Background

Information on water quality, aquatic communities and aquatic habitats indicate a great deal about the condition of a stream its watershed. Monitoring these three components is the basis for developing a pysical habitat index (PHI) which are is useful or assessing the condition of a stream or watershed. The physical habitat structure and water quality both server as the abiotic habitat template under which fish and benthic macroinvertebrates must live.

Objectives

• Determine the current and long-term trends in water resource condition as measured by physical habitat, benthic invertebrates and fishes.

Links
NCRN PHI Monitoring Intranet
Monitoring Protocol Ver. 2.0

Reports
2005 Annual Report
2006 Annual Report

Contacts
Marian Norris
NCRN Water Resources Specialist
202.342.1443 ext. 206

Measures

Habitat assessments are determined based on data from numerous metrics such as stream width, riparian zone vegetation degree of vegetated steam buffer, surrounding landuse, extent of stream channelization, degree of stream erosion and many more. These data are combined to determine a physical habitat index rating for the stream.

Status

NCRN has contracted out sampling based on the Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS). The MBSS was developed and tested to provide estimates of the condition of non-tidal first through fourth order streams and rivers of Maryland on a watershed as well as a statewide scale. Streams will be sampled on a 6 year rotating panel of 6 streams per year.