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 Maine Department of Environmental Protection
 Biological Monitoring Program
 Stream Algae Report

Site Information
Name: Meduxnekeag River - Station 1028 Sampled by: Biomonitoring Unit
Town: Houlton Method: Rock Scrapings 1 Inch Circles
Biomonitoring Basin St. John And Allagash Sample ID: SA-1028-2014R (1403)
Sample Date: 2014-07-28 Taxonomist: Academy Of Natural Sciences
Location: Same Location As Houlton Band Of Maliseet Site 9.1 Mdx. First Farm On The Right On Drews Lake Road, West Of Route 2a (Bangor Street). 20 Meters Downstream Of Farm Bridge.
Sample comments:
Latitude: 46.10025369
Longitude: -67.89813518

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 = B
Final Determination = B
Attains Class = YES
Reason = Model
Model Result = B
Prob. Class A = 0.24
Prob. Class B = 0.76
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 1.38 0.90 0.00 9.15 0.00 1.08 <90th percentile
Nutrient-tolerant diatom richness 13.00 8.00 3.00 17.00 0.00 8.00 <90th percentile
Intermediate diatom richness 23.00 19.00 11.00 28.80 9.00 25.30 10th to 90th percentile
Intolerant algae percent species 22.22 18.75 3.70 42.27 22.12 72.41 >10th percentile
Motile diatom percent abundance 4.67 8.49 1.55 31.56 0.00 11.59 <90th percentile
Tolerant algae percent abundance 0.74 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) 40.95 42.67 37.09 49.07 0.00 42.34 <90th percentile
Nitrogen Index (all algae) 39.60 38.64 26.81 51.56 0.00 35.58 <90th percentile
Phosphorus Index (all algae) 57.38 58.62 38.59 76.56 0.00 53.06 <90th percentile
Intolerant algae percent species 8.00 6.00 1.00 14.00 5.00 23.00 >10th percentile
Intolerant algae richness 9.38 6.25 0.00 16.00 0.00 7.14 <90th percentile
Salt-tolerant diatom percent richness 85.93 89.95 61.14 98.30 45.42 97.96 10th to 90th percentile
Tolerant algae percent richness 13.89 16.67 0.00 41.38 0.00 14.29 <90th percentile
Nutrient- tolerant diatom percent abundance 25.76 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 = 20 m
Wetted width = 20 m
Depth = 31 cm
Water velocity = 70 cm/s
Riffle = 30 %
Run = 70 %
Canopy Cover = 5 %
Boulder = 40 %
Cobble = 30 %
Gravel = 25 %
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 2014-07-28 9 8.60 7.00 10.23 7.80 10.62 Milligrams Per Liter
pH 2014-07-28 7.09 7.12 6.21 7.97 6.00 7.55 Standard Ph Unit
Specific Conductance 2014-07-28 178 88.55 25.00 492.00 15.41 67.31 Microsiemens Per Centimeter
Temperature 2014-07-28 22.7 20.00 14.70 24.70 12.80 23.60 Degrees Celcius (Temperature)
Nitrate + Nitrite As Nitrogen 2014-07-28 0.12 0.08 0.02 0.61 0.01 0.09 Milligrams Per Liter
Orthophosphate As Phosphorus 2014-07-28 1 2.00 1.00 11.00 1.00 3.00 Micrograms Per Liter
Total Alkalinity 2014-07-28 75 19.50 4.44 113.20 2.00 21.00 Milligrams Per Liter
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen 2014-07-28 0.2 0.40 0.20 0.60 0.10 0.50 Milligrams Per Liter
Total Phosphorus 2014-07-28 9 18.00 7.00 48.00 4.00 18.00 Micrograms Per Liter
Viewing Bucket
Viewing Bucket Table
Cover type Percent cover Cover group
Filament 1-5cm Long 7.94 Nuisance algae
Filament >15cm Long 13.65 Nuisance algae
Mat 1-5mm Thick 1.27 Nuisance algae
Sand / Mud 1.90 Not algae
Mat Not Visible 0.32 Thin algal layer
Mat Incomplete 43.17 Thin algal layer
Mat <1mm Thick 31.75 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):
Impervious Cover %:
Land Use Table
Cover Type Percent Category
No data No Data No data

