SRNL-STI-2014-00050 DEVELOPMENT OF ECOLOGICAL REFERENCE MODELS AND AN ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK FOR STREAMS ON THE ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN SERDP Project RC-1694 October, 2014 Michael Paller Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, USA Jack Feminella Ely Kosnicki Stephen Sefick Miller Jarrell Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, AL, USA Tracey Tuberville Dean Fletcher Andrew Grosse Bess Harris Sean Sterrett Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, SC, USA Blair Prusha University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA Form Approved REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing this collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports (0704-0188), 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. (DD-MM-YYYY) (From - To) 1. REPORT DATE 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 03-09-2014 Final Feb 2009 – Sep 2014 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Development of Ecological Reference Models and an Assessment Framework for Streams on the Atlantic Coastal Plain 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER Michael Paller, Jack Feminella, Ely Kosnicki, Stephen Sefick, Miller Jarrell, 5e. TASK NUMBER Tracey Tuberville, Dean Fletcher, Andrew Grosse, Bess Harris, Sean Sterrett, Blair Prusha 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER Savannah River National Laboratory, Building 773-42A, Aiken, SC 29808 Dept. of Biological Sciences, 101 Life Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5407 SRNL-STI-2014-00050 Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 28902 9. SPONSORING / MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program SERDP 4800 Mark Center Drive, Suite 17D08, Alexandria, VA 22350 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT NUMBER(S) RC-1694 12. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Approved for Public Release 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT Military installations in the Sand Hills ecoregion of the Atlantic Coastal Plain protect unique ecosystems including blackwater streams. The Department of Defense is committed to the recovery of degraded ecosystems but lacks reference models that specify end-states representative of least disturbed conditions. This project developed ecological reference models and assessment frameworks for evaluating the ecological integrity of coastal plain streams. The models were based on biological, habitat, and watershed data collected from undeveloped areas within major DoD installations and other protected lands. Ecological reference models were developed for fish communities, macroinvertebrate communities, and stream hydrogeomorphic conditions. The models provided a basis for multimetric indices, predictive models, and other assessment frameworks that measured deviations from reference model objectives. Habitat data were analyzed to interpret biological responses and identify factors that could affect recovery success. Performance evaluations indicated that most methods performed well at highly disturbed sites and that the concomitant use of fish and macroinvertebrate methods resulted in greater ability to detect degradation. The assessment frameworks provide tools that can be used to monitor the ecological health of wadeable streams and assess their recovery to reference states characteristic of least disturbed conditions or best attainable conditions imposed by factors that limit recovery. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Assemblage, Assessment, Bioassessment, Blackwater Stream, Coastal Plain, Fish, Habitat, Hydrogeomorphology, Macroinvertebrate, Multimetric Index, Predictive Model, Reference Model, Sand Hills, Southeast, Stream, Watershed 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION 18. NUMBER 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON Michael OF ABSTRACT OF PAGES Paller 19b. TELEPHONE NUMBER (include area code) a. REPORT b. ABSTRACT c. THIS PAGE 214 UU 803-725-5250 UU UU UU Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING SF 298 1. REPORT DATE. Full publication date, including day, 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER. month, if available. Must cite at least the year and be Year Enter all unique alphanumeric report numbers assigned by the 2000 compliant, e.g. 30-06-1998; xx-06-1998-, xx-xx-1998. performing organization, e.g. BRL-1234; AFWL-TR-85-4017- Vol-21-PT-2. 2. REPORT TYPE. State the type of report, such as final, 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) technical, interim, memorandum, master's thesis, progress, AND ADDRESS(ES). Enter the name and address of the quarterly, research, special, group study, etc. organization(s) financially responsible for and monitoring the work. 3. DATES COVERED. Indicate the time during which the work was performed and the report was written, e.g., Jun 1997 - 10. 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The publication of this report does not indicate endorsement by the Department of Defense, nor should the contents be construed as reflecting the official policy or position of the Department of Defense. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Department of Defense. i SRNL-STI-2014-00050 TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables iv List of Figures vi List of Appendices x List of Acronyms xi List of Keywords xiii Acknowledgements xiv 1.0 ABSTRACT 1 2.0 OBJECTIVE 3 3.0 BACKGROUND 4 3.1 Lotic Ecosystems on the Southeastern Coastal Plain 5 3.2 Ecological Reference Models 6 3.3 Assessment Frameworks 8 4.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS 9 4.1 Study Area 9 4.2 Watershed Assessment 13 4.3 Instream Habitat Assessment 13 4.3.1 SCDHEC Habitat Protocol 20 4.3.2 SRNL Habitat Protocol 20 4.3.3 Geomorphology and Organic Matter Data Collection 25 4.3.4 Hydrology 26 4.3.5 Water Quality 26 4.4 Biological Assessment 27 4.4.1 Fish Assemblages 27 4.4.2 Macroinvertebrate Assemblages 28 5.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 29 5.1 Reference Site Selection 29 5.1.1 Preliminary Reference