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 Maine Department of Environmental Protection
 Biological Monitoring Program
 Stream Algae Report

Site Information
Name: East Branch Nezinscot River - Station 861 Sampled by: Biomonitoring Unit
Town: Buckfield Method: Rock Scrapings 1 Inch Circles
Biomonitoring Basin Androscoggin Sample ID: SA-861-2013R (1347)
Sample Date: 2013-07-09 Taxonomist: Academy Of Natural Sciences
Location: Upstream Of Rte. 140 And Jordan Rd.
Sample comments:
Latitude: 44.30312474
Longitude: -70.36093282

Three figures from left to right: On the far left, an outline of the state of Maine with the site location marked in blue. In the middle, a satellite image view of the area of the site, with waterbodies marked in blue, and the site marked in red, with a scale bar and north arrow. On the right, a downstream image of the sample site.

Model Results and Variable Plots

 Blue = this sample. Boxplots = range of all samples. Grey shaded areas = 90th and/or 10th percentile of reference site values.

Statutory Class = A
Final Determination = A
Attains Class = YES
Reason = Model
Model Result = A
Prob. Class A = 0.97
Prob. Class B = 0.03
Prob. Class C = 0.00
Prob. NA = 0.00

Boxplots of stream algae model metrics, including range of values from all samples, from reference sites, and this specific sample. Stream algae model metrics are in a table below.

Additional Variable Plots

 Blue = this sample. Boxplots = range of all samples. Grey shaded areas = 90th and/or 10th percentile of reference site values.

Boxplots of additional stream algae metrics, including range of values from all samples, from reference sites, and this specific sample. Additional stream algae metrics are in a table below.

Model Variables Table
Variable Sample value All data median All data 10th percentile All data 90th percentile Reference range lower limit Reference range upper limit Reference range description
Salt-tolerant diatom percent abundance 0.65 0.90 0.00 9.15 0.00 1.08 <90th percentile
Nutrient-tolerant diatom richness 7.00 8.00 3.00 17.00 0.00 8.00 <90th percentile
Intermediate diatom richness 20.00 19.00 11.00 28.80 9.00 25.30 10th to 90th percentile
Intolerant algae percent species 31.43 18.75 3.70 42.27 22.12 72.41 >10th percentile
Motile diatom percent abundance 2.91 8.49 1.55 31.56 0.00 11.59 <90th percentile
Tolerant algae percent abundance 0.10 1.19 0.00 17.43 0.00 1.05 <90th percentile
Additional Variables Table
Variable Sample value All data median All data 10th percentile All data 90th percentile Reference range lower limit Reference range upper limit Reference range description
Tolerance Index (all algae) 43.32 42.67 37.09 49.07 0.00 42.34 <90th percentile
Nitrogen Index (all algae) 31.00 38.64 26.81 51.56 0.00 35.58 <90th percentile
Phosphorus Index (all algae) 48.93 58.62 38.59 76.56 0.00 53.06 <90th percentile
Intolerant algae percent species 11.00 6.00 1.00 14.00 5.00 23.00 >10th percentile
Intolerant algae richness 5.88 6.25 0.00 16.00 0.00 7.14 <90th percentile
Salt-tolerant diatom percent richness 99.26 89.95 61.14 98.30 45.42 97.96 10th to 90th percentile
Tolerant algae percent richness 11.43 16.67 0.00 41.38 0.00 14.29 <90th percentile
Nutrient- tolerant diatom percent abundance 51.95 42.06 7.59 84.31 0.00 48.33 <90th percentile
Stream Characteristics and Water Chemistry Plots

 Blue = this sample. Boxplots = range of all samples. Grey shaded areas = 10th to 90th percentile of reference site values

