Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation Plan - Western ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation PlanHow does the Aquatic Community Classification relate to the DEP stream designations?The purpose and meanings differ between the classes defined in Pennsylvania aquatic life use/specialprotection designations and aquatic fish assemblages from the Pennsylvania Aquatic CommunityClassification. The nomenclature of both classifications is similar. In both cases it is meant to relativelydefine the organisms and aquatic habitats along a gradient of water temperatures (and associated streamsize). The DEP stream designations broadly encompass habitats occupied by several Aquatic CommunityClassification fish assemblages and are used in waterquality regulation.Fish CommunitiesCoolwater Stream CommunityCommunity Indicators: Blacknose dace, creek chub,stocked brown trout, white sucker, redside dace, longnosedace, fathead minnow, and pearl dace are commoncommunity members. Not all community members arepresent at community habitats.Species of Conservation Concern: noneBlacknose dace indicative of CoolwaterStream CommunitiesHabitat: This community type occurs in small to medium size streams, and in transitional temperaturestreams. Community habitats may occur in the headwaters of warm-water streams, in marginally or inseasonally warm streams, and in waters that have been degraded. Coolwater streams are generally fasterthan larger warm-water streams, and have intermediate temperature between warm and cold streams.Fish in the Coolwater Stream Community are habitat generalists, and generally pollution tolerant. Thiscommunity type may represent small, cool-water communities that occur in agricultural landscapes. Thiscommunity also occurs in watersheds where urbanization and agriculture may be altering water quality.In the Connoquenessing Creek watershed, the Coolwater Stream Community occurs in the headwaters ofConnoquenessing Creek and in some tributaries, like Thorn Creek, Breakneck Creek, and Brush Creek.Because of its generalist nature, this community habitat may overlap with DEP designated Warm WaterFisheries (WWF) and Cold Water Fisheries (CWF) streams.Community quality rating: Low-mediumCommunity rarity: NoThreats: The potential threats to the community habitat are a number of pollution types. Some tributariesto lower Connoquenessing Creek, like Brush Creek, are impaired for pollution from municipal pointsources, degrading water with organic enrichment and low dissolved oxygen. In Thorn Creek and itstributaries, agricultural practices may be altering stream flow, adding nutrients, and modifying streamhabitats. Mercury was cited as impairing fish consumption in Thorn Creek. Siltation from urban runoffand impoundment on Breakneck Creek (DEP, 2006a) likely degrades stream habitats. Near thecommunity habitat in upper Connoquenessing Creek, urban runoff is causing excess siltation and one ofthe nearby tributaries has excess suspended solids from acid mine drainage.Appendix M. Aquatic Community Classification Page 2 of 8
Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation PlanConservation recommendations: The habitat for the Coolwater Community represents an importanttransition between the smallest headwater streams and warm, larger streams. In its most natural state, thishabitat is distinct among other habitat types and should be protected and restored.Restoration of habitat and water quality is recommended especially addressing problems from seweroutfalls, agriculture, urban runoff and acid mine drainage. Management of storm water runoff and riparianvegetation restoration are critical to improvement of stream habitat conditions in agricultural and urbansettings. Treating AMD is important for reducing stream acidity and toxic metal concentrations.Warmwater CommunityCommunity indicators: blunt-nose minnow, rock bass,pumpkinseed, bluegill, large-mouth bass, and goldenshiner.In other community locations, additional warm-water fishmay be present, including: greenside darter, northernhogsucker, river chub, central stoneroller, rainbow darter,rosyface shiner, banded darter, smallmouth bass, commonshiner, johnny darter, fantail darter, variegate darter,logperch, stonecat, silver shiner, blackside darter, stripedshiner, golden redhorse, sand shiner, mimic shiner, spotfinshiner, yellow bullhead, silverjaw minnow, green sunfish,The pumpkinseed is one communityindicator