WILDLIFE & Wildlife and fisheries refers to all mammal, bird, amphibian, snake, turtle, fish, and invertebrate species.

Transcription

1 WILDLIFE & Wildlife and fisheies efes to all mammal, bid, amphibian, snake, tutle, fish, and invetebate species. These species ae an integal pat of many eceational activities in the wateshed including fishing, hunting, viewing, and photogaphy and ae enewable esouces when given the pope habitat conditions. Ecologically, these species compise a distinct biological community within Pennsylvania. The following chapte eviews the fisheies, physical habitat, and wildlife esouce attibutes of the Kettle Ceek wateshed. Wildlife & Fisheies 119

2 Fishey Management Anthology A fishey is a system composed of thee inteacting elements: habitat (the envionment, including both living and non-living components); biota (the living oganisms in a ecosystems, including fishes, plankton, aquatic insects, bids, mammals); and humans, who ae both uses of fishey esouces (fo example eceational angles) and competitos fo wate. Fishey management is the manipulation of the thee inteacting elements in a fishey to meet intended and desiable objectives (Muphy and Willis 1996). This section summaizes the management stategies on Kettle Ceek by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) fom past to pesent and the cuent suface wate potection designations given by the Depatment of Envionmental Potection (DEP). Kettle Ceek is a feestone steam, oiginating in a foest egion of Elk Township, westen Tioga, nea the Potte-Tioga line. A feestone steam is one with vey little buffeing capacity having little to no limestone along with low alkalinity. The majoity of the wateshed is foested. Rolling famlands cove the im of the uppe basin and the U-shaped valley is elatively undeveloped foest. A lage potion of the dainage aea is in the Susquehannock and Spoul state foests. Human habitation and development along the steam valley ae limited to scatteed hunting camps and small settlements with few pemanent esidents. Thee state pak impoundments (Ole Bull Dam, Kettle Ceek Lake and Kettle Ceek Receation Dam) ae pesent on Kettle Ceek. The Ole Bull Dam and Kettle Ceek Dam ae small in height, ft ( metes), and the impoundments ae used pimaily fo eceation. The Alvin R. Bush Dam, which foms Kettle Ceek Lake, is 165 ft (50.3 m) FISHERIES MANAGEMENT PLANKTON ae fee-floating micoscopic oganisms, including algae, plants, and animals that cannot swim against a cuent BUFFERING CAPACITY is the ability of a steam to maintain the wate ph within a naow ange. INDIGENOUS efes to an oganism that is native to a geogaphic egion. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Kettle Ceek access sign in height and povides flood contol and eceation. Kettle Ceek becomes impacted by mine dainage about thee miles (4.8 km) below the dam. Six miles (9.6 km) below the dam, whee Two Mile Run entes Kettle Ceek, is no longe suitable fo stocking and maintaining tout populations. 120 Kettle Ceek Wateshed Assessment

3 The Depatment of Envionmental Potection (DEP) designates the wates fom the Alvin R. Bush Dam to the confluence of the Susquehanna Rive as a Tout Stocking Fishey (TSF). TSF equies the potected wate use to be maintained with stocked tout fom Febuay 15 to July 31 and the maintenance and popagation of fish species and additional plants and animals, which ae indigenous to wam wate habitats. The DEP also designated the wates fom the inlet of Kettle Ceek Resevoi to Alvin R. Bush Dam as a High Quality- Tout Stocking Fishey (HQ-TSF). Fo wates to qualify as High Quality (HQ) the suface wate must meet cetain citeia. This section of Kettle Ceek qualified to eceive the HQ designation because of its Class A wild tout steam designation given by the PFBC. All wates above the esevoi pool elevation eceived the DEP designation of Exceptional Value Wate (EV), in which the suface wates meet the citeia fo HQ wates as well as moe stingent citeia (Figues 4.4 and 4.5). The conditions that qualify Kettle Ceek fo EV status ae 1) the majoity of suface wate is located in state pak natual aeas and state foest natual aeas, 2) plus some of the wate is labeled as exceptional eceational value and 3) that a potion of wate is designated as "wildeness tout steam" by the PFBC (Depatment of Envionmental Potection 1999). Extensive logging occued in the Kettle Ceek wateshed between 1890 and Whole tibutay watesheds would be cut at one time afte ail lines wee installed to tanspot lumbe to the mills (Tabe 1972). Some lumbe companies would tanspot thei timbe to downsteam mills by binding the logs togethe and afting them to the mill, while othes built splash dams along the tibutaies that etained the flows of natual spings and steams. The elease of the wate behind these dams would then cay the logs to the mainstem. Uncontolled fies and poo logging pactices used duing this peiod Photo Coutesy of Raiload Museum of Pennsylvania, Pannsylvania Histoical and Museum Commission wee detimental to the fishey esouces; howeve, fishing was epoted to have been best in the ealy 1900s (Watts and othes 1942). Reasons fo this appaent inconsistency ae unclea. Timbe emoval poduced inceased wate yields in the wateshed fo up to ten yeas, which may have kept steam tempeatues low. Steam tempeatue is an impotant facto that influences the types of species and fish communities able to suvive and epoduce in that envionment. In tun, the inceased wate yield helped to flush the high amount of siltation poduced by the lack of eosion contol methods duing logging (Hollende and othes 1983). Histoically thee has been a decline in the book tout (Salvelinus fontinalis) fishey, which may have been due to the intoduction of bown tout (Salmo tutta) into the wateshed (Watts and Havey 1946). Bown tout wee fist eleased in Coss Fok Ceek in the 1920's because of thei ability to each lage sizes and suvive at slightly highe tempeatues than Poo logging pactices at Hammesley ailway station in the ealy 1900s Wildlife & Fisheies 121

