HHEI Sampling from Captina - Salamanders

As a followup to last Friday's post, here are some additional pics from HHEI sampling in Captina.  I'm going to focus on salamanders this time because of their importance as a barometer species for stream quality.  Salamander skin is permeable to an extent giving them the ability to absorb substances from water directly into their bodies.  Finding numerous salamanders in a stream is a good indication of the quality of water although other supporting tests need to be conducted for confimation.  Here is a sampling of some of the native salamanders of the Captina headwaters.

A closeup of a larval southern two-line salamander (Eurycea cirrigera).
Note the external gills still present behind the head.  Two-lines
are probably the most commonly encountered salamander in the
cold headwater stream habitats of Belmont and Monroe Counties.

An adult ravine salamander (Plethodon electromorphus).  Another
commonly encountered resident of the Captina watershed.  Ravine's
are more commonly found under rocks and debris upwards on hillsides
surrounding headwater streams as opposed to actually in the stream.
Note the long tail and slender body.

A juvenile ravine found under a rock next to the stream. 
Approximately one inch in length.  The smallest one I've ever seen.

The second of two adult spring salamanders (Gyrinophilus
porphyriticus) found in this stream.  Measuring about
5 inches in length this individual was under a stream
side rock.

HHEI Sampling in Captina Tributaries

HHEI (Headwater Habitat Evaluation Index) is a metric the EPA uses to assess the quality of headwater streams in a watershed.  A headwater stream is defined as one whose drainage area is 1 square mile or less.  The assessment factors in characteristics like macroinvertebrate and small vertebrate (salamanders, small fish) populations, stream substrate, maximum pool depths, and bank widths.  The EPA is in the process of compiling data for all of the headwater streams in the Captina watershed but it is a very time-consuming process because there are so many (17 in the Cat Run subwatershed alone!).  I have posted a few pictures from our trip Wednesday to an unnamed trib in the South Fork subwatershed near the SR 26 bridge.

OEPA biologist Ed Moore samples the substrate in the stream
bottom.

OEPA macroinvertebrate specialist Mike Bolton surveys leaf litter
collected from the stream for macroinvertebrates like stone, may
and caddisflies.  Mike certainly knows his bugs.  Laura Hughes (left)
and Leah Graham (rear) assist in the collection process.

A great find!  Two adult spring salamanders (Gyrinophilus
porphyriticus) were discovered at this site.  The spring salamander
is a resident of cold, shallow streams particularly around spring
seeps on the creek bank.  Check under rocks and leaf litter piled
against shaley outcrops at the stream's edge as well.  Adults can
reach upwards of 6 inches in length and are usually a dull reddish-
orange color. 

Kelly records conductivity and dissolved oxygen levels within
the stream.  Conductivity values give an idea of how much dissolved
solids like metals are in the water.

Chris Skalski is a salamander (salamander whisperer) specialist from
OEPA.  Chris and I were able to trade some good information about
 local salamander populations and habitat within the watershed.  We
are hoping to do some vernal pool work later this spring. 

A sampling of the biotic fauna of this tributary to the South Fork.
Check out the two-lined salamander larvae (Eurycea cirregea) and
the stone fly nymphs.  Needless to say this stream grades
outstanding habitat.


More to come soon..... 

Slurry Spill Update Continued

More pics from the AEC slurry spill area along Captina Creek.

The lone remaining earthen dike approximately 1/8th of a mile east
of the SR 148 bridge  in western Washington Township.  The
dikes were bulldozed from substrate in the creekbed to slow the
progression of slurry-contaminated water downstream.  They
are a vital component of the cleanup process but their construction
is environmentally disruptive to creek habitat 

The main entrance to the spill cleanup area.  This creekside field
is over a thousand feet in length and has been graded and reseeded
following two weeks of heavy traffic from machinery.  Hopefully
some of the seed germinates before winter to reduce erosion and
sedimentation into the creek. 

