2010-06-23 - 40-mile Gulch

Reach: 40-mile Gulch

Stream: 40-mile Gulch

Watershed: Escalante

State: UT Survey Date: Wed, 06/23/2010 - 10:10am

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): 497506E Upstream (UTM): 4132729N Elevation: 1220 meters

NAD: 83 Downstream (UTM): 498255.8E Downstream (UTM): 4132890.6N Elevation: 1170 meters

(UTM) Start: 497506E (UTM) Start: 4132729N Upstream or down? Upstream

USGS Quad Map: Sooner Bench

Scores: WQ 2.5 HG 2.6 F/AH 2 RV 4.4 TWH 2.5 Overall 2.8

Water Quality
Score	Indicator Number	Indicator
2	1	Algal Growth
%=44
3	2	Channel Shading
%=29

2.5		Mean Score
Notes: Site 1 had alcove shading, giving it 73% shade coverage. Water quality parameters were taken using the Hach portable meter at a low flowing, shallow, exposed spot along the reach. pH: 8.80 Dissolved Oxygen: 8.71 mg/L Conductivity: 566 µs/cm Temperature: 30.0 °C

Hydrogeomorphology
Score	Indicator Number	Indicator
1	3	Floodplain Connection
2	4	Vertical Bank Stability
%=85
5	5	Hydraulic Habitat Diversity
4	6	Riparian Area Soil Integrity
%=1
1	7	Beaver Activity

2.6		Mean Score
Notes: The amount of stable bank accounted for were mostly rocks. There were very few areas with riparian soil although the majority were undisturbed. Current signs of beaver were not seen but they have been known to be historically present.

Fish/Aquatic Habitat
Score	Indicator Number	Indicator
2	8	Riffle-Pool Distribution
1	9	Underbank Cover
%=0
1	10	Cobble Embeddedness
%=59
5	11	Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Diversity
1	12	Large Woody Debris
2	13	Overbank Cover

2		Mean Score
Notes: The first riffle site used for estimation of embeddness was a sandy reach with slow, low flowing water. The third site was the same as site 3 in floodplain connection and inundation. Orders of invertebrates found included Odonata, Diptera, Coleoptera, Trichoptera, Hemiptera, and Dioctophymoidea. There were no fish present but a large number of red-spotted toads and canyon tree frog & tadpoles were observed. The stream is low flowing with a sandstone canyon wall on the right side for much of the stretch.

Riparian Vegetation
Score	Indicator Number	Indicator
2	14	Riparian Zone Plant Community Structure
G=60% S=11% MC=11% UC=9% avg=22.8%
5	15	Shrub Demography and Recruitment
5	16	Tree Demography and Recruitment
5	17	Non-native Herbaceous Plant Species
5	18	Non-native Woody Plant Species
5	19	Grazing Impacts on Ground Cover
%=1
4	20	Browsing Impacts on Shrubs and Small Trees

4.4		Mean Score
Notes: Some dominant native shrubs included seep willow (Baccharis salicifolia), Goodding’s willow (Salix gooddingii), and a very few number of coyote willow (Salix exigua). Native trees included Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii) and Goodding’s willow (Salix gooddingii). A low number of non-native herbaceous and woody plant species were present, including creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolinifera), annual rabbitsfoot grass (Polypogon monspeliensis), and five-stamen tamarisk (Tamarisk chinensis).

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

2.5		Mean Score
Notes: The shrub patches were dominated by seep willow (Baccharis salicifolia) but were scattered and isolated. The mid-canopy and upper canopy were both rare and strongly isolated. There were no signs of current cattle uses but evidences suggested usage in the past. There were evidences of a fair number of deer present in the area.