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 Maine Department of Environmental Protection
 Biological Monitoring Program
 Stream Algae Report

Site Information
Name: South Branch Sandy River - Station 600 Sampled by: Biomonitoring Unit
Town: Phillips Method: Rock Scrapings 1 Inch Circles
Biomonitoring Basin Kennebec Sample ID: SA-600-2002R (169)
Sample Date: 2002-07-17 Taxonomist: Michigan State University
Location: Upstrm Of Rt 4
Sample comments:
Latitude: 44.85059676
Longitude: -70.43309762

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 = 1.00
Prob. Class B = 0.00
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 0.00 0.90 0.00 9.15 0.00 1.08 <90th percentile
Nutrient-tolerant diatom richness 6.00 8.00 3.00 17.00 0.00 8.00 <90th percentile
Intermediate diatom richness 13.00 19.00 11.00 28.80 9.00 25.30 10th to 90th percentile
Intolerant algae percent species 44.44 18.75 3.70 42.27 22.12 72.41 >10th percentile
Motile diatom percent abundance 1.59 8.49 1.55 31.56 0.00 11.59 <90th percentile
Tolerant algae percent abundance 0.02 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) 40.14 42.67 37.09 49.07 0.00 42.34 <90th percentile
Nitrogen Index (all algae) 22.16 38.64 26.81 51.56 0.00 35.58 <90th percentile
Phosphorus Index (all algae) 30.01 58.62 38.59 76.56 0.00 53.06 <90th percentile
Intolerant algae percent species 12.00 6.00 1.00 14.00 5.00 23.00 >10th percentile
Intolerant algae richness 0.00 6.25 0.00 16.00 0.00 7.14 <90th percentile
Salt-tolerant diatom percent richness 84.10 89.95 61.14 98.30 45.42 97.96 10th to 90th percentile
Tolerant algae percent richness 7.41 16.67 0.00 41.38 0.00 14.29 <90th percentile
Nutrient- tolerant diatom percent abundance 28.71 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

Wetted width = 7 m
Depth = 29 cm
Water velocity = 21 cm/s
Riffle = 40 %
Run = 50 %
Pool = 10 %
Bedrock = 0 %
Boulder = 20 %
Cobble = 50 %
Gravel = 20 %
Sand = 10 %
Silt = 0 %
Clay = 0 %
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 2002-07-17 7.5 8.60 7.00 10.23 7.80 10.62 Milligrams Per Liter
pH 2002-07-17 6.44 7.12 6.21 7.97 6.00 7.55 Standard Ph Unit
Specific Conductance 2002-07-17 14 88.55 25.00 492.00 15.41 67.31 Microsiemens Per Centimeter
Temperature 2002-07-17 17.2 20.00 14.70 24.70 12.80 23.60 Degrees Celcius (Temperature)
Nitrate + Nitrite As Nitrogen 2002-07-17 0.06 0.08 0.02 0.61 0.01 0.09 Milligrams Per Liter
Orthophosphate As Phosphorus 2002-07-17 1 2.00 1.00 11.00 1.00 3.00 Micrograms Per Liter
Total Alkalinity 2002-07-17 8 19.50 4.44 113.20 2.00 21.00 Milligrams Per Liter
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen 2002-07-17 0.1 0.40 0.20 0.60 0.10 0.50 Milligrams Per Liter
Total Phosphorus 2002-07-17 3 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 >1cm Long 1.59 Nuisance algae
Plant 0.63 Not algae
Sand / Mud 33.97 Not algae
Mat Not Visible 53.33 Thin algal layer
Mat Incomplete 6.98 Thin algal layer
Mat <1mm Thick 3.49 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): 54.7
Impervious Cover %: 1
Land Use Table
Cover Type Percent Category
Highly Urban 0.01 Developed
Urban 0.04 Developed
Residential 0.76 Developed
Water 0.49 Natural
Wetland 0.63 Natural
Forest 97.53 Natural
Grass 0.04 Agriculture
Cleared 0.12 Agriculture

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

Site Information
Name: South Branch Sandy River - Station 600 Sampled by: Biomonitoring Unit
Town: Phillips Method: Rock Scrapings 1 Inch Circles
Biomonitoring Basin Kennebec Sample ID: SA-600-2002R (169)
Sample Date: 2002-07-17 Taxonomist: Michigan State University
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 granulatum Filamentous Cyanobacteria 0.620 0.499 42.6 26
Phormidium formosum Filamentous Cyanobacteria 0.159 0.041 42.6 23
Batrachospermum vagum Red Algae 0.144 0.165 27.6
Achnanthidium minutissimum Pennate Diatom 0.051 0.029 1 2 2 7 N P 41.2
Fragilaria gracilis Pennate Diatom 0.009 0.012 1 1 2 2 N V 30.6 18 22
Gomphonema parvulum Pennate Diatom 0.004 0.009 4 4 2 5 N S 42.2 21
Fragilaria capitellata Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.003 3 2 5 N V 50.3 22
Tabellaria flocculosa Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.040 1 2 1 3 N U 18.8 17 32
Eunotia paludosa Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.002 1 1 1 1 V E 19.9
Gomphonema angustatum Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.002 1 1 2 1 N S 58 50 84
Eunotia arcus Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.004 1 1 2 V E NA
Cosmarium granatum Desmid 0.001 0.139 NA 18 15
Synedra rumpens Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 2 2 N E 34.3 20 32
Gomphonema truncatum Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.013 2 2 2 4 N S 36.5 47 44
Eunotia muscicola var. tridentula Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 V E 1 2
Navicula notha Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 M P 37.4 20 34
Cocconeis lineata Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 3 2 2 5 N P 51.5 62 82
Psammothidium chlidanos Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 V P 32.5 16 14
Brachysira microcephala Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 2 1 2 2 M P 18 12 18
Encyonema minutum Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 2 V S 50.2 21
Eunotia exigua var. tridentula Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 1 V E NA
Eunotia exigua Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 2 3 2 7 V E 21.7 13 13
Eunotia curvata Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 V E NA
Encyonema neogracile Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 1 1 1 2 V S 24 7
Gomphonema acuminatum Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.005 2 2 2 5 N S 26.7 13 15
Navicula rostellata Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 2 2 2 5 M P 66.1 48 92
Neidium affine Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 1 1 2 4 M P NA
Nitzschia paleacea Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 3 3 2 5 H P 61.3 32 35
Ulnaria ulna Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.023 3 4 2 N E 34.2 17 21
Ulnaria delicatissima Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.002 2 3 N E 24.6
Diatoma mesodon Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.002 1 1 1 3 N U 9.7 2 2
Brachysira brebissonii Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 2 1 1 1 M P 16.3 8 4

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.