly labeled. The E. Coli samples were opened in the lab and had an added enzyme to make the samples with E. Coli present become florescent under a black light. We calculated the number of positive fluorescent out of the 5 total tabs in the sheet. Lab work with boiling down solutions. The water samples we boiled down in the lab were then examined in an auto- analyzer to determine how much nitrate and phosphate was present in the water samples.

15 Results Macros Using the three Macro-invertebrates indices for further analysis, we created a series of graphs and a table helping to show the water quality of each site as determined by each index. In Figure 2.1, the graph is showing the Family Biotic Index of all six sample sites taken within the Blackwater/ Ivy creek watershed. Based the FBI index, Tomahawk and Rock Castle were the most polluted sites. Hooper stream was the healthiest of the seven sites sampled with an FBI value of 3.6.

16 Fig. 2.1) The above is showing the Family Biotic Index in reference to the 7 sample sites within the Blackwater/ Ivy creek watershed. The FBI is developed on the sensitivity of specific macroinvertebrates; being excellent/unlikely organic pollution, and being very poor.

17 Fig. 2.2) Shows the EPT value differences in each of the seven different sites. Based on the EPT values, Tomahawk and Rock Castle were the most polluted. Dreaming creek also had a poor score on this index, which shows that there is a low presence of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Tricoptera. This index also shows that Peaks View stream has the best water quality with a value of 12.

18 In Fig. 2.3) The graph shows the Percent Model Affinity (PMA) values for each sampled stream. Once again, Tomahawk and Rock Castle are the most polluted streams as shown in red on the graph. Hooper and Peaks View have excellent water quality with scores above 65.

19 Hollins Mill: FBI Index Value Year Fig. 2.4) Shows the temporal data for the FBI at the Hollins Mill site. There is no general trend in either direction shown.

20 Hollins Mill: EPT Index Value Year Fig. 2.5) shows the temporal EPT data from Hollins Mill. You can see a positive trend which means that water quality is increasing over the years.

21 Hollins Mill: PMA Index Value Year Fig. 2.6) Shows the temporal PMA data from Hollins Mill. In this graph, you also see a positive trend, which suggests that water quality is getting better over time. Table 2.A. The average of the 7 stream sites correspondence to the three indices, FBI, EPT, and PMA.

22 Physical The Reach Condition Index (RCI) values are a reflection of the four condition indices measured: channel condition, riparian buffers, in-stream habitat, and channel alteration. In accordance with these parameters, each stream expresses unique physical components that determine the level of impact that it has encountered. Of the seven streams, Rock Castle Creek displays the poorest channel condition (Figure 3.B.) due to severe incision and sedimentary damage. This stream is also rated the lowest in the remaining condition indices, resulting the lowest RCI value. Riparian buffers are lacking in a majority of the reach, the in-stream habitat is very unstable, and there are indications of numerous channel alterations including stream crossings, riprap, concrete, channelization, and constrictions. Ivy Creek at Hooper Road, with a much lower percent impervious surface than Rock Castle Creek, displays the best RCI of the seven streams, with a marginal to suboptimal channel condition, high suboptimal riparian buffers, suboptimal in-stream habitat, and minor channel alterations. The numerical values of our RCI parameters are presented from least impervious surface to most impervious surface (Figure 3.15), but do not indicate a strong correlation between the two. Temporally, the RCI values of each stream can be categorized into three major categories: decreasing in quality, maintaining quality, and improving in quality. This can be viewed in Figure 8, with the disregard to the RCI data listed under Ivy Creek Chaffin Farm for 211 because the numerical value exceeds the range of true RCI values. All streams other than Tomahawk, Rock Castle Creek, and Ivy Creek at Chaffin Farm have shown an improvement in physical characteristics from the year 28 to 213, with Ivy Creek at Peaks View Park displaying the highest rate of improvement (increase of.27). Tomahawk and Rock Castle Creek have maintained the same quality (with an increase <.1) and Ivy Creek at Chaffin Farm has decreased significantly in physical qualities. However, from 212 to 213, indications of decreased quality are present in Black Water Creek at Hollins Mill Dam as well.