of a Warmwater Communitystreamline chub, yellow perch, black redhorse, brown bullhead, tonguetied minnow, grass pickerel, troutperch, and Ohio lamprey. Brown trout and rainbow trout may sometimes be found with this community.Species of Conservation Concern: NoneHabitat: The Warmwater Community usually occurs in medium to large streams and rivers. Habitats areslower moving and warmer than small headwater streams. In its best condition, community habitat haslittle silt and turbidity, and is found in streams with gravelly substrate.Examples of the community habitat are sections of Connoquenessing Creek and Breakneck Creek. TheCommunity is also likely to occur in throughout the tributaries to Connoquenessing Creek that are alsoclassified as Warm Water Fisheries by DEP.Community quality rating: MediumCommunity rarity: NoThreats: The mid- and upper-reaches of Connoquenessing Creek are impaired by excesssalinity/TDS/chlorides and siltation from stormwater. Siltation from urban runoff and impoundment onBreakneck Creek (DEP, 2006a) degrade the stream habitat. Because of the large amount of agriculture inthe watershed, runoff and habitat alteration from poorly managed agricultural areas is also a concern forthis community.Conservation recommendations: This community is a high conservation priority since high qualitywarmwater streams are uncommon. The fish in this community type are not especially rare individually,but this group represents habitats in need of protection.Addressing threats of habitat alteration and water quality from impervious surfaces, agriculture, and otherAppendix M. Aquatic Community Classification Page 3 of 8
Page 4 and 5:
Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Con
Page 6 and 7:
Page 8 and 9:
Page 10 and 11:
Page 12 and 13:
Page 14:
Page 18 and 19:
Page 20 and 21:
Page 22 and 23:
Page 24:
Page 27 and 28:
Page 29 and 30:
Page 31 and 32:
Page 33 and 34:
Page 35 and 36:
Page 37 and 38:
Page 39 and 40:
Page 41 and 42:
Page 43 and 44:
Page 45 and 46:
Page 47 and 48:
Page 49 and 50:
Page 51 and 52:
Page 53 and 54:
Page 55 and 56:
Page 57 and 58:
Page 59 and 60:
Page 61 and 62:
Page 63 and 64:
Page 65 and 66:
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70:
Page 71 and 72:
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75 and 76:
Page 77 and 78:
Page 79 and 80:
Page 81 and 82:
Page 83 and 84:
Page 85 and 86:
Page 87 and 88:
Page 89 and 90:
Page 91 and 92:
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
Page 97 and 98:
Page 99 and 100:
Page 101 and 102:
Page 103 and 104:
Page 105 and 106:
Page 107 and 108:
Page 109 and 110:
Page 111 and 112:
Page 113 and 114:
Page 115 and 116:
Page 117 and 118:
Page 119 and 120:
Page 121 and 122:
Page 123 and 124:
Page 125 and 126:
Page 127 and 128:
Page 129 and 130:
Page 131 and 132:
Page 133 and 134:
Page 135 and 136:
Page 137 and 138:
Page 139 and 140:
Page 141 and 142:
Page 143 and 144:
Page 145 and 146:
Page 147 and 148:
Page 149 and 150:
Page 151 and 152:
Page 153 and 154:
Page 155 and 156:
Page 157 and 158:
Page 159 and 160:
Page 161 and 162:
Page 163 and 164:
Page 165 and 166:
Page 167 and 168:
Page 169 and 170:
Page 171 and 172:
Page 173 and 174:
Page 175 and 176:
Page 177 and 178:
Page 179 and 180:
Page 181 and 182:
Page 183 and 184:
Page 185 and 186:
Page 187 and 188:
Page 189 and 190:
Page 191 and 192:
Page 193 and 194:
Page 195 and 196:
Page 197 and 198:
Page 199 and 200:
Page 201 and 202:
Page 203 and 204:
Page 205 and 206:
Page 207 and 208:
Page 209 and 210:
Page 211 and 212:
Page 213 and 214:
Page 215 and 216:
Page 217 and 218:
Page 219 and 220:
Page 221 and 222:
Page 223 and 224:
Page 225 and 226:
Page 227 and 228:
Page 229 and 230:
Page 231 and 232:
Page 233 and 234:
Page 235 and 236:
Page 237 and 238:
Page 239 and 240:
Page 241 and 242:
Page 243 and 244:
Page 245 and 246:
Page 247 and 248:
Page 249 and 250:
Page 251:
Page 254 and 255:
Page 257 and 258:
Page 259 and 260:
Page 261 and 262:
Page 263 and 264:
Page 265 and 266:
Page 267 and 268:
Page 269 and 270:
Page 271 and 272:
Page 273 and 274:
Page 275 and 276:
Page 277:
Page 280 and 281:
Page 282 and 283:
Page 284 and 285:
Page 286 and 287:
Page 288 and 289:
Page 290 and 291: Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Con
Page 299: Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Con
show all

Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation Plan - Western ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?