Unnamed Tributary Research Articles

New records of Aspidoras fuscoguttatus Nijssen & Isbrücker, 1976 (Callichthyidae, Corydoradinae) from the São Francisco river basin, Brazil

Aspidoras fuscoguttatus Nijssen & Isbrücker, 1976 is a small, relatively common armored catfish considered endemic to the upper Paraná river basin. Here, based on recent collections, as well as morphological and molecular evidence, the known geographic distribution of this species is extended to the basin of the São Francisco River. Specimens were collected during biological surveys in two unnamed tributaries of the Paraopeba River, in the headwaters of the São Francisco River. The new records may be a consequence of headwater stream-captures between São Francisco and upper Paraná drainages. Continued surveys are needed to assess and mitigate natural and human impacts, including biological exchanges between basins.

PRELIMINARY CHECKLIST OF FRESHWATER FISHES OF ULU PAIP ECO-PARK FOREST, KEDAH, PENINSULAR MALAYSIA

This report is the first on freshwater fishes of Ulu Paip Eco-Park Forest, Kedah, which aims to document the fish species richness in this recreational forest. All species were collected from the main stream, Sungai Karangan, and its unnamed tributaries. In total, 20 species of fishes from 10 families were recorded. Cyprinidae is the most dominant family with six species followed by Danionidae with three species. Other families contribute at least one species each. Most of the species recorded here are commonly found in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. Further studies should be expected to record more species and the utilization of various sampling gear such as electro fishing technique would be able to recordthe true species richness of fishes in this area.

Metals retention in a net alkaline mine drainage impacted stream due to the colonization of the North American Beaver (Castor canadensis)

This study investigated two aspects of Castor canadensis (North American Beaver) colonization on a net alkaline mine drainage impacted tributary to Tar Creek (Ottawa County, OK, USA). Specifically, the retention of metals due to the presence of beaver dams, and metals contamination of sediments due to long-term loading, were examined. The Unnamed Tributary (UT) has been impacted by two mine drainage sources since at least 1979, with Cd, Fe, Pb, and Zn being the primary metals of concern. This study was conducted along a 1.6 km reach of the stream. The presence of beaver was noted in the UT in 2013, and by the end of 2014, the majority of the UT had been transformed into a series of six to eight wetlands constructed by beaver. The study found the presence of beaver impoundments resulted in a decrease in aqueous Fe and Cd concentrations, with minimal influence on Pb concentrations. The most upstream beaver pond, impounding waters with the greatest initial metals concentrations, had mean Fe and Cd removal efficiencies of 57% and 63%, respectively. Utilizing geomorphic data collected during rapid habitat assessments, this beaver pond had an approximate surface area and hydraulic retention time of 3000 m2 and 70 h, respectively, resulting in a mean Fe removal rate of 4.12 g m−2 day−1 of Fe. The sediments collected from the UT contained elevated Cd, Pb, and Zn concentrations, with many of the metals concentrations greater than five times the EPA site-specific probable effect concentrations for sediment toxicity (Cd: 11.1 mg/kg, Pb: 150 mg/kg, and Zn: 2083 mg/kg). Five sediment samples contained Fe concentrations exceeding 200,000 mg/kg. Overall, this study emphasizes the ability of beaver to modify their surroundings and the potentially important role of beaver dams to help retain metals from untreated mine drainage impacted streams.

Cultural Resources Survey of the Proposed Moore Park Athletic Complex, Plano, Collin County, Texas