4 book tout. Bown tout became well established thoughout the dainage by the 1940s. Inceased angling pessue o havesting on Kettle Ceek may also have lead to the demise of the book tout fishey, since book tout ae moe susceptible to angling pessues than bown tout (Watts and othes 1942). Book and bown tout wee stocked duing the 1930s and tout stocking has continued to the pesent. Rainbow tout have also been stocked since 1936 in the Clinton potion of Kettle Ceek and since 1946 in the Potte potion. Smallmouth bass (Micopteus dolomieu), catfish (Ictaluus spp.), and yellow pech (Peca flavescens) wee stocked in the lowe eaches duing the mid 1930's to ealy 1940's (Hollende and othes 1983). In addition to Kettle Ceek, stocking included Kettle Ceek Receation Dam, Kettle Ceek Lake, Coss Fok Ceek, Little Kettle Ceek, Gemania Banch, Tout Run, and Hammesley Fok. Local coopeative nuseies also made additional stockings. While book tout ae dominant in the headwates, they ae quickly eplaced downsteam by bown tout, which yield to smallmouth bass nea Kettle Ceek Lake. Not all management stategies have woked, even though they may be done with the best intentions. The addition of the Alvin R. Bush dam allowed fo the wates below it to incease tempeatues enough to negatively impact the tout fishey below the dam. The PFBC and Amy Cops of Enginee coopeated in establishing a coldwate elease to pomote a coldwate tailwate fishey downsteam fom the dam to Owl Hollow; unfotunately this alteation did not impove conditions as much as intended (B. Hollende, PFBC, pesonal communication 2001). Kettle Ceek is managed chiefly fo a catchable tout fishey. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) classify tout steams fom A though D accoding to fish abundance o Yellow pech (Peca flavescens) Combined Tout Steam Classification Class lbs/ace Total biomass kg/ha A 36 lbs/a at least 40 kg/ha B 18 lbs/a at least 20 kg/ha C 9 lbs/a at least 10 kg/ha D < 9 lbs/a less than 10 kg/ha Figue Tout Steam Classification Management Classifications Class miles km A B C D NC L WWF Figue Management Classification biomass (the combined weight of a goup of fish usually expessed by unit aea o volume pounds pe ace/kilogams pe hectae) (Figue 4.1). Othe steam categoies defined by the PFBC ae low density tout population (L) and wam wate fishey (WWF) (Figue 4.2). Cuently, of the 430 steam miles (694 km) of Kettle Ceek and its tibutaies, 73 ae not classified (NC). Of the emaining 27, class A dominates with 60 miles (97 km) o 14 of steams. Class B, C, L, and WWF ae epesented by a vey Photo:Tim Stecko 122 Kettle Ceek Wateshed Assessment

5 small pecentage o numbe of miles, while class D steams encompass 27 miles (44 km) of Kettle Ceek. The PFBC stocks appoximately 26 miles (43 km) of Kettle Ceek and its tibutaies in steams classified as B, C, D, o L indicated by an (S) following the classification. Thee is a steam section below the Alvin R. Bush Dam that contains no tout due to poo wate quality caused by acid mine dainage which is indicated by (MD). The PFBC manages 16 miles (27 km) of eithe Class A o B wates unde the Heitage angling pogam o Wildeness Tout steam pogam indicated by a (H) o (W) espectively following the biomass classification (Figue 4.3). Dastic declines in the wild bown tout populations wee ecoded duing the 1996 inventoy on the section of Coss Fok Ceek, managed unde the Heitage Angling Pogam. These declines appea to have been the esult of sevee climatic events duing the summe of 1995, duing which a dought occued, followed by an ealy winte flood of Kettle Ceek is one of the most intensively stocked steams in the Commonwealth. Cuently, it is managed chiefly fo catchable tout fishey unde statewide angling egulations except fo specially egulated aeas. Two of these special aeas ae eseved fo use by childen unde 12 and disabled pesons and ae located at Coss Fok and Ole Bull State Pak. Coss Fok Ceek; fom Bea Tap Lodge downsteam to the weed popety encompassing 5.4 miles (9 km), is managed unde the Heitage Tout Angling pogam fo catch-and-elease fishing with babless atificial flies. The Delayed Havest Fly-Fishing-Only aea (fomely Fish-fo- Fun) was puchased in 1971 by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) and is on the main-stem of Kettle Ceek; fom 500 feet (152 m) downsteam of SR 0144 bidge upsteam fo a distance of 1.7 miles (2.8 km). Class A wild tout wate is a suface wate classification by the PFBC, based on speciesspecific biomass standads, that says a steam must suppot a population of natually poduced tout of sufficient size and abundance to suppot a long-tem and ewading spot fishey. ANGLING PRESSURE is the amount of fishing that takes place in a specific aea ove a peiod of time; it is usually measued in angle-hous o angle-tips. The John Summeson Banch, a tibutay of Tout Run and the uppe section of Hammesley Fok, a tibutay of Kettle Ceek ae managed unde the Wildeness Tout Steam pogam, which is a suface wate designation by the PFBC to potect and pomote native tout fisheies and maintain and enhance wildeness aesthetics and ecological equiements necessay fo the natual epoduction of tout (See Figue 4.3.). Kettle Ceek Lake is a pat of the Select Tout Stocked Lake Pogam, which allows angles to fish the lake fo tout duing Mach when most stocked wates ae closed to fishing. Kettle Ceek Lake and a pat of the main-stem fom the Potte/Clinton county line to Owl Hollow ae also classified as "appoved tout wates", which means they meet the PFBC citeia to be stocked with tout (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission 2001). At the pesent time no othe fish ae stocked in Kettle Ceek o its tibutaies except tout. Coopeative stocking is still occuing but vaies evey yea. Wildlife & Fisheies 123

6 Tout Steam Classification Wateshed Bounday Tout Steam Classification Class A Class A -Heitage angling pogam Class A -Wildeness tout steam Class B Class B -Stocked Class B -Wildeness tout steam Class C Class C -Stocked Class D Class D -Stocked Low tout density Low tout density- Stocked Mine Dainage Not Classified Wam Wate Fishey Figue Tout biomass and management pogams 124 Kettle Ceek Wateshed Assessment

7 Photo:Tim Stecko Book tout (Salvelinus fontinalis) - male in beeding coloation. Book Tout Biomass High Tout Biomass (>30 kg/ha) Above Aveage Tout Biomass ( kg/ha) Below Aveage Tout ( kg/ha) Poo Tout Biomass ( kg/ha) No Biomass Data Exceptional Value Wateshed High Quality-Tout Stocking Fishey Tout Stocking Fishey Figue Book Tout Biomass Bown tout (Salmo tutta) Photo:Tim Stecko Bown Tout Biomass High Tout Biomass (>30 kg/ha) Above Aveage Tout Biomass ( kg/ha) Below Aveage Tout Biomass ( kg/ha) Poo Tout Biomass ( kg/ha) No Biomass Data Tout Stocking Fishey High Quality- Tout Stocking Fishey Exceptional Value Wateshed Rainbow tout (Oncohynchus mykiss) Photo:Tim Stecko Figue Bown Tout Biomass Wildlife & Fisheies 125