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

Site Information
Name: Meduxnekeag River - Station 1028 Sampled by: Biomonitoring Unit
Town: Houlton Method: Rock Scrapings 1 Inch Circles
Biomonitoring Basin St. John And Allagash Sample ID: SA-1028-2014R (1403)
Sample Date: 2014-07-28 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
Phormidium Filamentous Cyanobacteria 0.255 0.034 42.6 60
Heteroleibleinia Filamentous Cyanobacteria 0.172 0.004 NA 22 22
Pseudanabaena Filamentous Cyanobacteria 0.162 0.003 NA 71 84
Achnanthidium minutissimum Pennate Diatom 0.105 0.005 1 2 2 7 N P 41.2
Achnanthidium rivulare Pennate Diatom 0.051 0.005 N P 49.9 39 49
Gongrosira Filamentous Green 0.051 0.106 37.3 37
Mougeotia Filamentous Green 0.045 0.727 26.9 10 12
Achnanthidium deflexum Pennate Diatom 0.031 0.004 1 2 3 N P 43.5 40 52
Oscillatoria Filamentous Cyanobacteria 0.023 0.008 NA
Ankistrodesmus Colonial Green 0.013 0.001 47.5
Gomphonema rhombicum Pennate Diatom 0.013 0.011 N S 32.1 28 36
Delicata delicatula Pennate Diatom 0.012 0.005 1 1 1 1 V S 31.3 21 22
Encyonopsis microcephala Pennate Diatom 0.006 0.001 1 1 2 4 V S 34.8 17 24
Cocconeis placentula Pennate Diatom 0.005 0.005 3 2 2 5 N P NA 30 82
Fragilaria gracilis Pennate Diatom 0.005 0.000 1 1 2 2 N V 30.6 18 22
Gomphonema acuminatum Pennate Diatom 0.004 0.008 2 2 2 5 N S 26.7 13 15
Gomphonema parvulum Pennate Diatom 0.004 0.001 4 4 2 5 N S 42.2 21
Cocconeis lineata Pennate Diatom 0.003 0.006 3 2 2 5 N P 51.5 62 82
Encyonopsis subminuta Pennate Diatom 0.003 0.001 V S NA 30 36
Gomphonema Pennate Diatom 0.003 0.002 N S 15.1
Gomphonema subclavatum Pennate Diatom 0.003 0.004 1 2 2 2 N S 44.7 31 33
Gomphosphenia grovei Pennate Diatom 0.003 0.006 M P NA
Navicula cryptotenella Pennate Diatom 0.003 0.001 2 2 7 M P 44.6 61 82
Cymbella tumida Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.009 1 1 2 4 V S 57.8 48 78
Fragilaria capucina Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.001 2 2 3 N V 32.9 59 51
Staurastrum Desmid 0.002 0.022 NA
Staurosira construens var. venter Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.000 1 2 2 4 N V 41.3 35 67
Adlafia minuscula Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.000 4 2 1 1 M P NA 96
Cocconeis pediculus Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.008 2 2 3 5 N P 72.3 68 88
Cyclotella meneghiniana Centric Diatom 0.001 0.001 5 4 3 5 N U 72.6 55 73
Encyonema silesiacum Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.000 3 3 2 7 V S 46.9 43 69
Eolimna minima Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.000 4 4 2 5 M P 57 64 88
Fragilaria vaucheriae Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.000 3 3 2 5 N V 44.2 36
Gomphonema sphaerophorum Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.004 N S NA
Navicula capitatoradiata Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.001 3 3 2 5 M P 68.5 62 78
Navicula caterva Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.000 M P NA 87 95
Nitzschia dissipata Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.000 2 2 2 4 H P 60.9 48 75
Tabellaria flocculosa Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.001 1 2 1 3 N U 18.8 17 32
Ulnaria ulna Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.000 3 4 2 N E 34.2 17 21
Amphipleura pellucida Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 2 4 2 2 M P 43.8 20 59
Cymbella affinis Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 1 2 2 5 V S 36.4 36 39
Diatoma tenuis Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 3 3 3 5 N U 46.8 52 86
Nitzschia acidoclinata Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 2 1 3 H P 51.6 40 56
Rhoicosphenia abbreviata Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 2 2 2 5 V S 83.4 72 96
Staurosira construens Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 2 2 4 N V 46.8 30 58
Ulnaria acus Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 2 3 2 5 N E 31.7 29 48
Skabitschewskia peragalloi Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 2 1 1 V P 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.