23 IVY CREEK CHAFFIN FARM 1.5 Cross-section Elevation Water Elevation (ft) Width from River Left to Right Figure 3.1: Ivy Creek Chaffin Farm cross section Reach Condi=on Index Figure 3.2: Ivy Creek Chaffin Farm RCI

24 IVY CREEK (HOOPER RD) Cross-section Elevati on Elevation (ft) Width from River Left to Right Figure 3.3: Ivy Creek Hooper Road corss-section Reach Condi=on Index Figure 3.4: Ivy Creek Hooper Road RCI

25 TOMOHAWK 1 Cross-section Elevation Water Surface Elevation (ft) Width from River Left to Right Figure 3.5: Tomahawk cross-section Reach Condi=on Index Figure 3.6: Tomahawk RCI

26 IVY CREEK AT PEAKS VIEW PARK -1 Cross-section Elevation Elevation (ft) Width from River Left to Right Figure 3.7: Ivy Creek Peaks View cross-section Reach Condi=on Index Figure 3.8 Ivy Creek Peaks View RCI

27 DREAMING CREEK Cross-section Elevation Water Surface Elevation (ft) Width from River Left to Right Figure 3.9: Dreaming cross-section Reach Condi=on Index Figure 3.1: Dreaming RCI

28 ROCK CASTLE CREEK Cross-section Elevation Water Surface Elevation (ft) Width from River Left to Right Figure 3.11: Rock Castle Creek cross-section Reach Condi=on Index Figure 3.12: Rock Castle Creek RCI

29 BLACK WATER CREEK (HOLLINS MILL) Cross-section Elevation Water Surface Elevation (ft) Width from River Left to Right Figure 3.13: Blackwater Creek (Hollins Mill) cross-section Reach Condi=on Index Figure 3.14: Black Water Creek (Hollins Mill) RCI

30 Table 3.A. RCI values of the streams from 28 to 213, ordered from least impervious to most impervious. Year Ivy Creek Chaffin Farm Ivy Creek (Hooper Rd) Tomahawk Ivy Creek (Peaks View Dreaming Creek (Heritage Rock Castle Creek Black Water Creek (Hollins Mill Dam) Park) Funeral Home) Not documented These values are based on the USM Stream Assessment Form which takes Channel Condition, Riparian Buffers, In-stream Habitat, and Channel Alteration into consideration. The RCI value ranges from 5. (severe) to 1.5 (optimal). R C I RCI by % Impervious Figure 3.15: RCI values of streams in 213 from least impervious to most impervious.

31 Table 3.B. Observed quality of each stream from least impervious to most impervious (left to right) based on the channel condition, riparian buffer, in-stream habitat and channel alteration. The final RCI is the total of all condition indices dived by 5. The lowest values express severe conditions while the highest values express optimal conditions. Ivy Creek Chaffin Farm Ivy Creek (Hooper Rd) Tomahawk Ivy Creek (Peaks View Park) Dreaming Creek (Heritage Funeral Home) Rock Castle Creek Channel condition (1-3) Riparian buffers (.5-1.5) In-stream habitat (.5-1.5) Channel alteration (.5-1.5) RCI (.5-1.5) Black Water Creek (Hollins Mill Dam)

32 Fish Figure 4.1. Changes in IBI by site from least to most impervious surfaces

33 IBI Year Figure 4.2. Temporal changes based on IBI scoring for Hollins Mill sampling site

34 Table 4.A. IBI measurements by site for all nine parameters for 213 (9-45) Measurements Cha ffin Far m Hoo per Roa d Tom aha wk Pea ks Vie w Drea ming Creek Rock Castl e Holl ins Mill Total Number of Species Total Number / Relative percent of Darter Species Total Number / Relative percent of Water Column Insectivores Total Number / Relative percent of Pool-Benthic Insectivores Total Number / Relative percent of Intolerant Species Relative abundance of Tolerant Species Relative abundance of Omnivores or Generalist Feeders Relative abundance of Top Carnivores Deviation from ideal or number of individuals in sample Judi th Cre ek Totals for each site Grade Fair Goo d Poor Poo r Fair Fair Poo r Poo r