8 STREAM ORDER is the anking of elative sizes of steams within a wateshed based on the natue of thei tibutaies. A fist-ode steam eceives no defined tibutaies; a second-ode steam esults fom the Figue Steam ode anking modified fom Muphy and Willis (1996). In 2000, West Clinton Spotsman's Association stocked 1,237 tout in Kettle Ceek. In both Clinton and Potte angle clubs stocked 3,976 tout in the Clinton sections plus 11,143 in the Potte potion. Uppe Kettle Ceek povides angles with a divese quality tout fishing in an aesthetically pleasing natual envionment. Wate quality in uppe Kettle Ceek is affected by seasonally high wate tempeatues, which limits the wild tout populations (Figues 4.4 and 4.5). Channels that have scoued and shifted ovetime may have educed potential tout habitat. Angles willing to walk to emote aeas may be ewaded by sections of steam that suppot excellent wild book and natualized bown tout populations. Despite the athe spase human population, angling pessue is compaatively heavy because many angles tavel to the aea fom othe pats of Pennsylvania and suounding states. Oveall, tout stocking appeas to be a sensible management stategy on Kettle Ceek. confluence of two fist-ode steams and so on. Tout: Biology Many membes of the tout family ae highly valued game and spot fish, suppoting impotant fisheies in coldwate ecosystems. The wide distibution of these species eflects, in pat, histoical populaity of tout tansplants and stocking. Book tout ae native to easten Noth Ameica, fom Canada to the southen Appalachians in Geogia and west to Minnesota, and have been intoduced into many coldwate ecosystems in westen egions. Rainbow tout (Oncohynchus mykiss) ae native to westen Noth Ameica, although they have been widely stocked thoughout noth cental and notheasten Ameica. Bown tout ae native to Euope and westen Asia but wee tansplanted to the United States in 1883 and now occu in coldwate ecosystems thoughout Canada and the nothen United States (Hocutt and Wiley 1986). All tout pefe clea, cool, well-oxygenated lakes and steams. Book tout occu most commonly in small fist-ode o headwate steams (Figue 4.6) and lakes, often at high elevations. The book tout is able to suvive in vey cold conditions with a shot gowing season and ae elatively intoleant of wam wate, seeking 126 Kettle Ceek Wateshed Assessment

9 out tempeatues below 68 F (20 C) in the summe. Rainbow tout ae usually found in cool lakes and steams with adequate shallows and vegetation to suppot good food poduction. They ae most successful in habitats with tempeatues of 70 F (21 C) o slightly lowe. Bown tout can emain active and can thive at slightly highe tempeatues than book tout, but othewise have simila habitat equiements. The optimum tempeatue ange fo bown tout is F (18-21 C) (Willes 1981). Fo steams and lakes to suppot self-sustaining tout populations, habitat suitable fo spawning and suvival of eggs and fy must be available. Book, ainbow, and bown tout all spawn ove gavel beds in small steams. Matue fish may tavel upsteam to each suitable spawning steams. Book and bown tout can also spawn on gavel shallows in lakes, although book tout equie goundwate upwelling and modeate cuent fo successful epoduction. Book and bown tout ae both fall spawnes. Book tout eggs ae deposited in late summe in nothen egions and bown tout spawn in late autumn to ealy winte, at a tempeatue of F (9-10 C). Fo both species, eggs hatch in mid-winte and fy emege fom the gavel in vey ealy sping, just befoe ice beakup. Rainbow tout ae pimaily sping spawnes and begin to spawn between tempeatues F (10-16 C). Eggs incubate fo fou to seven weeks befoe hatching and fy emege fom the gavel afte anothe five days o two weeks (US EPA 1993). All species spawn in nests, efeed to as "edds", pepaed pimaily by the female. The female cleas away debis and silt fom the edd by tuning sideways and beating the bottom substate using a seies of apid fanning movements of the tail. When the spawning pocess is completed, the female coves the edd with loose gavel using a simila motion. No futhe paental cae o potection is povided. Tout do not die afte spawning and geneally spawn in multiple yeas. Book, ainbow, and bown tout ae canivoous feeding on a wide vaiety of oganisms, including aquatic and teestial insects, cayfish, leeches, mollusks, fogs, small fish, and Photo:Tim Stecko Photo:Tim Stecko Photo:Tim Stecko Blacknose dace (Rhynichthys atactulutus)- male in beeding coloation Ceek chub (Semotilus atomaculatus)- a common cold wate fish species Fall fish (Semotilus copoalis)-a common cold wate fish species Wildlife & Fisheies 127

10 MANAGEMENT CONCERNS FOR TROUT FISHERIES In geneal, tout fisheies equie moe intensive management than do many wam o cool wate fisheies. Management poblems and concens could include the following: HABITAT DEGRADATION Poo land use pactices can lead to siltation of spawning aeas. Tout can epoduce successfully only in clean gavel substate; egg and fy suvival can be deceased damatically by even small to modeate silt loads. Land cleaing can also incease wate tempeatues, which in tun depletes oxygen levels, eliminating suitable habitat fo tout duing the summe. ANGLER PRESSURE Tout, in geneal, ae highly catchable and susceptible to ove-fishing duing some seasons of the yea. Book tout in paticula, tend to occu in small unpoductive steams that suppot elatively few fish; theefoe populations can be easily depleted. Remedies used fo educing angle pessue include fishing egulations and stocking. Slow-gowing, late-matuing populations may equie elatively lage minimum size egulations to sustain adequate numbes of sexually matue, epoducing fish. INADEQUATE NATURAL REPRODUCTION Suitable spawning aeas o habitat may be unavailable. Migations into spawning steams may be blocked by beave dams, o constuction of dams o oads. Repoductive success may also be low as a esult of fish pedation on tout eggs, fy and juveniles. Often, populations with insufficient epoduction ae supplemented o suppoted by stocking. Excessive pedatos o competitos - Young tout ae highly susceptible to pedatos, such as pickeel, o fish-eating wate bids. Yellow pech may compete with juvenile tout and also potentially feed on tout eggs. Diffeent species that utilize the same esouces may also be a souce competition (i.e. bown vs. book tout). 128 Kettle Ceek Wateshed Assessment