AEC Coal Slurry Spill Update

Three weeks have now passed since a transfer pipe containing pressurized coal slurry burst in a hay field next to Captina Creek in Wayne Township allowing the substance to flow directly into the watershed for a brief period of time.  According to AEC environmental compliance officials, spill cleanup efforts finished early last week though monitoring continues in the affected area of the creek.  Over the last two weeks EPA scientists have also conducted assessments in the spill zone to determine impact on the biotic fauna, particularly fish and macroinvertebrates (crayfish, caddis flies, snails, etc.).  Although the results of the impact study have yet to be released, preliminary findings indicate the diversity in the spill zone remains intact but populations of organisms are lower than expected.  This is true for both fish and macros.  Although a diversity of fish still exist in the spill zone (variegate and greenside darters, madtoms and hogsuckers were found!), few of the larger species of fish were encountered (small and large mouth bass, sunfish,  etc.).  I was able to visit the spill zone Saturday morning and these are a few of the sights I encountered.

A haybale dam used to sit in this section of the creek to absorb
slurry and slow the current.  It has been removed and the creek
is starting to return to normal although some gray sediment
remains on the rocks in the pools.

A riffle about 50 feet upstream from the previous image.  Most
of the rocks in this section are fairly clean although some dark
sediment remains.  It seems the riffles have recovered faster
than the deeper pools just by looks

It wasn't just the spill that impacted the environment, it was also
the cleanup process.  Makeshift roads had to be cut into the creek's
riparian corridor to allow vacuum trucks access to the spill zone.
Although these roads have been reclaimed to some extent it will be
years before they regrow to pre-spill condition.  Also, the soil
has undergone a major amount of compaction making the restablishment
of trees that much more difficult.

Heavy Frost this Morning

Those who didn't receive a touch of frost Wednesday definitely got their share last night as temperatures fell into the low 30's with clear skies and no wind to mix the atmosphere.  Any leaves left of the deciduous trees of the watershed should fall by the end of the month except for the oaks and beeches which can retain leaves through the majority of winter.

Watch for an update on the AEC slurry spill coming soon.

Also, I added a template for an easy to use cut-and-paste moon phase finder in the educational materials section.

First Frost of Season

The past week has been pretty chilly in the Captina watershed with highs in the upper 50's and lows in the 30's.  The morning of October 20th marked the first official frost for the watershed as temperatures dipped into the mid and low 30's under clear skies and light winds.  The first frost usually signals an end to the growing season and is a prelude for the next several months to come.  The deeper valleys closer to the Ohio River may not have experienced the frost due to the heating capability of the river which tends to keep nightly temps slightly warmer than those on the ridgetops of the watershed at this time of the year. 

The average first frost in Moundsville, West Virginia (located about 8 miles north of the mouth of Captina) is October 19th and the last frost date is April 30th.  A pretty good correlation so far this year.

**Make sure you check out the new page I constructed on climatology statistics in the watershed.  It is located in the "Pages" section of the right-hand margin.  The only data I could find for the watershed (that was free) was for Barnesville located at the headwaters.  Great information! 

More Buckeyes

While we are on the subject of buckeyes I thought I would introduce you to one of a different sort.  The Common Buckeye Junonia coenia is not a tree but a colorful butterfly found in the Captina watershed.  It's getting late in the growing season to encounter live adult butterflies and those that are found are usually a bit tattered.  The common buckeye is a member of the brushfoot family of butterflies including the viceroy, red admiral and mourning cloak among others.  Adults will visit asters and chicory while the caterpillars prefer plaintains as host plants.  Look for buckeyes along utility and transportation right-of-ways and in clearings within wooded stands.

This individual was found along a railway next to the creek.  It still
has decent color despite the damage to its left wing.  Note the distinctive
circular markings on the wings that give the butterfly its name.  The
butterfly sits next to an elm leaf for size comparison.  Much aster was
observed growing nearby.