In March 2020, an intensive cultural resources survey of the proposed Moore Park athletic complex in Plano, Collin County, Texas was completed in order to inventory all cultural resources. The project parcel currently lies within an open field at the southwest corner of the intersection of Chaparral Road and Cottonwood Creek. It is bounded by Chaparral Road on the north, Cottonwood Creek to the east, Bright Star Way on the south, and Cloverhaven Way on the west in a densely residential developed area. A North Texas Municipal Water District building is located in the far northwestern corner near Cottonwood Creek. The archeological area of potential effects (APE) covers an area of approximately 103 acres (42 hectares). Because the project is owned and funded by the City of Plano, a political subdivision of the State of Texas, the project is subject to the Antiquities Code of Texas (9 Texas Natural Resources Code [TNRC] 191), which requires consideration of effects on properties designated as—or eligible to be designated as—State Antiquity Landmarks (SALs), which includes archeological resources. The survey was carried out for the City of Plano, Parks and Recreation under Texas Antiquities Permit 9334 by Brett Lang (Project Archeologist) of Cox|McLain Environmental Consulting, Inc. (CMEC). Melissa M. Green was the Principal Investigator. The parcel is situated on an upper terrace above Cottonwood Creek. From the western boundary, an unnamed tributary of Cottonwood Creek flows from the northwest corner to the southwest corner of the project parcel (as the terrace slopes southeastward) into Cottonwood Creek approximately 860 meters or 2821.5 feet away. Cottonwood Creek parallels the eastern boundary of the APE. Ground surfaces within the project area parcel were mostly covered in short, ankle-high prairie grasses used for active cattle grazing allowing for some limited visibility ranging from 20 to 50 percent. A densely wooded section was observed along the eastern boundary and along part of the tributary, allowing for 30 to 80 percent ground visibility. In all, 19 shovel test units were excavated judgmentally across the project area, of which none contained cultural materials. All materials (notes, photographs, administrative documents, and other project data) generated from this work will be housed at the Center for Archeological Studies at Texas State University at San Marcos, where they will be made permanently available to future researchers per 13 Texas Administrative Code 26.16-17. If any unanticipated cultural materials or deposits are found at any stage of clearing, preparation, or construction, the work should cease and Texas Historical Commission personnel should be notified immediately. The Texas Historical Commission concurred with the findings and recommendations of this report on 8 May 2020.

Discovery of the Arkansas Darter (Etheostoma cragini) in the Cow Creek Watershed, Cherokee County, Southeastern Kansas

The Arkansas Darter (Etheostoma cragini) is a threatened species in Kansas and was a candidate for threatened status under the Endangered Species Act (1973). The Arkansas Darter's distribution in Kansas includes the Cimarron River basin of southwestern Kansas, the Arkansas River basin in southcentral Kansas, and the Spring River basin (SRB) in southeastern Kansas. Historical surveys in the SRB during the 1960s and 1990s did not detect the Arkansas Darter in the Cow Creek watershed, which is the northernmost tributary of the Spring River. Here we report detection of the Arkansas Darter in three streams of the Cow Creek watershed during August and September 2017, including an unnamed tributary of Cow Creek (eight individuals), the Cow Creek mainstem (one individual), and the Long Branch (five individuals). Although Arkansas Darters were detected in three different streams, collections were all within 1.5 river kilometers of one another. Further, the species was not detected at 26 other locations in the Cow Creek watershed during 2017, indicating a restricted distribution for this fish in this system. This range extension for the Arkansas Darter in the SRB of Kansas may have conservation implications.

Description and microwear analysis of Clovis artifacts on a glacially-deposited secondary chert source near the Hartley Mastodon discovery, Columbiana County, Northeastern Ohio, U.S.A.

Five Clovis lithic artifacts were found in a plowed farm field just north of an unnamed tributary of the Mahoning River, Columbiana County, Northeast Ohio, approximately 700m northeast of the Hartley Mastodon discovery. These artifacts include the base of a Clovis fluted projectile point, a preform base with a prepared fluting “nipple”, a large flake, a biface tip, and a biface mid-section. We present here basic artifact morphometrics; observations involving stone tool raw material, production, and discard; microwear analysis; and stone-source-to-site straight-line and least-cost distances. Overall, our results are relevant to two discussion points. First, there is currently no strong evidence linking the five Clovis stone tools to the Hartley Mastodon. Second, the area in which the five artifacts were found would have been attractive to Clovis Paleoindians for a variety of reasons, not least of which is that the immediate area is a glacially-deposited secondary chert source.