11 lage zooplankton (animal species only). In geneal, fish play a less impotant ole in the diets of these species than fo most othe impotant game fish, such as bass. Bown tout and ainbow tout tend to each lage sizes than the book tout. Fish and cayfish figue moe pominently in the diet of vey lage bown and ainbow tout (Kendall 1978). Fish Species Composition and Species Divesity Divesity simply efes to the numbe of diffeent species in a given aea. The fish divesity of Kettle Ceek, in tems of those living species that ae known and have been collected, is given in Figue 4.7. Many factos wok togethe to detemine the composition of a fish community in a given steam o lake. Small steams often eceive much of thei oganic enegy input fom the teestial community in the foms of insects, leaves o pine needles. Aquatic pimay poduction is usually low because small steams tend to be shaded. The leaves ae pocessed by aquatic insects, which in tun ae eaten by fishes and othe pedatos. As steams become lage and boade, moe sunlight and plant nutients each the wate, and balance shifts to geate pimay poduction. Algae attached to ock sufaces ae the majo souce of food fo insect species that scape such sufaces and ae eaten by fishes. As steams become still lage, tubidity may educe the amount of light available fo pimay poduction. Fish communities change fom small steams, whee most fish ae feeding on insects and invetebate leaf pocessos, to moe complex communities that include fish that feed on a vaiety of souces such as plants, lage invetebates and othe fish species. Fish species that occu in steams o lakes have natually moved into these wate bodies o histoically been intoduced (accidentally o on pupose) by human activities. Figue 4.7 also indicates whethe a species is natively found in the Kettle Ceek wateshed (indigenous) o intoduced to the wateshed by accident o on pupose (nonindigenous). Natual pattens of fish species distibution tend to follow majo dainage systems. Habitat chaacteistics and biotic inteactions detemine the actual species composition and elative species abundance. Fo a species to pesist, the steam o lake must povide suitable habitat fo epoduction, suvival and gowth. The geate the vaiety of habitats in an aea the moe fish species that aea can suppot (Magnuson 1991). Small steams ae vey susceptible to alteations of thei envionment. Habitat losses can occu fom alteations such as channelization fom eosion and flood contol, siltation, agicultual unoff, and wastewate dischages. In most egions thee ae fish species that ae especially sensitive o intoleant to human distubance. PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY is the ate at which algae and othe plants convet light, wate, and cabon dioxide to suga in plant cells. Redbeast sunfish (Lepomis auitus)- a common wam wate fish species. Photo:Tim Stecko Wildlife & Fisheies 129

12 Kettle Ceek Species Composition Tempeatue Pefeence Range Toleance to human distubances Coldwate= C = F(10-16 C) Indigenous = I R = Rae Intoleant Coolwate= K = F(20-25 C) Nonindigenous = N I = Common Intoleant Wamwate= W = F(25-30 C) M = Modeately Intoleant T = Highly Toleant P = Modeately Toleant Common Name Genus species C / K / W I / N R / I / M / T / P Cental Stoneolle Campostoma anomalum - I - Cutlips Minnow Exoglossum maxillingua - I - Bluntnose Minnow Pimephales notatus - I T Common Shine Luxilus conutus K I - Golden Shine Notemigonus cysoleucas K I T Rosyface Shine Notopis ubellus - I I Blacknose Dace Rhinichthys atatulus C I T Longnose Dace Rhinichthys cataactae C I R Peal Dace Magaiscus magaita - I - Ceek Chub Semotilus atomaculatus C I T Fallfish Semotilus copoalis C I - Rive Chub Nocomis micopogon C I I White Sucke Catostomus commesoni K I T Nothen Hog Sucke Hypentelium nigicans W I M Magined Madtom Notuus insignis W I - Bown Bullhead Ameiuus nebulosus W I T Slimy Sculpin Cottus cognatus C I - Shield Date Pecina peltata - I - Geenside Date Etheostoma blennioides - I M Tessellated Date Etheostoma olmstedi - I - Bown Tout Salmo tutta C N - Rainbow Tout Oncohynchus mykiss C N - Book Tout Salvelinus fontinalis C I - Tige Tout Salvelinus fontinalis x Salmo tutta C N - Pumpkinseed Sunfish Lepomis gibbosus W N P Redbeast Sunfish Lepomis auitus W N - Bluegill Sunfish Lepomis macochius W N P Smallmouth Bass Micopteus dolomieu K N M Lagemouth Bass Micopteus salmoides W N - Rock Bass Ambloplites upestis W N - Black Cappie Pomoxis nigomaculatus - N - Yellow Pech Peca flavescens K N - Redfin Pickeel Esox ameicanus ameicanus K N - Nothen Pike Esox lucius - N P Tige Musky Esox lucius x Esox masquinongy - N P Figue Tempeatue and Toleance Classification of Kettle Ceek Fish Species 130 Kettle Ceek Wateshed Assessment

13 These distubances involve a wide vaiety of envionmental distubances including wate quality and habitat degadation (Ka 1991). Fo example, intoleance to siltation is common but othe types of intoleance may also be pesent. The Kettle Ceek fish species composition list (Figue 4.7) indicates the species in the wateshed that fall into a toleance categoy (Ohio Envionmental Potection Agency 1988). The categoiesof intoleance petaining to the Kettle Ceek fish species composition include ae intoleant (R), common intoleant (I), and modeately intoleant (M) and the levels of toleant include highly toleant (T) and modeately toleant (P). Young fish tend to be much moe sensitive o intoleant to all envionmental stesses than olde fish. Competition is anothe ecological inteaction involved in the composition of fish species. Taub (1989) acknowledges competition as one of the majo contolling mechanisms of species dominance. Steams and lakes typically have seveal species that compete fo limited esouces and the species most successful in captuing the esouce will incease at the expense of the less successful. Fish using the same esouces do not necessaily compete if the esouce is so abundant that its use by some species does not distess othes. Competition can be most sevee among fish that use the same esouces in the same way. This has been demonstated in Kettle Ceek when the intoduction of the bown tout occued in the late 1800 s. The nonindigenous bown tout established itself in the wateshed and eventually displaced the indigenous book in many aeas (Watts and othes 1942). Often, howeve two species can coexist if pedation, angling, o othe foces pevent them fom becoming extemely abundant. Fish can even change thei feeding aeas o types of food when competing with o being peyed upon by othe fishes. An impotant physical facto influencing the composition of fish species in a wateshed is tempeatue. The tempeatue of the suounding envionment detemines thei body tempeatue. Thus, tempeatue diectly influences fish gowth ates, activity levels, epoduction, and most othe aspects of fish biology. Diffeent steams and diffeent locations within a steam can exhibit vey diffeent themal egimes o tempeatue anges. These egimes have a citical influence on the fish that a site can suppot. Some steams emain vey cold thoughout hot summe months if they have goundwate inputs o have extensive shading, while othes that ae exposed to the sun and have elatively little goundwate contibution can come close to ambient ai tempeatues (Stoneman and Jones 1996). Feshwate fish ae known to be able to detect small diffeences in wate tempeatue (Eaton and othes 1995) and to seek coole wate if it is available unde conditions of heat stess (Headick and Caline 1993). Diffeent fish can toleate diffeent anges of tempeatue, some can suvive in a wide ange of tempeatue and some can suvive in a vey naow ange of tempeatue. Evey steam o lake has its own themal egime and tempeatue vaiation that is an impotant facto which influences the types of species and fish communities able to suvive and epoduce in that envionment. White sucke (Catostomus commesoni) - a cool wate species. Photo:Tim Stecko Wildlife & Fisheies 131

