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 Maine Department of Environmental Protection
 Biological Monitoring Program
 Stream Algae Report

Site Information
Name: Meduxnekeag River - Station 1 Sampled by: Houlton Band Of Maliseet Indians
Town: Houlton Method: Rock Scrapings 1 Inch Circles
Biomonitoring Basin St. John And Allagash Sample ID: SA-1-2004R (300)
Sample Date: 2004-07-28 Taxonomist: Michigan State University
Location: At Lowery Bridge; ~2.5 River Miles Below Potw. Hbmi Code 2004 Onward: 18.9 Mdx., S-649 Was Merged With This Site 10/26/10
Sample comments:
Latitude: 46.18119628
Longitude: -67.80406681

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 = 0.00
Prob. Class B = 0.89
Prob. Class C = 0.11
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 1.73 0.90 0.00 9.15 0.00 1.08 <90th percentile
Nutrient-tolerant diatom richness 11.00 8.00 3.00 17.00 0.00 8.00 <90th percentile
Intermediate diatom richness 30.00 19.00 11.00 28.80 9.00 25.30 10th to 90th percentile
Intolerant algae percent species 9.30 18.75 3.70 42.27 22.12 72.41 >10th percentile
Motile diatom percent abundance 23.99 8.49 1.55 31.56 0.00 11.59 <90th percentile
Tolerant algae percent abundance 9.51 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) 46.25 42.67 37.09 49.07 0.00 42.34 <90th percentile
Nitrogen Index (all algae) 45.91 38.64 26.81 51.56 0.00 35.58 <90th percentile
Phosphorus Index (all algae) 64.37 58.62 38.59 76.56 0.00 53.06 <90th percentile
Intolerant algae percent species 4.00 6.00 1.00 14.00 5.00 23.00 >10th percentile
Intolerant algae richness 5.41 6.25 0.00 16.00 0.00 7.14 <90th percentile
Salt-tolerant diatom percent richness 89.28 89.95 61.14 98.30 45.42 97.96 10th to 90th percentile
Tolerant algae percent richness 20.93 16.67 0.00 41.38 0.00 14.29 <90th percentile
Nutrient- tolerant diatom percent abundance 50.44 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 = 24 m
Wetted width = 30 m
Riffle = 60 %
Run = 30 %
Pool = 10 %
Bedrock = 20 %
Boulder = 30 %
Cobble = 30 %
Gravel = 10 %
Sand = 5 %
Silt = 5 %
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 2004-07-28 10.28 8.60 7.00 10.23 7.80 10.62 Milligrams Per Liter
Specific Conductance 2004-07-28 205.5 88.55 25.00 492.00 15.41 67.31 Microsiemens Per Centimeter
Temperature 2004-07-28 23.1 20.00 14.70 24.70 12.80 23.60 Degrees Celcius (Temperature)
Dissolved Organic Carbon 2004-07-28 7.3 4.90 2.30 9.30 2.00 9.42 Milligrams Per Liter
Nitrate + Nitrite As Nitrogen 2004-07-28 0.39 0.08 0.02 0.61 0.01 0.09 Milligrams Per Liter
Orthophosphate As Phosphorus 2004-07-28 1 2.00 1.00 11.00 1.00 3.00 Micrograms Per Liter
Total Alkalinity 2004-07-28 78 19.50 4.44 113.20 2.00 21.00 Milligrams Per Liter
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen 2004-07-28 0.3 0.40 0.20 0.60 0.10 0.50 Milligrams Per Liter
Total Phosphorus 2004-07-28 13 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 5-15cm Long 0.32 Nuisance algae
Sand / Mud 27.53 Not algae
Mat Not Visible 50.63 Thin algal layer
Mat Incomplete 21.52 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): 319.2
Impervious Cover %: 2
Land Use Table
Cover Type Percent Category
Highly Urban 0.66 Developed
Urban 0.42 Developed
Residential 2.06 Developed
Water 1.95 Natural
Wetland 11.26 Natural
Forest 59.65 Natural
Grass 3.18 Agriculture
Cleared 0.41 Agriculture
Tilled 18.72 Agriculture