Organic geochemistry and toxicology of a stream impacted by unconventional oil and gas wastewater disposal operations

The large volume of wastewater produced during unconventional oil and gas (UOG) extraction is a significant challenge for the energy industry and of environmental concern, as the risks due to leaks, spills, and migration of these fluids into natural waters are unknown. UOG wastewater is often hypersaline, and contains myriad organic and inorganic substances added for production purposes and derived from the source rock or formation water. In this study, we examined the organic composition and toxicology of water and sediments in a stream adjacent to an underground injection disposal facility that handles UOG wastewaters. We sampled water and streambed sediments from an unnamed tributary of Wolf Creek upstream from the disposal facility, near the injection well, and downstream. Two sites downstream from the disposal facility contained organic compounds in both water and sediments that were consistent with a source from UOG wastewater. These compounds included: 2-(2-butoxyethoxy)-ethanol, tris(1-chloro-2-propyl)phosphate, α, α-dimethyl-benzenemethanol, 3-ethyl-4-methyl-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione, and tetrahydro-thiophene-1,1-dioxide in water, diesel fuel hydrocarbons (e.g. pentacosane, Z-14-nonacosane), and halogenated hydrocarbons (e.g., 1-iodo-octadecane, octatriacontyl trifluoroacetate, dotriacontyl pentafluoropropionate) in sediments. Concentrations of UOG-derived organic compounds at these sites were generally low, typically 4 to <1 μg/L in the water, and <70 μg/g (dry wt.) in the sediment. In addition, water and sediment at a site immediately downstream from the facility contained many chromatographically unresolved and unidentified hydrocarbons. In contrast, sites upstream from the facility or in nearby watersheds not influenced by the disposal well facility contained primarily natural (biologically produced) organic substances from the local environment. Toxicological assays of human cell line exposures to water and sediment showed minimal effects. Results indicate that UOG wastewater has entered the stream and that UOG-derived organic substances are present. The contamination level, however, is low and appears to be restricted to sites immediately downstream from the disposal facility at this time.

When the Water Hits the Road: The Return of the Westslope Cutthroat

When the Water Hits the RoadThe Return of the Westslope Cutthroat Scott Herring (bio) Catching trout with a bit of bent wire is a rather trivial business, but fortunately people fish better than they know. In most cases it is the man who is caught. —John Muir Why do we try to save endangered species? It is a question we no longer answer or even ask, since we regard the matter as settled: a species gets scarce enough, the US Fish and Wildlife Service issues a finding and the professionals swing into action, like firefighters, or a hospital trauma team. If the question does come up, it is answered easily by utilitarian claims, like the classic cure-for-cancer argument ("The biosphere is a pharmacopeia filled with treasures…"). It reduces all of life to the level of a lab rat, but it, and similar claims, serve the purpose of defending the Endangered Species Act from the regular assaults it faces. But the professionals who do the swinging into action have a different experience. The lucky person who holds the endangered species in the hand, or gets close enough to have the creature notice and maybe threaten attack, with a look drilled right into the eye—these people know that there are other reasons. They don't talk about them because they want to be taken seriously as scientists, and not sound loopy. Even among themselves they don't say much because the motive that drives them is beyond words anyway. I know, because I got to inhabit their world when I went chasing after an impossibly rare fish in Yellowstone National Park. That fish was the westslope cutthroat trout. It is not "endangered," at least not yet, but it is headed that way. The fish was once [End Page 307] abundant. Of the fourteen native American cutthroat subspecies, it was once the most plentiful and widely distributed. Among other places, it could be found all along the west side of Yellowstone National Park. It has been reduced to a fraction of its former range; in the upper Missouri river drainage that fraction is five percent. In Yellowstone the westslope cutthroat has either been eliminated or hybridized to the point that it no longer is what it was. The villains in the story are not the usual ones (overfishing and habitat destruction)—the fish are doing poorly, after all, in the world's first national park, an intensely regulated landscape. The problem is that many of Yellowstone's fish are nonnatives that have outcompeted the native fish nearly everywhere in the park. Don't blame the National Park Service; the serious fish stocking, carried out by true believers with the deep self-confidence of the insane, commenced decades before the Park Service even existed. Native Yellowstone cutthroat have also been moved into nonnative waters. Along with other, even more thoroughly nonnative trout, they have interbred with the westslope cutthroat. The problem is thus more subtle than fish floating belly-up. The westslope cutthroat is in danger of having its genome ruinously diluted, while fish that look similar to the real thing are alive and healthy. So the species appeared to be sunk. However, in the middle of the last decade a genetically pure population turned up in the distant northern corner of Yellowstone National Park, in what used to be an unnamed tributary of Grayling Creek, Last Chance Creek. But it was not the last chance: in that same year, another genetically pure population was discovered in two small watercourses named Oxbow Creek and Geode Creek. Both had been empty of game fish when the park first became a park, and both were located far from the westslope cutthroat's usual home. The fish got into this odd place when Geode Creek was stocked in 1922 with what the hatchery people recorded only as "cutthroat trout." I picture Jim Earl driving the hatchery tanker to the place he'd been told to drive it, dumping the fish, and never giving it a second thought. It was just another load of fish. The westslopes were forgotten. Once the genetically pure populations turned up, the federal machinery chugged into action, as documented...