14 Photo:Tim Stecko Golden shine (Notemigonus cysoleucas)- a cool wate fish species Fish species pefe to live at diffeent tempeatues. They ae often classified as coldwate, coolwate, and wamwate fish, depending on thei pefeed wate tempeatue (Figue 4.7). Coldwate fish equie the appoximate midpoint of wate tempeatue to be F (10-16 C), but in geneal less than 70 F (21 C) to gow and epoduce. Coolwate fish pefe thei appoximate midpoint fo tempeatues to be F (20-25 C), o geneally highe than 65 F (18 C) but less than 75 F (24 C). Wamwate fish equie an appoximate midpoint of F (25-30 C), but usually highe than 75 F (24 C) to gow and epoduce (Magnuson and othes 1979). Many eseaches have monitoed species composition in Kettle Ceek ove the last 30 yeas. Agent and othes (1997) constucted a geogaphical infomation database fo Pennsylvania that shows fish collections completed by state agencies (e.g. univesities, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC)), which can be linked to tables of data that contain infomation on the species composition and date of captue. Fish species collections on the mainstem of Kettle Ceek wee pooled togethe fom Agent and othes (1997) database anging fom the late 1960 s to the end of the centuy. The PFBC has, by fa, done the most extensive sampling in the wateshed, due to its intensive management ole. The othe ecoded investigato is D. Ed Coope, an ichthyology pofesso fom the Pennsylvania State Univesity (PSU). The species composition in Kettle Ceek did not change dastically ove time fom the pooled databases although noticeable changes occued at a few collections sites. Fo instance, in 1967, Coope sampled the confluence of Twomile Run with the mainstem of Kettle Ceek, an aea impacted by mine dainage, and collected no fish species. Thity yeas late in 1997, the PFBC sampled the same aea and collected two species of fish, the white sucke (Catostomus commesoni) that is highly toleant to human distubances, and the smallmouth bass (Micopteus dolomieu) that is modeately intoleant to human distubances. Finding these fish could be an indication of a slight impovement in wate quality. By fa the most intensively sampled aea by the PFBC fo the longest duation (1978-pesent) is along the mainstem of Kettle Ceek, just above the confluence of Coss Fok upsteam to the confluence of Little Kettle Ceek. Species composition has aveaged 15 pe sample, thus indicating a divesity of habitats that can suppot a vaiety of fish species. Collections upsteam of the confluence with Gemania Banch along the mainstem of Kettle Ceek by the PFBC and Coope fom 1964 to the pesent ae indicative of cold and cool wate species as no wam wate fish species have been ecoded. Anothe way to look at potential species composition in Kettle Ceek is the Gap Analysis Poject (GAP) (Fo moe infomation on GAP, efe to page 151). The GAP analysis fo Kettle Ceek pedicts potential habitat fo 37 fish species (Appendix G, page 305), while fish species collection in the wateshed totaled 35 (Figue 4.7). Out of the potential 37 fish species listed on the GAP analysis, 24 coincide with the actual species collected on the wateshed. Eleven fish species actually collected in Kettle Ceek wateshed wee not listed on the GAP fish species list fo potential habitat. 132 Kettle Ceek Wateshed Assessment

15 Histoical Pollution of Kettle Ceek Fisheies Summay of epots witten by the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, On Sunday Septembe 4, 1966 nea the town of Coss Fok, Potte, Pa, Kettle Ceek was seveely damaged by pollution oiginating on State Foest lands in the vicinity of Claks Hollow. The souce of the pollution was a gas well dilling opeation. The upsteam limit of pollution was one mile below Bunnell Bidge on Route 144 and the downsteam limit was the Alvin Bush Dam. Immediately below the point of enty, all aquatic invetebates wee killed. The absence of aquatic invetebates pesisted fo appoximately two miles (3.2 km), whee vey few oganisms wee found. Cayfish wee extemely sensitive to the toxic mateial and wee killed in lage numbes, even in aeas whee othe invetebates suvived. The cayfish appeaed to be annihilated fom the point of enty to at least the Leidy Bidge. The pollution depessed the fish population fom Clak Hollow downsteam to the aea whee Hogstock Run entes Kettle Ceek. In this fou mile (6.4 km) section, the only fish species that suvived in any appeciable numbes was the magined madtom, a small non-game fish. The fish kill began on Septembe 4th and eached the top of the Alvin Bush Dam by Septembe 6th. The estimated numbe of fish killed was 185,642, including species of tout, bass, suckes, fallfish, minnows, and chubs. Lage numbes of juvenile bluegills and smallmouth bass wee killed at the uppe end of the lake whee the steam fist entes the lake; howeve, the kill did not extend fa into the lake, appaently offset by dilution. The pollution also caused heavy siltation and an oily smelling, sandy mateial was epoted to have completely coveed the bottom of all pools fo about two miles below the point of enty. Below this, siltation was still noticeable but became less ponounced. Histoical Pollution Wate in the damaged aeas was bown in colo and some aeas wee coated with clay deposits. By the time the wate eached the backwates of the lake, it esembled a colloidal suspension of clay in colo, simila to cadboad. Some shoeline vegetation and soils wee also damaged by oil, that collected at edges of the steam. In conclusion, 4 miles (6.4 km) of Kettle Ceek wee so seveely polluted as to be vitually devoid of aquatic invetebates and desiable game fishes. Half this distance was so badly silted that it became esthetically unattactive to angles and vey poo habitat fo most aquatic oganisms. As the pollution pogessed downsteam, the toxicity deceased until it was neutalized in the backwates of Kettle Ceek Lake. The geatest damage downsteam fom Hammesley Fok was to the fish life. Oveall, appoximately 15 to 17 miles (24 to 27 km) of Kettle Ceek suffeed damage (Figue 4.8). At the pesent day, no visual effects of this pollution ae pesent and the steam has appeaed to ecove fom the pollution. Wateshed Bounday Range of Pollution fom 1966 Gas Well Dilling Opeation Steam Netwok Figue Histoical Pollution in Kettle Ceek. Wildlife & Fisheies 133