35 Table 4.B. 213 Total Fish Counts Chaffi n Farm Hoop er Road Tomah awk Peaks View Dreami ng Creek Rock Castle Hollins Mill Judit h Cree k Total Fish Species Total # Fish Caught % Percids % Suckers % Cyprinidae % Catfishes % Sunfish % WC Insectivore s % Pool Insectivore s % Omnivores % Carnivores Total # WC Insectivore s Total # Pool Insectivore s % Tolerant % Intolerant As impervious surface increases biological health decreases. The trend line expresses a decrease in water quality (Figure 4.1). Hooper road is the only site that reflected a water quality grade of good based on its IBI score of Chaffin Farm, Dreaming Creek, and Rock Castle reflect fair water quality while Tomahawk and Peaks View Park (Ivy Creek) reflect poor water

36 quality (Table 4.A). The sights with the lowest IBI scores had high percentages of water column insectivores, pool insectivores, and or omnivores (Table 4.B). IBI over time has stayed relatively the same in the last eight years. Only two years show an indication of good water quality health (26 & 212), which have an IBI of above 3 (Table 4.A). All of the other years sampled show poor water quality, which have an IBI of between 2 and 3 (Table 4.A). In 213 Hollins Mill had a low species count (7) as well as a total fish count (38). The trend line does show that water quality is gradually increasing over time (Figure 4.2). Chemistry E. Coli was more present in the Ivy Creek watershed than the Blackwater Creek watershed. The Ivy Creek watershed has more agricultural land use than the Blackwater Creek watershed has. This allows for any runoff from the farms to have high phosphorus levels and allowing the sediment to hold and harbor these E. Coli bacteria E. Coli Presence Colonies Figure 5.1: Spatial E. Coli Presence E. Coli was more present in the Ivy Creek watershed than the Blackwater Creek watershed. The Ivy Creek watershed has more agricultural land use than the Blackwater Creek watershed has. This allows for any runoff from the farms to have high phosphorus levels and allowing the sediment to hold and harbor these E. Coli bacteria.

37 E. Coli Presence 25 2 Colonies E. Coli Presence 25 2 Colonies Dreaming Tomahawk Wards Hollins Mills PeaksView Chaffin Hooper ph C Us/ cm

38 DO Mg/L Nitrate Mg/ L Phosphorus Mg/L (Table 1) Field data obtained through YSI Meters and Auto Analyzer.) ph Dreaming Tomohawk Wards Hollins Mill Peaksview Chaffin Farm Hooper ph (table 2) Acidity of on- site water samples via YSI) PH is the measure of acidity in basic nature of a water sample. This measurement is conducted through the recognition of the presence of H+ ions. The lower the ph, The more acidic the sample is, The higher the ph level, The more basic the water sample is which means that there is a high presence of OH- ions which is equally as harmful as having an overabundance of H+ ions. The ideal range for the ph in streams of these sizes varies from a neutral seven to a slightly acidic six point eight on the ph scale. The need for a slightly acidic water source is to counteract the possibilities of runoff full of dissolved limestone and other natural basic water pollutants. The fact that each and every one of these sample sites has a ph over seven is an indicator that there is a moderate amount of some sort of disturbance in each area of the watershed.

39 C C 5 Dreaming Tomohawk Wards Hollins Mill Peaksview Chaffin Farm Hooper Table3 (Temperature in degrees Celsius.) These temperature recordings are important to the study we composed because of the affect the temperature has on water s saturation levels and density. When there is a high difference in water temperatures, there will be a naturally occurring difference in the dissolved oxygen contents and other freshwater stream traits. Our temperature recording were stated to show that all of our samples were taken in the same season verses some in winter and summer where recordings would be completely thrown off. So we have somewhat of a constant that we can base all of our other measures off of in terms of a human related impact or disturbance.

40 us/cm us/cm 5 Dreaming Tomohawk Wards Hollins Mill Peaksview Chaffin Farm Hooper Table 4 (Conductivity in us/cm) The conductivity levels were measure on site with a YSI meter. This is the measure of electricity s ability to travel through the water source via calcium and other hard water deposits. Generally a stream of this nature is considered impacted at a measurement of fifty us/cm or greater. From our recordings, we found that every stream in our conducted study besides the sample at Chaffin farm was at a considerable amount above fifty us/cm which allows us as scientists to infer that there is a possible disturbance in the area to the natural aspects of the stream either in each individual site or traveling down through the headwaters out to the James River.