Influences of aTsuga canadensis(L.) Carriere (Eastern Hemlock) Riparian Habitat on a Lotic Benthic Community

Tsuga canadensis (Eastern Hemlock) forests provide unique riparian zones that can influence adjacent streams, but increasing mortality from the invasive Adelges tsugae (Hemlock Woolly Adelgid) is eliminating this distinctive landscape component in some regions. The objective of this study was to determine if a stream section within a hemlock ravine harbored a unique benthic community as compared to other sections of the stream that could be threatened in the event of a Hemlock Woolly Adelgid outbreak. We sampled benthic algae and macroinvertebrates in an unnamed tributary of Sugar Creek within Beach City Wildlife Area, OH, in April and September 2015. The stream flows through 3 riparian habitats: beech—maple upland forest, hemlock ravine, and lowland forest dominated by Acer saccharinum (Silver Maple), A. negundo (Box Elder), and Platanus occidentalis (American Sycamore). Our results show that Chironomidae, Navicula, Caloneis, and Nitzschia were the dominant taxa across all 3 stream sections, but that benthic macroinvertebrate richness and density were significantly lower in the hemlock ravine when compared to the lowland habitat. Periphyton community metrics were not significantly affected by riparian habitat. Overall, seasonality was more influential than riparian habitat on benthic community composition; specific taxa were indicative of either the spring or summer season. Connectivity between stream sites and/or the abundance of sandstone bedrock substrate at many sample locations might account for the similarity in benthic communities across these 3 habitats.

Comparison of paired quartz OSL and feldspar post-IR IRSL dose distributions in poorly bleached fluvial sediments from South Africa

A comparative study using quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and feldspar post-infrared infrared stimulated luminescence (post-IR IRSL) was undertaken on Quaternary fluvial sediments from an unnamed tributary of the Moopetsi River in South Africa. The aim is to assess whether the post-IR IRSL signal can be used to date incompletely bleached sediments. Several post-IR IRSL signals using varying stimulation and preheat temperatures were investigated; of these the post-IR IRSL225 signal was deemed most appropriate for dating because it bleached most rapidly. The feldspar post-IR IRSL225 equivalent dose (De) values from this site are consistently larger than those from quartz OSL, probably due to differences in the bleaching characteristics of the two signals. Additionally, the post-IR IRSL225 De values within a sample showed less variation in precision than the quartz De data, possibly due to greater averaging between grains in the feldspar small aliquots. The agreement between ages based on the OSL and post-IR IRSL225 signals was better for younger samples (<20 ka) than for older ones (>50 ka); the cause of this variation is unclear.