16 GOALS: FISHERIES FH 1.1 Impove and develop habitat Photo:Tim Stecko assessments. FH 1.2 Impove steam habitat focusing on flow, substate, and ipaian aeas. Cental stoneolle (Campostoma anomalum) FH 1.3 Monito habitat to attain moe self-sustaining wild tout populations. Photo:Rob Ciswell FH 2.1 Recognize values and oppotunities in Kettle Ceek wateshed. Photo:Tim Stecko Photo:Tim Stecko Shield date (Pecina peltata) Photo:Tim Stecko Photo:Tim Stecko Rosyface Shine (Notopis ubellus) Bluntnose minnow(pimephales notatus) Pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus) 134 Kettle Ceek Wateshed Assessment Nothe Hog sucke Hypentelium nigicans)

17 Intoduction Habitat assessments ae defined as the evaluation of the stuctue of the suounding physical habitat that influences the quality of the wate esouce and the condition of the esident aquatic community (Babou and othes 1996). Habitat assessments encompass many diffeent aspects of the steam in ode to povide a method of measuing the ating of the habitat. Assessments ae usually conducted on a 328- foot (100 mete) section of the steam. Thee ae many diffeent categoies upon which one obtains a scoe, based on a habitat assessment data sheet. Once complete, the scoe is totaled to acquie an oveall habitat scoe and ating. Thee ae two types of data foms fo the habitat assessments aleady conducted in the Kettle Ceek wateshed. Both ae vesions adapted fom the Envionmental Potection Agency (EPA) apid bioassessment potocol (EPA, 2001); copies ae available in the Appendix. The fist fom is used and distibuted by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) (Appendix F - Page ). The PFBC fom includes ten categoies: Epifaunal Substate/Available Cove (subcategoies of fish and macoinvetebates); Riffle Quality; Embeddedness; Channel Alteation; Sediment Deposition; Fequency of Riffles (o bends)/ Velocity-Depth Combinations; Channel Flow Status; Bank Vegetative Potection (each bank scoed sepaately); Bank Stability (each bank scoed sepaately); and Ripaian Vegetative Zone Width (each bank ipaian zone scoed sepaately). In this section, the goups that used this data sheet ae Mansfield Univesity (MU), Lock Haven Univesity (LHU), and the Cente fo Wateshed Stewadship at Penn State Univesity (CWS) (Figue 4.9). The second fom is used and distibuted by the Pennsylvania Depatment of Envionmental Potection (PA DEP) (Appendix F - Page 297-8). The DEP fom includes 12 categoies that ae simila to the categoies listed peviously. The diffeences between the two foms ae as follows. The fist categoy is labeled Insteam Cove (fish only). This is simila to the Epifaunal Substate/Available Cove PFBC categoy except that it does not conside macoinvetebate habitat. The second DEP categoy is labeled Epifaunal Substate and is exactly the same as the PFBC categoy of Riffle Quality. Anothe diffeence is the DEP habitat assessment data sheet sepaates the PFBC Fequency of Riffles /Velocity-Depth Combinations categoy into two sepaate categoies (labeled Fequency of Riffles and Velocity-Depth Combinations). The DEP fom also adds anothe categoy labeled Gazing o Othe Disuptive Pessue. The emaining categoies ae consistent with the PFBC fom except when scoing banks o zones, the DEP fom does not scoe each bank sepaately. In this section, the samples that used this data sheet ae Lock Haven Univesity (LHU) and the DEP (Figue 4.9). In the Kettle Ceek wateshed, oveall, the majoity of the sites assessed ated Optimal o Suboptimal with a few Maginal atings. In this section, the oveall scoe was not discussed. Instead, the categoy atings ae used in ode to pinpoint potential poblems in the wateshed. Each categoy will also be descibed in this section. PFBC Epifaunal Substate/Available Cove o DEP Insteam Cove Rating is detemined by the amount of fish cove, logs, boulde, cobble, undecut banks o othe substate favoable to fish colonization. The PFBC foms also ates amount of macoinvetebate habitat pesent. Good measues of fish habitat would include undecut banks, logs, pools and the pesence of fish. Good measues of macoinvetebate habitat HABITAT ASSESSMENT Wildlife & Fisheies 135

18 Gemania Potte Coss Fok Abbot Cate Camp Oleona Tioga Cameon Hammesley Fok Leidy Westpot Clinton Habitat Assessment Sites in Kettle Ceek Wateshed PFBC Habitat Assessment Method (Poo-Maginal Sites Displayed) DEP Habitat Assessment Method (Poo - Maginal Sites Displayed) Towns (small pint) Dams Kettle Ceek Steams Boundaies Kettle Ceek Wateshed Pivate Lands State paks Kettle Ceek Ole Bull State foests Elk State Foest Inholding Spoul State Foest Susquehannock State Foest Tioga State Foest Figue Habitat assessment sites in the Kettle Ceek wateshed. 136 Kettle Ceek Wateshed Assessment