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 1 Sampled by: Houlton Band Of Maliseet Indians
Town: Houlton Method: Rock Scrapings 1 Inch Circles
Biomonitoring Basin St. John And Allagash Sample ID: SA-1-2004R (300)
Sample Date: 2004-07-28 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 Filamentous Cyanobacteria 0.281 0.059 42.6 60
Achnanthidium minutissimum Pennate Diatom 0.121 0.035 1 2 2 7 N P 41.2
Achnanthidium deflexum Pennate Diatom 0.095 0.056 1 2 3 N P 43.5 40 52
Scenedesmus ecornis Colonial Green 0.053 0.007 39.9 23 69
Cocconeis lineata Pennate Diatom 0.045 0.084 3 2 2 5 N P 51.5 62 82
Scenedesmus spinosus Colonial Green 0.044 0.008 45.7
Navicula tripunctata Pennate Diatom 0.040 0.287 2 2 2 5 M P 69.4 76 88
Cocconeis placentula var. euglypta Pennate Diatom 0.034 0.047 3 2 2 5 N P 58.2 45 81
Geitleribactron Filamentous Cyanobacteria 0.033 0.002 39.4
Gomphonema pumilum Pennate Diatom 0.032 0.039 2 7 N S 43.6 14 21
Merismopedia tenuissima Cyanobacteria 0.026 0.001 47.6
Navicula cryptotenella Pennate Diatom 0.020 0.028 2 2 7 M P 44.6 61 82
Amphora pediculus Pennate Diatom 0.020 0.011 2 2 2 5 M P 76.2 71 93
Gomphonema minutum Pennate Diatom 0.017 0.021 2 2 5 N S 54.6 61 55
Adlafia bryophila Pennate Diatom 0.015 0.003 1 1 1 3 M P 38.2 20 59
Encyonopsis microcephala Pennate Diatom 0.014 0.007 1 1 2 4 V S 34.8 17 24
Reimeria sinuata Pennate Diatom 0.013 0.012 1 2 2 3 M P 60.9 65 88
Encyonopsis falaisensis Pennate Diatom 0.009 0.003 1 1 1 2 V S NA
Cocconeis pediculus Pennate Diatom 0.007 0.042 2 2 3 5 N P 72.3 68 88
Undetermined green coccoid 8-105m Colonial Green 0.007 0.008 NA
Encyonema silesiacum Pennate Diatom 0.006 0.011 3 3 2 7 V S 46.9 43 69
Aulacoseira ambigua Centric Diatom 0.006 0.008 3 2 2 5 N U 34.5 25 56
Fragilaria gracilis Pennate Diatom 0.006 0.005 1 1 2 2 N V 30.6 18 22
Eolimna minima Pennate Diatom 0.006 0.001 4 4 2 5 M P 57 64 88
Encyonema reichardtii Pennate Diatom 0.005 0.002 1 1 2 3 V S 76.1 66 71
Navicula cryptocephala Pennate Diatom 0.004 0.006 3 3 2 7 M P 56.3 55 80
Frustulia amphipleuroides Pennate Diatom 0.004 0.134 1 1 1 1 M P 44.5 38 78
Phormidium minnesotense Filamentous Cyanobacteria 0.004 0.000 42.6
Psammothidium helveticum Pennate Diatom 0.003 0.002 2 1 1 3 V P NA 35 41
Nitzschia linearis Pennate Diatom 0.003 0.011 2 2 2 4 H P 54.2 68 87
Staurosira construens var. venter Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.001 1 2 2 4 N V 41.3 35 67
Delicata delicatula Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.004 1 1 1 1 V S 31.3 21 22
Gomphonema rhombicum Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.005 N S 32.1 28 36
Gomphonema olivaceoides Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.003 1 1 1 3 N S 70.8 63 55
Gomphonema angustum Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.004 1 1 2 1 N S 37.1
Staurosirella pinnata Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.002 1 2 2 7 N V 44.2 38 56
Gogorevia exilis Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.001 1 2 2 7 N P 51.1 63 91
Navicula gregaria Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.003 4 3 3 5 M P 79.6 66 89
Navicula capitatoradiata Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.007 3 3 2 5 M P 68.5 62 78
Gomphonema parvulum Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.003 4 4 2 5 N S 42.2 21
Brachysira microcephala Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.001 2 1 2 2 M P 18 12 18
Ankistrodesmus falcatus Colonial Green 0.002 0.000 45.7 58 75
Eunotia bilunaris Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.008 2 2 2 7 V E 37.6 17 28
Planothidium frequentissimum Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.000 3 4 2 V P 65.1 69 92
Staurosira construens Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.001 1 2 2 4 N V 46.8 30 58
Cymbella tumida Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.015 1 1 2 4 V S 57.8 48 78

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.