Level of Bifurcation of Aorta and Iliocaval Confluence and Its Clinical Relevance

Purpose: The best approach to the body of the lumbar vertebrae is from the anterior aspect. The lower lumbar vertebrae are more prone to mechanical and degenerative changes. The disadvantage is that the front of the lower lumbar vertebrae are related intimately to important neurovascular structures like the abdominal aorta, inferior venacava, sympathetic chain etc. There is a need for the preoperative evaluation of the vascular structures related to the lumbar vertebrae. Methods: The abdominal cavity of the cadavers were opened, the intra abdominal structures were retracted to expose the posterior abdominal wall. The structures related to the anterior aspect of the lumbar vertebrae were dissected and cleaned to expose the great vessels, the Abdominal Aorta and the Inferior Vena cava. The sacral promontory was identified and the level of the bifurcation of the AA and IVC formation were identified with respect to the lumbar vertebrae. Variations were also looked for. Results: The bifurcation of Aorta was seen at the body of L4 (55%) and L3 (27.5%). The IVC formation was seen on the body of L5 and L5-S1 spine. The IVC was more prone to variation when compared to AA. The variation observed with IVC was mainly in the form of multiple unnamed tributaries draining into the IVC. The variation observed in the abdominal aorta was high level of bifurcation at L3 body which is unusual. Conclusion: Preoperative evaluation of the vascular anatomy of the lower lumbar vertebra is essential to avoid

Virginia, Maryland, and District of Columbia

Pleioblastus pygmaeus (Miq.) Nakai (POACEAE)—VIRGINIA, Fairfax County: eastern bank of Dead Run floodplain in mature woodland, approximately 1 km south of George Washington Memorial Parkway, 26 January 2012, Steury 120126.1 (George Washington Memorial Parkway Herbarium, JSU); unnamed tributary 50 m from Potomac River and 4.8 km north of Mt. Vernon, 2 July 2012, Steury 120702.1 (George Washington Memorial Parkway Herbarium, JSU). MARYLAND, Montgomery County: Takoma Park, Sligo Creek Park, eastern bank of Sligo Creek floodplain just downstream of Maple Avenue Bridge, 8 March 2012, Parrish & Steury 120308.1 (George Washington Memorial Parkway Herbarium, JSU, US). DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Rock Creek Park at terminus of Juniper Street, NW, on floodplain of Rock Creek and extending up a short slope, 8 March 2012, Parrish & Steury 120308 (George Washington Memorial Parkway Herbarium, JSU). Significance. These are the first records for North America (Kartesz 1999, Barkworth et al. 2007). Pleioblastus pygmaeus (pygmy bamboo) is native to Japan (Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu) where it is known only in cultivation (Ohwi 1965, Suzuki 1978) and likely represents a horticultural derivative of Pleioblastus variegatus (Siebold ex Miquel) Makino, or ally in Pleioblastus section Nezasa Koidzumi (Ohrnberger 1999). This species is characterized by elongate rhizomes sprouting solitary, minutely ribbed, purplish culms (drying to gray), to 1.5 m tall and 4 mm in diameter. Nodes bear numerous, tan to brownish, stiff, antrorsely fringed hairs and are typically fastigiate and three branched on mature canes and unbranched on young ones. Foliage leaf blades are green, unvariegated, abruptly acuminate, with wedged to rounded bases and a short pseudopetiole, pubescent on both sides, more densely so abaxially where cross-veins are evident, typically to 1.3 cm wide and 13.5 cm long with two or three lateral veins on each side of the midrib on branched canes and to 2.3 cm wide and 18.3 cm long with four or five veins on each side of the midrib on unbranched canes. Foliage leaf sheaths are glabrous and often bristled at the apex. The only other species in this genus reported from North America (Georgia and Tennessee) is P. simonii (Carriere) Nakai (Duncan & Kartesz 1981, DeSelm et al. 1994). In Virginia, P. pygmaeus was found at two sites, one patch measuring 19.5 m 3 14.7 m in old Liriodendron tulipifera L., Fagus grandifolia Ehrh., Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal. woodland along Dead Run (38857 41.76 N, 77810 24.21 W) and another patch approximately 40 m 3 30 m near the mouth of a small unnamed tributary of the Potomac River 4.8 km north of Mt. Vernon (3884334.08 N, 7780232.18 W). The Maryland population measured 8.4 m3 5.0 m and occurred in woodland with a mixture of native (Acer negundo L., Fraxinus pennsylanica Marshall, Platanus occidentalis L., Ulmus americana L.) and nonnative (Albizia julibrisson Durazz. and Morus alba L.) trees. The colony in the District of Columbia measured 55.0 m 3 16.7 m and occurred in disturbed woodland containing native trees and shrubs such as Acer negundo L., Acer rubrum L., Carpinus caroliniana Walt., Carya cordiformis (Wangenh.) K. Koch, Lin*email address: brent_steury@nps.gov Received November 30, 2012; Accepted February 7, 2013. DOI: 10.2179/12-045