19 J. Summeson Banch Cameon Waltes Run Beafield Run Potte Leidy Westpot Coss Fok Oleona Coss Fok Hammesley Fok Clinton Hammesley Fok mainstem mainstem Begstesse Hollow Figue Map of poblem aeas of Epifaunal Substate/ Available Cove, Insteam Cove. Poblem Aeas of Epifaunal Substate/ Available Cove, Insteam Cove PFBC Habitat Assessment Method (Poo-Maginal Sites Displayed) 2 out of 10 4 out of 10 5 out of 10 DEP Habitat Assessment Method (Poo - Maginal Sites Displayed) 10 out of 20 Towns (small pint) Dams Kettle Ceek Steams Boundaies Kettle Ceek Wateshed Pivate Lands State paks Kettle Ceek Ole Bull State foests Elk State Foest Inholding Spoul State Foest Susquehannock State Foest Tioga State Foest would include bouldes, cobbles, submeged logs, iffles and the pesence of macoinvetebates. Sections of steam that scoed maginal - poo fom the habitat assessment peviously conducted in the Kettle Ceek wateshed ae Begstesso Hollow, Hammesley Fok, John Summeson Banch, Beafield Run, Coss Fok, Waltes Run, and two locations on the mainstem of Kettle Ceek (one upsteam of the USGS gauge at Coss Fok, and the othe upsteam of Little Kettle Ceek). Locations of these sites can be seen on the map in Figue Macoinvetebate habitat was found to be suboptimal - optimal thoughout the wateshed. PFBC Riffle Quality o DEP Epifaunal Substate An optimal ating is detemined by aea containing well-developed iffles and uns and abundance of cobble. An optimal iffle is as wide as the steam itself and as long as twice the width of the steam. Abundant bedock would cause a decease in iffles and would scoe low in this categoy. A bette quality iffle will inhabit a divese population of fish and macoinvetebates. Sections of steams in the Kettle Ceek wateshed that scoed maginal - poo in this categoy ae Billings Banch, Hammesley Fok, Coss Fok, and Waltes Run. Locations of these sites can be seen on the map in Figue PFBC and DEP Embeddedness Embeddedness was ated by the amount of fine sediment suounding the gavel, boulde, and cobble paticles. A steam section with an optimal ating in embeddedness has a small pecentage of gavel and cobble suounded by fine sediment. The paticles in the steam ae easily moved with you hands. Embeddedness is impotant to macoinvetebates because the moe embedded a ock is, the less aea thee is fo the macoinvetebate to live on. If a steam bottom has high embeddedness, fish have difficulty in locating aeas to lay eggs. Aeas in the Kettle Ceek wateshed that may need some impovements because of a maginal - poo ating ae sections of Little Kettle Ceek, Twomile Run, Huling Banch, and two locations on the mainstem (at the mouth and upsteam of the USGS gauge at Coss Fok). Locations of these sites can be seen on the map in Figue Wildlife & Fisheies 137

20 Cameon Waltes Run Potte Hammesley Fok Leidy Westpot Coss Fok Clinton Abbot Cate Camp Oleona Coss Fok Hammesley Fok Gemania Tioga Billings Banch Poblem Aeas of Riffle Quality, Epifaunal Substate PFBC Habitat Assessment Method (Poo-Maginal Sites Displayed) 6 out of 20 7 out of out of 20 DEP Habitat Assessment Method (Poo - Maginal Sites Displayed) 10 out of 20 Towns (small pint) Dams Kettle Ceek Steams Boundaies Kettle Ceek Wateshed Pivate Lands State paks Kettle Ceek Ole Bull State foests Elk State Foest Inholding Spoul State Foest Susquehannock State Foest Tioga State Foest Figue Map of poblem aeas of Riffle Quality, Epifaunal Substate. Little Kettle Ceek Gemania Cameon Potte mainstem Leidy Hammesley Fok Clinton Westpot Coss Fok Abbot Spicewood Run Twomile Run Huling Banch Cate Camp Oleona Figue Map of poblem aeas of Embeddedness Tioga Slides Banch Poblem Aeas of Embeddedness PFBC Habitat Assessment Method (Poo-Maginal Sites Displayed) 4 out of 20 8 out of 20 DEP Habitat Assessment Method (Poo - Maginal Sites Displayed) 6 out of 20 8 out of out of 20 Towns (small pint) Dams Kettle Ceek Steams Boundaies Kettle Ceek Wateshed Pivate Lands State paks Kettle Ceek Ole Bull State foests Elk State Foest Inholding Spoul State Foest Susquehannock State Foest Tioga State Foest 138 Kettle Ceek Wateshed Assessment

21 PFBC and DEP Channel Alteation Channel alteation indicates the occuence and amount of unnatual channelization o dedging within the steam section. An optimal scoe has minimal o no channelization o dedging. Channelization and dedging causes poblems fo fish and macoinvetebates because it esults in fa less natual habitats than natually meandeing steams. Accoding to the habitat assessments conducted, thee was only one aea within the Kettle Ceek wateshed whee thee was extensive channelization. The location of this site was on Hammesley Fok, just upsteam of the confluence with Kettle Ceek (Figue 4.13). PFBC and DEP Sediment Deposition Sediment Deposition is ated by obseving the numbe of sediment bas o island fomations. Sediment deposition can estict the pesence of pools and educe available suface aea of bouldes and cobbles, which can degade fish and macoinvetebate habitat. Little o no enlagement of islands and point bas would eceive an optimal ating in this categoy. Maginal - poo aeas in the Kettle Ceek wateshed ae sections of Ives Hollow Run, Little Kettle Ceek, Twomile Run, Huling Banch, Slides Banch, Beavedam Banch, and two sites on the mainstem of Kettle Ceek (one upsteam of the USGS gauging station and the othe on the mainstem between Slides and Gemania Banch). The location of these sites can be seen in Figue PFBC and DEP Fequency of Riffles and/o Velocity-Depth Combinations Fequency of Riffles efes to the quantity of iffles in the steam study section. Accoding to both the PFBC and DEP data sheets, the distance between iffles divided by the width of the steam is an indicato of iffle quantity. An optimal iffle quantity indicato would be five to seven. A vaiety of habitat is also impotant in these categoies. Velocity-Depth Combinations efes to fou types of velocity-depth egimes (slow-deep, slow-shallow, fast-deep, and fastshallow). Optimal steams will have all fou velocity-depth combinations pesent. Macoinvetebates pefe shallow combinations while fish pefe deepe combinations. As peviously mentioned, the PFBC data sheet combines these two categoies into one. Maginal - poo atings within the Kettle Ceek wateshed occued in sections of Coss Fok (velocity-depth good, but fequency of iffles low), Ives Hollow Run (velocity-depth low, but fequency of iffles good), Boone Run (velocitydepth low, but fequency of iffles good), Tout Run (velocity-depth low, but fequency of BANK DESIGNATION: Left and ight bank is detemined by facing downsteam. An example of channel alteation at Hammesley Fok. CHANNELIZATION is a man-made alteation to the natual pathway of the steam DREDGING is a pocess in which the natual channel of the steam has been deepened o widened by human activities Wildlife & Fisheies 139