41 DO mg/l DO mg/l 2 Dreaming Tomohawk Wards Hollins Mill Peaksview Chaffin Farm Hooper Table 5 (Dissolved Oxygen content in Milligrams per Liter.) Most living organisms thrive either directly or indirectly off of some sort of source of oxygen. This measurement was taken on site in the water table where there was presence of a slight current or riffle to maximize the potential oxygen content. From previous studies, streams of this size and nature are proposed to have an oxygen content of approximately seven to nine milligrams per liter to be able to support a healthy habitat. All of our samples fell within this range. Some were at the lowest part of the range and some were at the highest part. Our goal is to derive which way these concentrations are moving and if they are going to move so far as to affect the streams ability to support an aquatic ecosystem.

42 Nitrate mg/l Nitrate mg/l.2.1 Dreaming Tomohawk Wards Hollins Mill Peaksview Chaffin Farm Hooper Table 6 ( Nitrate Analysis via Easy Chem Auto Analyzer with Dr. Thomas Shahady) These experiment results are derived from the physical boiling down of each water sample to a concentrated portion with the addition of an ammonium persulfate to the water sample minus a great amount of the actual water so that we could accurately measure the amounts of NO3- in the local water sources with the Easy Chem Auto Analyzer provided by Lynchburg College Facilities under the direction and Supervision of Dr. Thomas D. Shahady. Nitrate levels are generally under a tenth of a milligram per liter in most healthy streams but all of our sites measured at well over the recommended amount of nitrate presence which severely indicates some form of disturbance. Nitrates are generally broken down by naturally occurring bacteria in the water to form nitrite (NO2- ) which can be used to support life in other parts of the ecosystem. When are water source is polluted or disturbed to an level that affect the life and population of the stream maintainencing bacteria, the nitrate levels will grow due to the inability of the bacteria to break down the nitrate into nitrite.

43 Total P mg/l Total P mg/l.1.5 Dreaming Tomohawk Wards Hollins Mill Peaksview Chaffin Farm Hooper Table 7 (Phosphorus measurements in milligrams per liter.) The last and most important measurement we derived from our water samples was the presence of phosphorus each of the water sources. The generally presence of phosphorus is around a hundredth of a milligram per liter in naturally occurring water sources because phosphorus is not created in large amounts naturally. This is known as a Keystone Pollutant which, when present, affects all of the other parts of the system that we measured. The highest phosphorus contamination was found at the Chaffin Farm site where there is an obvious agricultural use of the land where cows can graze and contaminate upstream water sources. The abundance of this keystone pollutant severely infers some sort of un naturally occurring disturbance in the water shed of Ivy Creek and Black Water Creek. After deriving all of the sought after information on our studied streams within BlackWater Creek and Ivy Creek. We compared measurements of their convergence site at Hollins Mill which has a fifth level stream order to another local stream of the same order that is not anywhere within the amount of human impact and our sampled watershed. This Site Was that of Judith creek where there in a lot of residential area nearby but is not even comparable to the industrial surroundings of the Lynchburg parts of Ivy creek and Blackwater Creek. Hollins Mill Judith ph C us/cm DO mg/l

44 Nitrate mg/l Total P mg/l Table 8 ( Field sample comparisons of Lynchburg fifth order streams.) Our hypothesis was predicted correctly that Judith Creek would be less impacted than our Blackwater Creek watershed. The impacted traits are not noticed as easily in the numbers to have a pattern with each other but when we compared them on a double line graph, the numbers show a direct relationship between all of the other impacted traits effect on the conductivity of the Local stream. This comparison shows how much impact is generated from a slight ph alteration Judith Hollins Mill 5 ph C us/cm DO mg/l Nitrate mg/l Total P mg/l Discussion Macros