The Wa'akas Site (41CP490) at Lake Bob Sandlin, Camp County, Texas

The Wa'akas site (meaning Cow in the Caddo language) is located on a small toe slope (330ft. amsl) overlooking a small and unnamed tributary to Big Cypress Creek. The channel of Big Cypress Creek lies about 1 km to the north. The toe slope landform is normally inundated by the waters of Lake Bob Sandlin but became exposed during an episode of lowered water levels (about LO feet below the normal pool elevation of 337ft. amsl) at the lake due to drought conditions from late 2005 to early 2007. A large number of prehistoric artifacts were exposed on the landform over a ca. 2500 square meter area (0.6 acres), according to the site form, among them 490 sherds, several arrow points and dart points, as well as some pieces of lithic debris. The site was then inundated again, but a renewed drought in 20 II re-exposed the site. A moderately-sized collection of artifacts found at the site, primarily Caddo pottery sherds, at that time have been recently documented, and are reported on in this article.

Sediment Export from a Highway Construction Site in Central North Carolina

Sediment export and turbid runoff from active construction sites continue to be a source of impairment to surface water resources. Few studies have been published that include monitoring data from construction sites, particularly highway construction sites. In this study, water quality monitoring of runoff originating from three sections of a highway construction corridor was conducted during a 4.5-year period. Two unnamed tributaries, referred to as Tilly and Ellery for this study, were monitored at two locations downstream of the highway corridor, and one tributary, referred to as King's Mill, was monitored upstream and downstream of the highway corridor. At each station, discharge was continuously monitored and flow-proportional samples were collected. Samples were analyzed for total suspended solids, total solids, and turbidity. A recording raingauge was also maintained at one of the highway monitoring stations. Monitoring data at all stations documented increased sediment export and turbidity levels during the construction period as compared to the pre- and post-construction periods. During construction, sediment export rates ranged from 2.7 to 17.7 Mg ha-1 year-1, while mean turbidity levels ranged from 466 to 1,607 NTU for the five stations downstream of the highway corridor. For the station with the greatest sediment export, about 32% of the export occurred during two back-to-back tropical storms. At this time, one section of the highway was particularly susceptible to erosion because more than 6 m of fill material had recently been added to bring the road surface to near grade and vegetation had not yet been established. Increases in sediment export and turbidity at the other four downstream stations during highway construction were less pronounced. Mean turbidity levels during construction at all downstream stations were greater than 50 NTU. Post-construction mean turbidity levels were much less than during construction but were still greater than pre-construction at four of the five stations. Post-construction turbidity levels on the King's Mill tributary downstream of the highway were not significantly different from upstream.

Riparian reforestation and channel change: How long does it take?

Repeated measurements of two small streams in northeastern Vermont document change in channel width and suggest variable rates of widening because of passive reforestation over four decades. Historic data on channel width are available for several tributaries to Sleepers River in Danville, VT, USA from the 1960s. In 2004 and 2008, we re-measured channel dimensions in two of these tributaries, in two reaches of upper Pope Brook and along seven reaches of an unnamed tributary (W12). Four reaches had reforested since 1966; two reaches remained nonforested. The other three reaches have been forested since at least the 1940s. Comparisons between 1966 and 2004 showed that reforested reaches widened significantly, and comparisons between 2004 and 2008 showed continued widening, but at a greater rate. Between 1966 and 2004, reforested reaches widened at an average rate of 4.1 cm/year, while the rate more than doubled for the last four years (8.7 cm/year). Additionally, turbulence data collected during five peak flows in the spring of 2005 showed significantly greater turbulent kinetic energy ( TKE) in the reforested reach than in either the forested or nonforested reach. Our data add supporting information to the conceptual model of stream W12 that describes a process of incision, widening, and recovery of a stream reach transitioning from nonforested to forested riparian vegetation.

