Haverford ReserveHaverford ReserveWildlife and Aquatic Wildlife and Aquatic

Ecological Assessment Ecological Assessment

pH

December 15, 2008

Haverford, PA

Trevor Conlow and Trevor Conlow and Christine Altomari Christine Altomari

Princeton Hydro, LLCPrinceton Hydro, LLCcaltomari@princetonhydro.comcaltomari@princetonhydro.com

www.princetonhydro.comwww.princetonhydro.com

Project PartnersProject Partners

Haverford Township Haverford Township Haverford Hospital Citizens Advisory Haverford Hospital Citizens Advisory

BoardBoard National Fish & Wildlife FoundationNational Fish & Wildlife Foundation Darby Creek Valley AssociationDarby Creek Valley Association Natural Lands TrustNatural Lands Trust Princeton Hydro, LLC – Trevor Conlow Princeton Hydro, LLC – Trevor Conlow

and Paul Cooper and Paul Cooper

Project Goals and ObjectivesProject Goals and Objectives 1. To conduct and analyze baseline inventories of

• upland and wetland vegetation, • submerged and floating aquatic vegetation, • fish and macroinvertebrate species, and • terrestrial wildlife species

2. To identify threats to the natural features of the site and assess the ecological condition of the property and its ecological value to the Darby Creek Watershed

3. To provide recommendations for the sustainable stewardship of the natural areas that is compatible with the plans for passive public use of the site, including:• maintain and restore riparian corridors, • enhance ecological resources, and • increase recreation and environmental education

opportunities

Haverford Reserve Haverford Reserve 40 acres as private development40 acres as private development

45 acres as active recreation45 acres as active recreation124 acres as passive open space124 acres as passive open space

Vegetative Habitats Influence Vegetative Habitats Influence Wildlife CommunitiesWildlife Communities

The natural areas on the property include: two terrestrial (upland) forest communities

red oak mixed hardwood /tuliptree-beech-maple forest red maple, ash, tuliptree, and hickory forest

two palustrine (wetland) forests Red maple, sycamore, box elder forests

a small shrub land area, upland field or meadows and marsh/wetland meadows

Haverford Plant Communities Haverford Plant Communities

pH

Birding Surveys Birding Surveys

PA DEP reports the biggest declines in bird populations have occurred in grassland, wetland and early successional habitats, which are all found at the Haverford Reserve.

Bird Survey at Haverford Bird Survey at Haverford

Birding surveys were conducted in Fall Birding surveys were conducted in Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 separately for the 2007 and Spring 2008 separately for the upland forests, meadow and riparian/ upland forests, meadow and riparian/ wetlands. wetlands.

62 bird species were recorded with 62 bird species were recorded with potentially 130 species utilizing the site.potentially 130 species utilizing the site.

The birding survey at Haverford identified a healthy, diverse forest habitat and bird community..

Birding Survey Results Birding Survey Results Species found in “The Meadow” include:

Gray catbird, Northern cardinal, Carolina wren, American goldfinch, Eastern towhee, Song sparrow, Indigo bunting, Yellow warbler, and Blue-winged warbler.

These are generalist and edge-habitat species

Birding Birding SurveySurvey Results Results

Forest interior birds include: Scarlet tanager, Red-eyed vireo, Ovenbird, Wood thrush, Veery, Cooper’s hawk, Great horned owl, White-breasted nuthatch, and Red-bellied woodpecker.

Birding Survey ResultsBirding Survey Results

Species found in the Darby Creek area include: Northern rough-winged swallow, Spotted sandpiper, Great blue heron, Mallard duck, Belted kingfisher, Cedar waxwing, Northern oriole, and Wood duck.

Macroinvertebrate Sampling The Sampling evaluates the species diversity and

populations of the insects, crustaceans, and mollusks living on the stream substrate (bottom).

Certain species are known to be more sensitive to stream flows, stream substrates and pollutant loading.

The presence of sensitive macroinvertebrates such as mayflies and stoneflies generally indicates high quality stream health.

The presence of less sensitive macroinvertebrates such as black fly larvae, midges, worms or leeches, indicates impaired streams.

Advantages of Macroinvertebrate Advantages of Macroinvertebrate AssessmentsAssessments

good indicators of localized water conditions due good indicators of localized water conditions due to limited mobility. to limited mobility.

holistic indicators of overall water quality and holistic indicators of overall water quality and sensitive to impacts from: environmental sensitive to impacts from: environmental variations (low flow conditions), pollutant variations (low flow conditions), pollutant loadings, increased temperatures, excessive loadings, increased temperatures, excessive sediment loading, or eutrophication.sediment loading, or eutrophication.

normally abundant and sampling is easy normally abundant and sampling is easy primary food source for aquatic food web primary food source for aquatic food web When monitored with chemical/physical When monitored with chemical/physical

parameters, they can help identify sources of parameters, they can help identify sources of impairment.impairment.