45 After looking at the three indices and macros present in the 7 stream sites (Chaffin, Hooper, Tomahawk, Peaks View, Dreaming, Rock Castle, Hollins Mill and Judith), it is suggested that Tomahawk and Rock Castle are the most impacted. Specifically looking at the averages of the three indices in table 2 in comparison to Figs 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3, we are able to specifically see a lack of macros through Blackwater and Ivy Creek. It is important, however, to take note that throughout our sample sites, we excluded the Hess samples (though we sampled in of the sites, nothing was found). With this being said, it may show a difference in the results given that our indices are based on the abundance of macro-invertebrates. When looking at the average family biotic index in Figure 2.1 and in Table 2.A. we were able to see that the Tomahawk was a 7 and Rock Castle was an 8. Given this data, it is suggested that a FBI value of is excellent and organic pollution is unlikely; however a value of 7 and 8, it indicates the water quality is poor. The FBI of both 7 and 8 may suggest that sedimentation is affecting the abundance of the species of macros (Mandaville 22). The FBI value of the rest of the streams (Fig 2.1 and Table 2.A.) are all around a 4-5, which are also not excellent, but seen as good. The reasons for these values could be due to existing riparian cover. Hooper was the best of the stream sites with a FBI of 3.6 with a significant riparian coverage compared to the other sites. When looking Hollins Mills, we found an FBI of Hollins Mill being the site where Blackwater and Ivy Creek connect was rated with a good FBI. This helped to identify that the macro species abundances present are suggesting what water quality is pretty clean for having a second stream connect. The temporal data for Hollins Mill, as seen in figures show that Hollins Mill shows a gradual increase in water quality over the years. We speculate that this is due to the large riparian area that was established in order to recover stream health. When looking at the EPT of the sites sampled, represented in Fig 2.2 and Table 2.A., we are able to see that the EPT values for Chaffin Farm, Peaks View Park, and Hollins Mill show excellent water quality with little impaction to the area with values greater than 1 on the index. These streams provide the best habits out of the 7 streams for the three macro-invertebrates that the EPT index is based on; mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies. Hooper stream had a value of 7, indicating that it has good water quality, but is slightly impacted. Tomahawk, Dreaming and Rock Castle shows very poor water quality with severe impact to the streams. The riffles from these three sites were largely impacted by fine sediment, likely destroying the habits of the mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies. The absence of specific macros in these three sites help to show that sediment may be degrading the water quality and habitat. When looking at the PMA data shown in Figure 2.3 and Table 2.A. we found a value of 1 for Tomahawk, for Dreaming, and a for Rock Castle. The PMA value of 12.92, 1, and in these three sites is seen as poor and severely impacted. The evidence of such a poor PMA could be a result of sedimentation and less riparian vegetation. The rest of the streams (Chaffin, Hooper, Peaks View, and Hollins Mill) all had a PMA of greater <5, indicating good water quality but slightly impacted. These results could possibly be taken into account for the amount of riparian cover as well as impervious surface. The more riparian coverage and/or less impervious surface could mean more of an abundance of macro invertebrates. Physical Based on our data, Ivy Creek at Chaffin Farm and Rock Castle Creek are lacking the most in physical water quality components. Land use plays a huge role in the conditions of surrounding bodies of

46 water. Most of our data was compiled to represent streams from least impervious to most impervious in an attempt to record correlations between the percentage of impervious surface surrounding a stream and the resulting water quality. However, Ivy Creek at Chaffin Farm has the smallest percentage of impervious surface, and represents the second most severe impairments in terms of RCI of all seven streams. The stream at Chaffin Farm is primarily agricultural land, with heavy exposure to livestock and open fields which is likely the reason for degrading water quality. The most severe impairments were found at Rock Castle Creek, which has the second largest percentage of impervious surface. This correlates more with our original hypothesis, that those streams surrounded by higher rates of impervious surface will suffer the poorest water quality. The abundant development around Rock Castle Creek is moderately to severely impaired in all four condition indices listed in the USM Assessment Form. Contradictory to this, the stream with the largest percentage of impervious surface, Black Water Creek at Hollins Mill Dam, has an RCI value that reflects moderate to optimal water quality. Best Management Practices (BMPs) can dramatically reduce further stream and water quality degradation from a previously impacted stream. Riparian buffers implemented around Hollins Mill Dam helped to provide adequate vegetative protection to the stream and stabilize banks. Local BMPs used to protect and improve water quality have been successful, and can thus be successful in many other streams if executed properly. Fish Using the IBI we were able to obtain a quantitative measure of the health of the individual stream sites we sampled, and the watershed as a whole. The hypothesis of the study that we conducted was that water quality would decrease as impervious surface increased, and this hypothesis was consistent with the data we collected and analyzed. The overall trend of decreasing water quality with increasing impervious surface is visible in the figure titled IBI by Site, but even though there was a clear trend there were sites that were exceptions for various reasons. The Chaffin Farm site has the lowest amount of impervious area of the sites we sampled, but scored a lower IBI then two other sites with more impervious area. The relatively low score of 26 was mostly due to livestock activity in the stream at the sampling site. The livestock greatly increase sedimentation, which was reflected by the types and amounts of fish we identified in our sample. The sedimentation at this site resulted in a low percentage of darters and a high number of pool-benthic insectivores. These deviations from ideal percentages are due to the lack of riffle habitat and increase in pool-benthic habitat caused by sedimentation (Shahady 213). This site also had a highly elevated percentage of omnivores and a total absence of carnivores, both of which are indicative of poor water quality. Omnivore species and number increase in aquatic systems with degraded physical habitats and imbalanced chemical environments due to the lack of food sources for carnivores in the area (Shahady 213). This site in particular scored very low in these four measurements due to the on-site disturbances by livestock, and the IBI measurement at this site is not representative of a site with very low amounts of impervious surfaces. The Hooper site followed our hypothesis much closer than the Chaffin Farm site. The IBI at Hooper was the highest of any site we sampled, a 31.5, and reflects little impacts from the small amount of impervious surface at the site. Hooper consistently scored high in every measurement except for: percentage of pool-benthic insectivores, percentage of omnivores, and percentage of carnivores. Low scores in these three measurements are all usually related to the conversion of riffle habitat to pool-benthic habitat caused by a high sediment load (Shahady