English

Little Sandy Creek and its tributaries, located in Sandy Creek watershed of northwest Pennsylvania, are protected as cold water fisheries and portions of Little Sandy Creek proper are further protected as high quality waters by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Because of these designated protected uses, mining operations discharging into Little Sandy Creek and its tributaries were required to meet in-stream criteria and adequate buffers had to be maintained around all streams, groundwater discharges and wetlands within the permit boundaries. In order to insure adequate on-site treatment, the mining company increased the size of all erosion-sedimentation and treatment ponds by 25 percent. Prior to the commencement of mining, water samples and aquatic communities were surveyed upstream and downstream of the mine site on all streams within the permit boundaries. During mining, water samples were collected monthly from each of two unnamed tributaries to Little Sandy Creek and Little Sandy Creek proper upstream and downstream of the mine site and the aquatic communities were sampled quarterly from each location. There were no adverse impacts on either water quality or in the diversity of aquatic communities in streams located within the permit boundaries. Little Sandy Creek continued to support a reproducing native brook char (Salvelinus fontinalis) population and the endangered Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus) was observed foraging on the mine site two years post-mining.

The Effects of Heavy Metal Mine Drainage on Population Size Structure, Reproduction, and Condition of Western Mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis

Anthropogenic degradation of aquatic environments worldwide results in disturbed habitats, altered communities, and stressed populations. Surface waters located in an abandoned lead-zinc mining district in northeastern Oklahoma are no exception. This study examines the reproductive and somatic responses of a pollution-tolerant fish, the western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis (Teleostei: Poeciliidae), living in mine outflow waters contaminated by heavy metals. Populations were sampled from four streams, which were classified into three habitat types. Populations from Tar Creek and an Unnamed Tributary of Tar Creek receive direct input of mine drainage, while populations living in reference creeks are not known to have mining influence. The influence of mine drainage directly or indirectly (via altered competitor and predator regimes or changes in food availability) affects G. affinis at both the population and the individual level. Metal-contaminated sites had reduced proportions of males and reproductively active females and altered male population size structures. Individual-level effects were apparent, as all G. affinis from Tar Creek invested less in liver weights, and mature males and reproductively active females from Tar Creek invested less in gonad weights. Furthermore, males from impacted sites were significantly lighter than those from reference creeks. Gravid females from Tar Creek had smaller clutch sizes, but average embryo weight did not differ among streams.

Riparian reforestation and channel change: A case study of two small tributaries to Sleepers River, northeastern Vermont, USA

Measurements of two small streams in northeastern Vermont, collected in 1966 and 2004–2005, document considerable change in channel width following a period of passive reforestation. Channel widths of several tributaries to Sleepers River in Danville, VT, USA, were previously measured in 1966 when the area had a diverse patchwork of forested and nonforested riparian vegetation. Nearly 40 years later, we remeasured bed widths and surveyed large woody debris (LWD) in two of these tributaries, along 500 m of upper Pope Brook and along nearly the entire length (3 km) of an unnamed tributary (W12). Following the longitudinal survey, we collected detailed channel and riparian information for nine reaches along the same two streams. Four reaches had reforested since 1966; two reaches remained nonforested. The other three reaches have been forested since at least the 1940s. Results show that reforested reaches were significantly wider than as measured in 1966, and they are more incised than all other forested and nonforested reaches. Visual observations, cross-sectional surveys, and LWD characteristics indicate that reforested reaches continue to change in response to riparian reforestation. The three reaches with the oldest forest were widest for a given drainage area, and the nonforested reaches were substantially narrower. Our observations culminated in a conceptual model that describes a multiphase process of incision, widening, and recovery following riparian reforestation of nonforested areas. Results from this case study may help inform stream restoration efforts by providing insight into potentially unanticipated changes in channel size associated with the replanting of forested riparian buffers adjacent to small streams.

