Aquatic Biological Communities and Associated Habitats at Selected Sites in the Big Wood River Watershed, South-Central Idaho, 2014
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Prepared in cooperation with Blaine County, Trout Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, and the Wood River Land Trust Aquatic Biological Communities and Associated Habitats at Selected Sites in the Big Wood River Watershed, South-Central Idaho, 2014 Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5128 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Cover: Big Wood River at Hailey, Idaho, looking downstream from the Bow Bridge with a scientist taking an invertebrate sample. Photograph by Dorene MacCoy, U.S. Geological Survey, September 17, 2014. Aquatic Biological Communities and Associated Habitats at Selected Sites in the Big Wood River Watershed, South-Central Idaho, 2014 By Dorene E. MacCoy and Terry M. Short Prepared in cooperation with Blaine County, Trout Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, and the Wood River Land Trust Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5128 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior SALLY JEWELL, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette M. Kimball, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2016 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment—visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS. For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://store.usgs.gov. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. Suggested citation: MacCoy, D.E., and Short, T.M., 2016, Aquatic biological communities and associated habitats at selected sites in the Big Wood River watershed, south-central Idaho, 2014: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5128, 37 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20165128. ISSN 2328-0328 (online) iii Contents Abstract ..........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................2 Description of Study Area ...................................................................................................................4 Sampling Sites .......................................................................................................................................6 Previous Investigations........................................................................................................................6 Sampling and Data Analysis Methods .......................................................................................................7 Watershed Characterization and Site Selection .............................................................................7 Hydrology ...............................................................................................................................................8 Water Quality .......................................................................................................................................10 Water-Quality Assurance and Quality Control ......................................................................10 Periphyton ............................................................................................................................................12 Physical Habitat ..................................................................................................................................12 Biological Communities .....................................................................................................................12 Macroinvertebrates ..................................................................................................................13 Fish ...............................................................................................................................................14 Aquatic Biological Communities and Habitats .......................................................................................14 Hydrology .............................................................................................................................................14 Water Quality .......................................................................................................................................16 Physical Habitat ..................................................................................................................................19 Biological Communities .....................................................................................................................21 Macroinvertebrates ..................................................................................................................21 Fish ...............................................................................................................................................24 Summary........................................................................................................................................................26 References Cited..........................................................................................................................................27 Appendix A. Macroinvertebrate Density Collected from Selected Sites in the Big Wood River and Tributaries, South-Central Idaho, September 2014 ...........................................................33 Appendix B. Relative Abundance of Fish Species Sampled from Sites in the Big Wood River and Tributaries, South-Central Idaho, September 2014 ...........................................................36 iv Figures 1. Map showing major populated areas and water-quality and biological sampling sites, Big Wood River watershed, south-central Idaho, 2014 ...............................................3 2. Graphs showing discharge and long-term median daily discharge for main-stem sites on the Big Wood River, south-central Idaho, water year 2014 ....................................8 3. Photograph showing assembly of Onset® TidbiT® thermistors to be attached to streamgage orifice line .............................................................................................................11 4. Graph showing base-flow index values for selected sampling sites in the Big Wood River and tributaries, south-central Idaho, August 2014 ......................................................15 5. Graph showing continuous temperature for main-stem sites on the Big Wood River, south-central Idaho, May–September 2014 ...........................................................................18 6. Graph showing ephemeroptera, plecoptera, and trichoptera (EPT) taxa richness from samples collected at selected sites in the Big Wood River watershed, south-central Idaho, September 2014 .....................................................................................22 7. Graphs showing temperature, suspended sediment, and nutrient tolerance values for invertebrates at selected sites, Big Wood River, south-central Idaho ........................23 8. Graphs showing trout and Wood River sculpin (Cottus leiopomus) relative abundance from samples collected at sites in the Big Wood River watershed, south-central Idaho, September 2014 .....................................................................................25 9. Photograph showing Wood River sculpin (Cotus leiopomus) .............................................25 Tables 1. Watershed and site characteristics of Big Wood River, south-central, Idaho ..................5 2. Hydrologic measures used to characterize the flow regime for selected sites in the Big Wood River watershed, south-central Idaho, water years 2012–15 .............................9 3. Instantaneous water-quality and periphyton data collected from sampling sites in the Big Wood River watershed, south-central Idaho, September 2014 ............................17 4. Daily mean temperatures for selected sites in the Big Wood River watershed, south-central Idaho, June–September 2014 ..........................................................................19 5. Habitat data collected at selected sites, Big Wood River watershed, south-central Idaho, September 2014 ..............................................................................................................20 6. Macroinvertebrate metrics calculated from samples collected at selected sites in the Big Wood River watershed, south-central Idaho, September 2014 ............................21 v Conversion Factors International System of Units to Inch/Pound Multiply By To obtain Length millimeter (mm) 0.03937 inch (in.) micrometer (µm) 0.00004 inch (in.) meter (m) 3.2808 foot (ft) kilometer (km) 0.62137 mile (mi) Area square kilometer (km2) 0.38610 square mile (mi2) Volume liter (L) 0.26417 gallon (gal) milliliter (mL) 0.00026 gallon (gal) cubic meter (m3) 0.00081 acre-foot (acre-ft) Flow rate cubic meter per second (m3/s) 35.315 cubic foot per second (ft3/s) Mass milligram (mg) 0.00004 ounce (oz) Temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) as follows: °F = (1.8 ×°C) + 32. Datums Vertical coordinate information