Bankfull width = 11 m
Wetted width = 11 m
Depth = 45 cm
Riffle = 100 %
Canopy Cover = 24 %
Boulder = 65 %
Cobble = 20 %
Gravel = 10 %
Sand = 5 %
Boxplots of stream water chemistry. Values are in a table below.
Water Chemistry Table
Parameter Sample Date Sample value All data median All data 10th percentile All data 90th percentile Reference 10th percentile Reference 90th percentile Units
Dissolved Oxygen 2013-07-09 8.6 8.60 7.00 10.23 7.80 10.62 Milligrams Per Liter
pH 2013-07-09 6.74 7.12 6.21 7.97 6.00 7.55 Standard Ph Unit
Specific Conductance 2013-07-09 43 88.55 25.00 492.00 15.41 67.31 Microsiemens Per Centimeter
Temperature 2013-07-09 21.2 20.00 14.70 24.70 12.80 23.60 Degrees Celcius (Temperature)
Nitrate + Nitrite As Nitrogen 2013-07-09 0.04 0.08 0.02 0.61 0.01 0.09 Milligrams Per Liter
Orthophosphate As Phosphorus 2013-07-09 2 2.00 1.00 11.00 1.00 3.00 Micrograms Per Liter
Total Alkalinity 2013-07-09 9 19.50 4.44 113.20 2.00 21.00 Milligrams Per Liter
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen 2013-07-09 0.3 0.40 0.20 0.60 0.10 0.50 Milligrams Per Liter
Total Phosphorus 2013-07-09 17 18.00 7.00 48.00 4.00 18.00 Micrograms Per Liter
Viewing Bucket
Viewing Bucket Table
Cover type Percent cover Cover group
Sand / Mud 12.06 Not algae
Mat Not Visible 0.95 Thin algal layer
Mat Incomplete 83.17 Thin algal layer
Mat <1mm Thick 3.81 Thin algal layer

Barplot of viewing bucket substrate cover types, available in table on the right.

Land Use
Land Cover Data Source: MELCD 2004
Watershed Area (sq km): 97.1
Impervious Cover %: 2
Land Use Table
Cover Type Percent Category
Highly Urban 0.02 Developed
Urban 0.06 Developed
Residential 1.20 Developed
Water 0.67 Natural
Wetland 7.03 Natural
Forest 87.29 Natural
Grass 2.85 Agriculture
Cleared 0.02 Agriculture
Tilled 0.78 Agriculture

Barplots of landcover data from watershed upstream of sample location. Percentages are available in a table on the right

Site Information
Name: East Branch Nezinscot River - Station 861 Sampled by: Biomonitoring Unit
Town: Buckfield Method: Rock Scrapings 1 Inch Circles
Biomonitoring Basin Androscoggin Sample ID: SA-861-2013R (1347)
Sample Date: 2013-07-09 Taxonomist: Academy Of Natural Sciences
Taxa List (See key at end of report)

 Tolerance values color coding: Blue for sensitive, <32.20. Purple for intermediate, >=32.20 and <60. Red for tolerant, >=60.