Noteworthy Collections: Alabama

Hamamelis ovalis S.W. Leonard (HAMAMELIDACEAE)Clarke County: collected 10.5 air km SSW of Grove Hill, just S of intermittent, unnamed tributary of Rabbit Creek, ca. 1.3 air km N of jet. with Maubila Scout Camp Road and Co. Rd. 19; 31°37'01N, 87°48'09W; 28 August 2009, B. R. Keener 5609 with W. K. Webb (UWAL, duplicates to be distributed to AUA, GA, FSU, NCU, TROY, UNA, VDB); collected ca. 0.5 km NE of eastern terminus of Edward Harrell Lake, ca. 1.1 km N of Maubila Scout Camp Headquarters; 31°37'06N, 87°48'41W; 28 August 2009, B. R. Keener 5598 with W. K. Webb (UWAL, duplicates to be distributed). Covington County: collected 3.1 air km WNW of Carolina, along private unmarked road ca. 1.3 km S of jet. with Co. Rd. 31 at Salem Church; 31°14'57N, 86°33'36W; 18 October 2009, B. R. Keener 5654 with W. K. Webb (UWAL, duplicates to be distributed). Monroe County: collected 10.5 air km SW of Vredenburgh, just E of unmarked road ca. 2.2 km N of jet. with River Ridge Road; 31°44'29N, 87°21'54W; 18 October 2009, B. R. Keener 5642 with W. K. Webb (UWAL, duplicates to be distributed). Significance. These collections represent the first report of this taxon from Alabama thus terminating endemic status in Mississippl. The distinctive Hamamelis ovalis is a species relatively new to science only being described in 2006 (Leonard). Before now, the type locality and some nearby small populations in Perry County, Mississippi were the extent of its known distribution. Of the newly discovered localities, Covington County is the most distant from the type locality extending the range ca. 241 km to

Two Birds With One Stone – The Fairview Church Wetland Mitigation Case Study

Stormwater treatment basins, properly designed, control runoff and reduce sedimentation. Whether they can also be used as wetland mitigation sites has been a topic for debate among natural resource agents, academics, and consultants. Natural resource agencies, when reviewing wetland mitigation plans, often reject designs that include dual use stormwater treatment facilities/wetland mitigation sites for several reasons. First, routine maintenance at stormwater treatment basins usually includes vegetation removal (mowing) and dredging of accumulated sediment, both serious impediments to wetland viability. Second, the basins are meant to capture stormwater runoff, which translates to unpredictable flows and duration of water, and a high potential for capturing nutrients, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and other pollutants found in runoff. Pollution and an uncertain water table can prevent the establishment of quality habitat. Finally, stormwater treatment basins and wetland mitigation sites are each subject to regulations regarding water quality and quantity, and one set of regulations may conflict with the other. In spite of these obstacles, a dual use stormwater/wetland mitigation site may be the best option available for on-site, in-kind remediation in certain situations. This article presents a situation in which a compensatory wetland mitigation design was successfully incorporated into an active stormwater management facility in York, Pennsylvania. The following includes a discussion of the rationale for selecting the wetland creation site, the significant design constraints, construction issues, and the results of the fi rst post-construction monitoring visit. Wetland mitigation project design, construction, and post-construction monitoring efforts are primarily overseen by two regulatory agencies in Pennsylvania: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP). USACE and PADEP guidelines for mitigation design stipulate that wetland mitigation projects should incorporate function for function replacement in their design. In other words, if a project impacts a mature silver maple forested wetland, a cattail marsh would not be an appropriate replacement, because it would not provide the same ecological functions and values. In this project, the original wetland site was a palustrine emergent marsh associated with an unnamed perennial tributary to Tyler Run. The original wetland was dominated by an herbaceous community of redtop (Agrostis alba L.), soft rush (Juncus effusus L.), and New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis (L.) Michx). The wetland site offered minimal riparian stabilization, terrestrial/semi-aquatic habitat, and floodflow attenuation functions as it was subjected to periodic mowing by local township personnel to remove the “weeds” along the stream banks. Water was supplied to the wetland from shallow groundwater sources, flood flows from the unnamed tributary flowing through the center of the site, direct precipitation, and overland flows from the surrounding agricultural, commercial, and residential areas. The upper seventeen inches of the soil profile were characterized by distinct silty clay A and B soil horizons, with B horizon soils showing clear hydric soil coloration (10YR 4/1).