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' Elkhead Creek Aquatic Resource Report 6 <br />Miller Ecological Consultants, December 5, 1996 <br />t Physical/chemical data collected at each study site included; site location, length and width, <br />delineation of macrohabitat types, macrohabitat mean depth, substrate, water temperature, <br />' dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, and air temperature. Stream discharge for each site was <br />determined with the use of a Model 2100 Swoffer Flow Meter. General site attributes, such as <br />gradient, instream structure, riparian zone and site specific limiting factors were recorded at <br />t each site. These data in combination with the existing fish survey data are intended to provide <br />an overview of the fish community structure within the study area. <br />' Habitat Mapping <br />' Habitat was mapped during fish surveys in September 1995 using a protocol developed by the <br />Pike & San Isabel National Forest basinwide survey (Gallagher and Winters 1994). At each <br />site the following data was recorded by ground crews: Rosgen channel type; stream gradient, <br />' habitat type and structural association, substrate type, bank erodibility, bank rock content, cover <br />types, length, width and depth of all habitat units within the mapped section. At each site the <br />area designated for habitat mapping was the same area used for fish surveys. Habitat data was <br />' later entered into a computer spreadsheet and summarized. <br />' Macroinvertebrate collection <br />' Benthic macroinvertebrate samples were collected from riffle habitat at each study site. Three <br />replicate samples were taken at each collection site using a modified Hess stream bottom <br />sampler. Samples were preserved in 70% ethanol and returned to the laboratory where <br />' specimens were identified to the lowest practical taxonomic level. Macroinvertebrate data was <br />then entered into a computer spreadsheet for data analysis. Data analysis included a species list <br />and calculated values for various indices including; Shannon-Weaver diversity and evenness, <br />' Family Biotic Index, total number of taxa, and macroinvertebrate densities. These data will be <br />used, in addition to the fish data, to characterize general aquatic conditions. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />RESULTS AND DISCUSSION <br />Fish Collections <br />A total of 924 fish were collected from two sites on Elkhead Creek on the sampling dates <br />12-13 September, 1995. A total of 13 fish species, five native and eight non-native were <br />captured. Table 1 provides a species list including common names and species codes. <br />The data for individual specimens is presented in Appendix A. <br />