47 213). This stream does have some impacts but it is not surprising that the site with the second lowest amount of impervious surface scored the highest on the IBI. The Tomahawk site showed the impacts of increasing impervious surface in many of the measurements that make up the IBI. At this site we found a number of different fish species that was lower than desired. The number of different species declines as the overall health of the stream and quality of the water degrade (Shahady 213). This site showed the same effects due to sedimentation and conversion of riffle habitat to pool-benthic habitat that were found at most site sampled. These effects were: a lower than normal percentage of darters, a high percentage of pool-benthic insectivores, a high percentage of omnivores, and a total absence of any carnivores. This site also had a high percentage of water column insectivores, which is often due to a decrease in riparian area (Shahady 213). This site was one of three which scored the same 23.5 on the IBI, and of those three has the least amount of impervious surfaces. The Peaks View site was the second of three sites to score a 23.5 on the IBI. This site scored very poorly in the measurements of: percent of pollution intolerant fish, percent of pollution tolerant fish, percent omnivore, percent carnivores, and the number of fish caught in a sample period. The imbalance between pollution tolerant and pollution intolerant fish is a good measure of overall stream integrity and water quality because pollution intolerant fish are the first to leave the stream after a disturbance (Shahady 21 3). This site like most of the other sites had a high percentage of omnivores and a low percentage of carnivores. This was the only site sampled during the project where a carnivore was found, but the percentage was still much lower than desired. This site was one of several sites also to score low regarding the number of fish caught during a sample period. A low number of fish caught during a sample suggests a problem with water quality (Shahady 213). The Dreaming site sored a relatively low 25.5 on the IBI. This site was plagued by many of the same problems as the majority of other sites: a low percentage of darters, a high percentage of pool-benthic insectivores, and an imbalance between omnivores and carnivores. This site scored poorly in regards to the number of different species found during the sample, which indicates that the overall health of the stream is degraded (Shahady 213). The Hollins Mill site was the third site to score 23.5 on the IBI. This site had the common problems of: a high percentage of pool-benthic insectivores and an imbalance between carnivores and omnivores, all of which indicate degraded water quality. This site was unique in that it had an extremely low catch rate and only seven different species. Both of these measurements are very low and not typical of a stream of the size where we sampled (Shahady 213). This site was the largest order stream and the lowest site we sampled in the watershed. The Hollins Mill site should show upstream impacts of a large amount of impervious surface as all of the other sample sites ultimately flow to this point. It is important to note that the IBI score at this location would more than likely be significantly lower if there was not such a large riparian buffer adjacent to the stream. The large riparian buffer likely shields this location from the full effects of the amount of impervious surface that drains into it. The IBI score at this site was fairly consistent with historical data from the site. The historical data for this site and the IBI score for this year s study are displayed in the figure titled Temporal Analysis: Hollins Mill IBI. There are year-to-year variations in the IBI scores at this location, but they are fairly constant. There is a slight trend of yearly improvements of the IBI scores at this location, which suggest the overall health of the watershed is improving. This location is a good indication of the watershed as a whole because it is very near the outflow point of the watershed and should show the effects of any disturbances upstream.