22 Cameon Hammesley Fok Clinton Leidy Hammesley Fok Poblem Aeas of Channel Alteation Figue Map of Channel Alteation poblem aeas. Westpot PFBC Habitat Assessment Method (Poo-Maginal Sites Displayed) 7 out of 20 Towns (small pint) Dams Kettle Ceek Steams Boundaies Kettle Ceek Wateshed Pivate Lands State paks Kettle Ceek Ole Bull State foests Elk State Foest Inholding Spoul State Foest Susquehannock State Foest Tioga State Foest Little Kettle Ceek Ives Hollow Run Gemania Cate Camp Tioga Cameon Potte mainstem Leidy 140 Kettle Ceek Wateshed Assessment Hammesley Fok Clinton Westpot Coss Fok Abbot Twomile Run Huling Banch Oleona Beavedam Banch Slides Banch mainstem Figue Map of Sediment Deposition poblem aeas. Poblem Aeas of Sediment Deposition PFBC Habitat Assessment Method (Poo-Maginal Sites Displayed) 7 out of 20 8 out of 20 9 out of 20 DEP Habitat Assessment Method (Poo - Maginal Sites Displayed) 5 out of 20 7 out of out of 20 Towns (small pint) Dams Kettle Ceek Steams Boundaies Kettle Ceek Wateshed Pivate Lands State paks Kettle Ceek Ole Bull State foests Elk State Foest Inholding Spoul State Foest Susquehannock State Foest Tioga State Foest

23 Potte Ives Hollow Run Boone Run Abbot Coss Fok Cate Camp Oleona Gemania Tioga Slides Banch mainstem Tout Run Cameon Waltes Run Hammesley Fok Leidy Clinton Coss Fok Hammesley Fok Beafield Run iffles good), Beafield Run (velocity-depth low, but fequency of iffles good), Twomile Run (velocity-depth low, but fequency of iffles good), Slides Banch, Hammesley Fok, Waltes Run, and two locations on the mainstem of Kettle Ceek (one on Kettle downsteam of Gemania Banch, the othe upsteam of the USGS gauging station at Coss Fok). Locations of these sites can be found on the map in Figue Twomile Run mainstem Westpot Poblem Aeas of Riffles and/o Velocity-Depth Combinations PFBC Habitat Assessment Method (Poo-Maginal Sites Displayed) 2 out of 20 4 out of 20 8 out of out of 20 DEP Habitat Assessment Method (Poo - Maginal Sites Displayed) 10 out of 20 Towns (small pint) Dams Kettle Ceek Steams Boundaies Kettle Ceek Wateshed Pivate Lands State paks Kettle Ceek Ole Bull State foests Elk State Foest Inholding Spoul State Foest Susquehannock State Foest Tioga State Foest Figue Map of Fequency of Riffles and/o Velocity-Depth Combinations poblem aeas. Wildlife & Fisheies 141

24 Elk Lick Run J. Summeson Banch Cameon Tout Run Waltes Run Little Lyman Run Yochum Run Hungy Hollow Potte Ives Hollow Run Boone Run Abbot Coss Fok Westpot Cate Camp Oleona Hammesley Fok Clinton mainstem Leidy Hammesley Fok Twomile Run Figue Map of Channel Flow Status poblem aeas. Coss Fok Gemania mainstem Tioga Billings Banch mainstem mainstem Little Kettle Ceek Begstesse Hollow State paks Kettle Ceek Little Indian Run PFBC Habitat Assessment Method (Poo-Maginal Sites ) Displayed) 7 out of 20 8 out of 20 9 out of out of 20 DEP Habitat Assessment Method (Poo - Maginal Sites ) Displayed) 6 out of 20 7 out of 20 8 out of 20 9 out of out of 20 Towns (small pint) Dams Kettle Ceek Steams Boundaies Kettle Ceek Wateshed Pivate Lands Ole Bull State foests Elk State Foest Inholding Spoul State Foest Susquehannock State Foest Tioga State Foest PFBC and DEP Channel Flow Status Channel Flow Status assesses if the steam eaches both the left and ight banks. It also indicates whethe thee is an abundance of channel substate exposed. This categoy can depend on the time of yea the steam is assessed. The flow should be noted because duing low flow a steam section may scoe vey low, but at high flow, it would scoe much highe. Channel flow status is impotant because if the channel substate becomes exposed macoinvetebate populations will decease. Fish and macoinvetebates populations depend stongly on the amount of wate within the steam banks. Channel Flow Status seems to be a common poblem in aeas thoughout the Kettle Ceek wateshed. Sections of steams that eceived a maginal - poo ating in this categoy within the Kettle Ceek wateshed ae Billings Banch, Ives Hollow, Little Indian Run, Begstesso Hollow, Boone Run, Little Lyman Run, Yochum Run, Hungy Hollow, Elk Lick, Coss Fok, Hammesley Fok, John Summeson Banch, Tout Run, Little Kettle Ceek, Waltes Run, Twomile Run, and seven sites on the mainstem of Kettle Ceek. Locations of all these sites ae located on the map in Figue Kettle Ceek Wateshed Assessment

25 Gemania Cate Camp Tioga Tout Run Cameon Potte Hammesley Fok Leidy Coss Fok Westpot Clinton Abbot Oleona Hammesley Fok Twomile Run mainstem Poblem Aeas within Bank Vegetative Potection PFBC Habitat Assessment Method (Poo-Maginal Sites Displayed) 2 out of 10 4 out of 10 5 out of 10 Towns (small pint) Dams Kettle Ceek Steams Boundaies Kettle Ceek Wateshed Pivate Lands State paks Kettle Ceek Ole Bull State foests Elk State Foest Inholding Spoul State Foest Susquehannock State Foest Tioga State Foest Figue Map of poblem aeas within the Bank Vegetative Potection categoy. PFBC and DEP Bank Vegetative Potection Bank Vegetative Potection is the amount of vegetation located on the steambanks. Bank vegetation aids in peventing eosion fom occuing. Tees, shubs, and gasses ae the geneal categoies of bank vegetative potection. Tees have the advantage of poviding canopy cove ove the steam, which helps to pevent a ise in steam tempeatue. The advantages of gasses and shubs ae to povide habitat and to pevent eosion of the steam banks. An optimal ated steam in this categoy would consist of moe than ninety pecent of the bank suface coveed in vegetation. As peviously mentioned, the DEP data sheet does not scoe the left and ight banks sepaately, howeve no studies using the DEP sheet wee ated maginal - poo. Aeas with a maginal - poo bank vegetative potection ating within the Kettle Ceek wateshed wee Tout Run (left bank), Twomile Run (left and ight bank), and at two sites on Kettle Ceek (one is upsteam of Long Run, the othe is upsteam of Little Kettle Ceek). Locations of these poblem aeas ae found in Figue Wildlife & Fisheies 143