Part 614 Stream Visual Assessment Protocol Version 2

Part 614 Stream Visual Assessment Protocol Version 2 (SVAP 2) for SW Indiana March 31, 2014 By Tony Branam, NRCS

Element 3: Bank Condition • Evaluate the entire reach for an overall representation in assessment. • Look for signs of bank erosion, slumping & collapse, vehicular & livestock trails. • Avoid assessments immediately downstream of culverts and bridges due to increased velocities with increased erosive potential (non-representative).

Element 3: Fabricated structures dominate reach, score site as 2 - 0

Element 3: Banks stable with vegetative protection, score as 10 - 9

Element 3: Outside banks collapsing, livestock trails, score as 5 - 3

Element 4: Riparian Area Quantity • Look for well connected riparian areas along both banks. • Start at top of stream bank and assess outward to the next landuse type (i. e. crop, pasture) from representative location • Score each streambank and average. • If the score of one bank is 7 or greater and opposite bank is 4 or less subtract 2 from final average score on this element.

Element 4: Riparian extends more than 2 times bankfull width, score as 10 - 9

Element 4: Natural riparian at least 1/2 bankfull width, score as 6 - 5

Element 4: Natural riparian area less than 1/3 bankfull, score as 1 - 0

Element 5: Riparian Area Quality • Look for native or naturalized plant species. • Look for multiple layers of structure and diversity (i. e. herbaceous plants, shrubs, young & mature trees). • Start at top of stream bank and assess natural vegetative community from representative location from each streambank. • Score is based on average of both banks.

Element 5: Diverse plant community of herbs, shrubs, young & mature trees, score as 10 - 9

Element 5: Mature trees with few herbs, lacks diversity, score as 5 - 3

Element 5: Little or no natural vegetation, score as 2 - 1

Element 6: Canopy Cover • Important to use appropriate stream type (coldwater streams will support salmon and typically located in Northern Indiana). • Increased sunlight will increase water temperatures and algae activity creating shifts in aquatic organism communities & food webs. • Assess the entire reach and score based at representative location. • Use aerial photos with leaves on trees for overall representation.

Element 6: Warm-water Stream with 75 percent shading, scores as 8 - 6

Element 6: Warm-water Stream with 30 percent shading, scores as 5 - 3

Element 6: Warm-water stream, less than 20 percent shading, score as 2 - 0