MacroinvertebratesMacroinvertebrates

Macroinvertebrate Assessments

Macroinvertebrate species, diversity and abundances can provide inferences about: stream health and stream functions sediment loading and substrate suitability water quality, temperature and pollutant

loading, and hydrology conditions Stream impairments

Macroinvertebrate Method Macroinvertebrate Method

Stream No BrookNo

BrookNo

Brook So Brook So Brook So Brook

Station Upstream DS Conflu Upstream DS Conflu

Metric Metric Score

Taxa Richness 19 11 12 17 15 11

EPT Index 6 5 4 6 5 4

Percent Dominance 41.24 29.90 38.95 41.15 62.04 77.95

Percent EPT 18.56 53.61 14.74 51.33 22.63 7.09

FBI 6.04 5.03 5.33 4.66 5.58 5.70

  Scoring Criteria

Taxa Richness 6 6 6 6 6 6

EPT Index 6 3 3 6 3 3

Percent Dominance 3 6 6 3 0 0

Percent EPT 3 6 3 6 3 0

FBI 0 3 3 3 3 3

SUM 18 24 21 24 15 12

             

  ModImpaired

NonImpaired

ModImpaired

Non-Impaired

Mod Impaired

ModImpaired 

Macroinvertebrate Results Macroinvertebrate Results

North BrookNorth Brook Upstream – Moderately Impaired, possibly resulting Upstream – Moderately Impaired, possibly resulting

from the natural low flow of the streamfrom the natural low flow of the stream Downstream – Not ImpairedDownstream – Not Impaired Confluence with Darby Creek – Moderately Impaired Confluence with Darby Creek – Moderately Impaired

There is a major sewer line in this area that could There is a major sewer line in this area that could affect water quality and species diversity. affect water quality and species diversity.

South BrookSouth Brook Upstream – Not Impaired (sustained, stable flow)Upstream – Not Impaired (sustained, stable flow) Downstream – Moderately ImpairedDownstream – Moderately Impaired Confluence with Darby Creek – Moderately ImpairedConfluence with Darby Creek – Moderately Impaired

Fishery Survey Fishery Survey Fish are the most familiar component of stream Fish are the most familiar component of stream

ecosystems to many people and are more easily ecosystems to many people and are more easily understood. understood.

Fish, like macroinvertebrates, are useful Fish, like macroinvertebrates, are useful indicators of stream ecological function and indicators of stream ecological function and biological impairment because they form the top biological impairment because they form the top level of most food webs in stream ecosystems. level of most food webs in stream ecosystems.

Fish surveys are reliable indicators of water Fish surveys are reliable indicators of water quality conditions, but they tend to be more quality conditions, but they tend to be more sensitive to physical conditions than pollutants. sensitive to physical conditions than pollutants.

Fish Survey Fish Survey Fish communities are the result of channel

morphology, hydrology, and water quality. Fish are mobility and can avoid degraded areas. Fish are mobility and can avoid degraded areas. Factors such as dissolved oxygen levels, pH, Factors such as dissolved oxygen levels, pH,

food availability, substrate quality and structure, food availability, substrate quality and structure, and adequate hydrology tend to be the most and adequate hydrology tend to be the most important factors affecting fish utilization of a site important factors affecting fish utilization of a site

Fish colonization of a particular site can also be Fish colonization of a particular site can also be used to gauge the presence of barriers to used to gauge the presence of barriers to movement and other factors in streams. movement and other factors in streams.

Fishery Surveys Fishery Surveys

The fishery community for the Haverford The fishery community for the Haverford site was used to make inferences about site was used to make inferences about water quality and hydrology, and biological water quality and hydrology, and biological integrity of the stream integrity of the stream

Electrofishing surveys were conducted in May 2008.

Fish Survey - Darby Creek Fish Survey - Darby Creek Darby Creek is chiefly larger in size with

different substrate and greater hydrology (flow) which supports larger fish and a greater diversity of species and biomass.

Darby Creek supported 8 species and 144 fish were caught.

Darby Creek Darby Creek

Darby Creek Abundance

American Eel 12

Blacknose Dace 31

Creek Chub 14

Pumpkinseed 7

Rock Bass 4

Spottail Shiner 24

Tessellated Darter 6

White Sucker 46

 8 Species 144

Common Fish Species Common Fish Species

Blacknose dace, Creek Chub, White Sucker, Blacknose dace, Creek Chub, White Sucker, Spotfin Shinner, Am. Eel Spotfin Shinner, Am. Eel

Fish Survey – South Brook Fish Survey – South Brook

South Brook has a more balanced community structure than North Brook with increased fish diversity (balance) and

abundance the addition of a larger fish (American Eel),

and greater biomass and more complete colonization throughout

the surveyed reach 4 species and 210 fish captured

Fish Survey – South BrookFish Survey – South Brook

South Brook Abundance

American Eel 7

Blacknose Dace 162

Creek Chub 40

Pumpkinseed 1

4 Species 210

Fish Survey – North BrookFish Survey – North Brook

The fishery of North Brook had low diversity (dominated by a single species)

smaller size and biomass

Fish were limited by the small stream size and hydrology and a major barrier to fish passage, the Route 476 culvert.

4 species and 106 specimens

Fish Survey – North BrookFish Survey – North Brook

North Brook Abundance

Blacknose Dace 95

Creek Chub 5

Longnose Dace 1

White Sucker 5

4 Species 106

Thank YouThank YouQuestions or Comments?Questions or Comments?

Trevor Conlow and Christine Altomari Princeton Hydro, LLC1108 Old York RoadRingoes, New Jersey 08551Phone: (908) 237- 5660 Fax: (908) 237-5666caltomari@princetonhydro.comwww.princetonhydro.com