2010-06-22 - Willow Gulch

Reach: Willow Gulch

Stream: Willow Gulch

Watershed: Escalante

State: UT Survey Date: Tue, 06/22/2010 - 8:00am

Observers: John Spence E-mail: john_spence@nps.gov

Address: P.O.Box 1507 Page, AZ 86040 Phone: 928-608-6267

(UTM) Zone: 12 Upstream (UTM): 499169E Upstream (UTM): 4130659N Elevation: 1320 meters

NAD: 83 Downstream (UTM): 499611E Downstream (UTM): 4130920N Elevation: 1162 meters

(UTM) Start: 499257E (UTM) Start: 4130711N Upstream or down? Upstream

USGS Quad Map: Sooner Bench

Scores: WQ 1.5 HG 3.2 F/AH 3.2 RV 4.1 TWH 3 Overall 3

Water Quality
Score	Indicator Number	Indicator
1	1	Algal Growth
%=81
2	2	Channel Shading
%=11

1.5		Mean Score
Notes: Water quality parameters were taken at a shaded pool located within the reach. pH: 7.6 Dissolved Oxygen: 6.78 mg/L Conductivity: 599 µs/cm Temperature: 19.4 °C

Hydrogeomorphology
Score	Indicator Number	Indicator
1	3	Floodplain Connection
4	4	Vertical Bank Stability
%=7.5
5	5	Hydraulic Habitat Diversity
4	6	Riparian Area Soil Integrity
%=1
2	7	Beaver Activity

3.2		Mean Score
Notes: There is a constrained canyon on the south side of the stream, providing vertical stability for most of the stream bank located within the reach. Only about 10% of the reach were composed of riparian soil with less than 5% of that disturbed. Beaver activities were observed on old cut cottonwood and willow stumps.

Fish/Aquatic Habitat
Score	Indicator Number	Indicator
4	8	Riffle-Pool Distribution
N/A	9	Underbank Cover
2	10	Cobble Embeddedness
%=44
5	11	Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Diversity
3	12	Large Woody Debris
2	13	Overbank Cover

3.2		Mean Score
Notes: Under bank cover was eliminated due to one side of stream being a constrained canyon. The stream appeared by nature not to be a trout stream, but is appropriate for native fishes. Numerous of macro-invertebrates were found belonging to various orders, including Odonata, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Trichoptera, and the class Oligochaeta. Crayfish were also observed but were not included in the total count.

Riparian Vegetation
Score	Indicator Number	Indicator
2	14	Riparian Zone Plant Community Structure
G=61% S=26% MC=5.5% UC=0% avg=23.1%
5	15	Shrub Demography and Recruitment
5	16	Tree Demography and Recruitment
2	17	Non-native Herbaceous Plant Species
5	18	Non-native Woody Plant Species
5	19	Grazing Impacts on Ground Cover
%=0
5	20	Browsing Impacts on Shrubs and Small Trees

4.1		Mean Score
Notes: Part of the stream was not applicable for canopy count since one side is a cliff. Native vegetations, such as Goodding’s willow (Salix gooddingii), coyote willow (Salix exigua), seep willow (Baccharis salicifolia), and Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii), surrounded the area. Non-native herbaceous plant species accounted for approximately thirty percent of total cover in the study stretch. These included creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolinifera), annual rabbitsfoot grass (Polypogon monspeliensis), and Canada cocklebur (Xanthium strumariums). There were signs of deer browsing but no signs of grazing were present at time of assessment.

Terrestrial Wildlife Habitat
Score	Indicator Number	Indicator
3	21	Shrub Patch Density
3	22	Mid-canopy Patch Density
2	23	Upper Canopy Patch Density
4	24	Fluvial Habitat Density

3		Mean Score
Notes: A few isolated small patches of upper canopy cover were present. Mid-canopy and shrub patches were slightly denser but still isolated.