Name Group RA RB Oxy Sap Sal Tr Mot GF Tol TN TP
Homoeothrix janthina Filamentous Cyanobacteria 0.316 0.009 43 19 21
Phormidium Filamentous Cyanobacteria 0.253 0.138 42.6 60
Unknown Rhodophyte Florideophycidae (Chantransia) Red Algae 0.152 0.478 47.5 48 68
Achnanthidium minutissimum Pennate Diatom 0.106 0.020 1 2 2 7 N P 41.2
Heteroleibleinia Filamentous Cyanobacteria 0.060 0.008 NA 22 22
Pseudanabaena Filamentous Cyanobacteria 0.051 0.002 NA 71 84
Gongrosira Filamentous Green 0.022 0.184 37.3 37
Achnanthidium rivulare Pennate Diatom 0.009 0.003 N P 49.9 39 49
Eunotia minor Pennate Diatom 0.004 0.006 1 1 V E 42.4 19 34
Fragilaria vaucheriae Pennate Diatom 0.004 0.005 3 3 2 5 N V 44.2 36
Encyonema silesiacum Pennate Diatom 0.003 0.015 3 3 2 7 V S 46.9 43 69
Gomphonema parvulum Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.004 4 4 2 5 N S 42.2 21
Cymbella proxima Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.053 1 3 V S NA
Diatoma moniliformis Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.001 3 N U 52.8 27 36
Eunotia Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.004 V E NA
Eunotia incisa Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.002 1 1 1 1 V E 24.8 18 35
Frustulia vulgaris Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.001 1 2 2 4 M P 51.7 62 87
Gomphonema parvulius Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.000 N S NA 17 22
Gomphonema sp. 2 ANS NEW JERSEY KCP Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.001 N S 15.1 24 29
Navicula cryptotenella Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.001 2 2 7 M P 44.6 61 82
Ulnaria acus Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.019 2 3 2 5 N E 31.7 29 48
Synedra rumpens Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.001 2 2 N E 34.3 20 32
Gomphonema americobtusatum Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 N S NA
Gomphonema kobayasii Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 N S 71.2 50 79
Gomphonema minutum Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 2 2 5 N S 54.6 61 55
Gomphonema pala Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.002 N S NA
Achnanthidium latecephalum Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 N P NA 7
Adlafia bryophila Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 1 1 3 M P 38.2 20 59
Aulacoseira distans Centric Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 1 1 1 N U NA
Brachysira brebissonii Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 2 1 1 1 M P 16.3 8 4
Brachysira microcephala Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 2 1 2 2 M P 18 12 18
Cocconeis placentula Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.002 3 2 2 5 N P NA 30 82
Cymbopleura naviculiformis Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.003 2 2 2 5 V S 51.6 35 53
Eucocconeis laevis Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 1 1 1 1 V P 29.5 17 18
Eunotia implicata Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.008 1 V E 28.3 16 15
Eunotia mucophila Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.002 2 1 2 2 V E NA
Eunotia pectinalis var. undulata Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.010 1 2 1 1 V E 24.3 22 35
Eunotia triodon Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.005 V E NA
Fragilaria sepes Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 1 1 2 N V 32.1 18 39
Frustulia crassinervia Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 1 1 1 1 M P 24.7 27 61
Meridion circulare Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 2 2 2 7 N E 46.5 64 87
Navicula Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 M P NA
Navicula recens Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 3 3 5 M P NA
Navicula rhynchocephala Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 4 2 2 7 M P 62.1 44 78
Navicula wildii Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 2 2 M P NA 37 64
Nitzschia dissipata Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 2 2 2 4 H P 60.9 48 75
Nitzschia fonticola Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 2 2 2 4 H P 82.2 49 80
Nitzschia gracilis Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 2 2 1 3 H P 46.9 22 64
Psammothidium marginulatum Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 1 1 1 V P 24.6
Psammothidium subatomoides Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 1 1 2 V P 42.4 20 35
Psammothidium curtissimum Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 V P NA
Undetermined Pennate diatom Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.004 NA
Aulacoseira Centric Diatom 0.000 0.001 N U NA

Taxa List Key
Column Name Description
RA Relative Abundance number of cells (density of cells per square centimeter) in a sample / total abundance of all taxa
RB Relative Biovolume Volume of a taxon’s cells in a sample / volume of all algae cells in a sample
Oxy van Dam Oxygen tolerance 1=100% DO saturation, 2=>75% DO saturation, 3=>50% DO saturation, 4=>30% DO saturation, 5=<30% DO saturation
Sap van Dam Saprobic value Saprobic values relate to the amount of organic pollution, biological oxygen demand, and DO concentrations. Values range from 1 (intolerant of organic pollution) to 5 (highly tolerant of organic pollution)
Sal van Dam Salinity value 1=freshwater (<100 mg/L chloride) , 2=fresh-brackish (<500 mg/L), 3=brackish-freshwater (500-1000 mg/L), 4=brackish (1000-5000 mg/L)
Tr van Dam Trophic value 1=oligotraphentic, 2=oligo-mesotraphentic, 3=mesotraphentic, 4=meso-eutraphentic, 5=eutraphentic, 6=hypereutraphentic, 7=indifferent to trophic state
Mot Motility of Diatoms Motility (capability of movement in water or on substrates) based on genus (Wang et al. 2005): N= not motile, M = motile , H = highly motile, V=variable within genus
GF Growth Forms E= erect, P=prostrate, S=stalked, U=unattached, V=variable (based on communication with R. Jan Stevenson)
Tol Tolerance value Tolerance to a combination of watershed disturbance, conductivity, and nutrient enrichment (based on Maine data). Value range from 1=most senstive to 100=most tolerant.
TN TN value Preference for total nitrogen (TN) based on Maine data. Values range from 1=low TN concentrations to 100=high TN concentrations.
TP TP value Preference for total phosphorus (TP) based on Maine data. Values range from 1=low TP concentrations to 100=high TP concentrations.