Surface Water - Alabama Department of Environmental Management

Sipsey Fork (0316-0110)
Assessment stations located within the sub-watershed. Descriptions are provided in Appendix E-1.
Station
ROCW-52b
GSAMF-19 a
GSAMF-36 b
GSAMF-18 a
GSAMF-35 b
BLVC-1
GSAMF-21 a
GSAMF-38 b
GSAMF-20 a
GSAMF-37 b
Assessment
Type
Habitat,
Biological,
Chemical
Habitat,
Biological,
Chemical
Habitat,
Biological,
Chemical
Habitat,
Biological,
Chemical
Habitat,
Biological,
Chemical
Date Location Area
(mi 2 )
2001
2002
Classification
Rock Cr. at Winston CR 80 13 F&W
2001 Rock Cr. at Winston CR 66 79 F&W
2002 Blevens Cr. at Cullman CR west of CR 31 9 F&W
2001 Blevens Cr. at Cullman CR 1043 28 F&W
2001 Blevens Cr. at Winston CR 39 44 F&W
a. GSA Fish IBI assessment location as reported in Shepard et al. (2001); b. GSA Fish IBI assessment location
as reported in Shepard et al. (2002)
Blevens Creek: At BLVC-1, Blevens Creek is a riffle-run stream located in the Southern
Table Plateaus (68d) subecoregion (Appendix O-1). The site was assessed during 1998
and 2002 as part of ADEM’s Ecoregional Reference Reach Program (Appendix O).
Bottom substrates were generally a mixture of boulder, cobble, gravel, and sand (Appendix
O-1). Thirteen EPT families were collected in 1998, indicating the macroinvertebrate
community to be in excellent condition (Appendix K). In 2002, the invertebrate and fish
communities were assessed as good and fair/poor, respectively (Appendix K).
Intensive water quality data were collected at BLVC-1 during 1999 and 2002
(Appendix O-3). Total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, fecal coliform counts, and
nutrient concentrations (DRP, NO 3 +NO 2 -N, TKN) were elevated above least-impaired
ecoregional reference conditions.
Blevens Creek has been asesed at 2 additional locations in conjunction with GSA’s
Assessment of Mulberry Fork (Shepard et al. 2001, Shepard et al. 2002). At GSAMF-38,
Blevens Creek is a bedrock, boulder, and cobble stream. The fish community at this
location was assessed as fair (Appendix G). Bedrock comprised a smaller percentage of
bottom substrates at GSAMF-37 (Shepard et al. 2001, Shepard et al. 2002). The fish
community was assessed as poor at this location (Appendix G).
Sub-watershed status: Rock Creek is one of the most highly agricultural areas in Alabama.
Estimates of poultry and cattle production and pasture runoff were the highest in the Sipsey
Fork CU. A 5.0 mile segment of Rock Creek is impaired by pathogens and organic
enrichment/dissolved oxygen from agricultural sources. ADEM’s TMDL for these
pollutants have been approved by EPA. Assessments conducted during 2001 and 2002
indicated impaired biological conditions at 5 reaches on Rock Creek and Blevens Creek.
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