Water Quality Monitoring And Assessment Section (ADK/RMR)
Division of Water Quality Assessment And Standards
Bureau of Water Supply and Wastewater Management
Department of Environmental Protection
May 1998
Revised October 2002
BACKGROUND
South Fork Beech Creek is a tributary to North Fork Beech Creek in the West Branch Susquehanna River basin. South Fork Beech Creek basin from Stinktown Run to its confluence with North Fork Beech Creek was inadvertently omitted from Chapter 93 and, therefore, was evaluated to determine the correct water use designation. The basin has a drainage area of approximately 18 square miles (Figure 1). Approximately 90% of the basin is forested, 5% is residential/hunting camps, and 5% is commercial. There are State Game Lands in the basin, but no other state or federal property is present. Abandoned strip mines also are present in the watershed.
A survey was conducted in the fall of 1997 by the Bureau of Watershed Conservation to determine the streams existing use based on the indigenous fishery and macroinvertebrate community. Evaluations of these collections plus basic water chemistry were used to determine the proper aquatic life use designation of South Fork Beech Creek from Stinktown Run to its mouth.
METHODS
Three sampling sites (Figure 1 & Table 1) were surveyed on October 2, 5, and 6, 1997 for fish and macroinvertebrate assessment. Approximately 100 meters of stream were evaluated at each location using a backpack electrofisher to determine fish species and densities. Fish were returned to South Fork Beech Creek following the recording of data. Benthic macroinvertebrate populations were sampled using a d-frame kick-net (Modified EPA Rapid Bioassessment Protocol) in riffle areas at each station. Samples were preserved in 95% ethonol, transported to the laboratory and identified to the lowest level practicable (genus when possible). Grab water samples were collected at each location for laboratory analysis.
FINDINGS
Water Quality and Uses
No long-term water quality data were available to allow a direct comparison to water quality criteria. Based on grab samples, water quality at SFB2 and SFB3 was generally good with an average field pH of 6.4 (Table 2). Alkalinity values were low at all three sites indicating a low buffering capacity for the stream. These alkalinity values are probably naturally occurring. SFB1 had higher levels of acidity, hardness, manganese, nickel, sulfate, zinc, and lower alkalinity than SFB2 and SFB3, suggesting the presence of some acid mine drainage. However, since the instantaneous nature of the grab samples precludes comparison to applicable water quality criteria, the indigenous aquatic community is a better indicator of long-term conditions and is used as a measure of water quality and ecological significance.
Aquatic Biota
Benthic macroinvertebrates were collected at all three stations (Table 3). Good taxonomic diversity occurred at SFB2 (29 taxa) and SFB3 (28 taxa) with 22 and 16 taxa respectively of the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) groups. A total of 8 taxa were found at SFB1 but one taxon, Diplectrona, which has a low Hilsenhoff value (indicative of good water quality standards) was abundant.
Cold water fish species were collected at all stations (Table 4). Naturally reproducing brook trout were collected at station SFB1 and SFB2. Several year classes of brown trout were collected at SFB2 and SFB3. The presence of brook trout, brown trout, sculpin, and blacknose dace indicate that this section of the South Fork Beech Creek supports a cold water fishery.
BIOLOGICAL USE QUALIFICATIONS
The biological data indicate that this area of South Fork Beech Creek supports Cold Water Fishes (CWF) as defined at §93.3, based on the presence of naturally reproducing brook and brown trout. The presence of stoneflies, a coldwater benthic macro-invertebrate, is another biological indicator of the CWF use of this stream.
No special conditions were found during the survey that would qualify this area of South Fork Beech Creek as a surface water of exceptional ecological significance.
RECOMMENDATION
The Department recommends that South Fork Beech Creek basin from Stinktown Run to the mouth be designated as CWF. This designation affects approximately 13.5 stream miles, and provides a level of protection consistent with South Fork Beech Creek's aquatic conditions.
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