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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-861-2008R (745)
Sample Date: 2008-07-02 Taxonomist: Academy Of Natural Sciences
Location: Upstream Of Rte. 140 And Jordan Rd.
Sample comments: Cobble Substrate
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 = 0.83
Prob. Class B = 0.17
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 0.17 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 20.00 19.00 11.00 28.80 9.00 25.30 10th to 90th percentile
Intolerant algae percent species 32.43 18.75 3.70 42.27 22.12 72.41 >10th percentile
Motile diatom percent abundance 7.83 8.49 1.55 31.56 0.00 11.59 <90th percentile
Tolerant algae percent abundance 0.19 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) 31.77 42.67 37.09 49.07 0.00 42.34 <90th percentile
Nitrogen Index (all algae) 30.71 38.64 26.81 51.56 0.00 35.58 <90th percentile
Phosphorus Index (all algae) 45.59 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 2.70 6.25 0.00 16.00 0.00 7.14 <90th percentile
Salt-tolerant diatom percent richness 36.34 89.95 61.14 98.30 45.42 97.96 10th to 90th percentile
Tolerant algae percent richness 13.51 16.67 0.00 41.38 0.00 14.29 <90th percentile
Nutrient- tolerant diatom percent abundance 45.91 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 = 21 m
Wetted width = 21 m
Depth = 44 cm
Water velocity = 68 cm/s
Riffle = 70 %
Run = 20 %
Pool = 10 %
Canopy Cover = 32 %
Bedrock = 0 %
Boulder = 35 %
Cobble = 35 %
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 2008-07-02 8.2 8.60 7.00 10.23 7.80 10.62 Milligrams Per Liter
pH 2008-07-02 6.19 7.12 6.21 7.97 6.00 7.55 Standard Ph Unit
Specific Conductance 2008-07-02 36 88.55 25.00 492.00 15.41 67.31 Microsiemens Per Centimeter
Temperature 2008-07-02 20.3 20.00 14.70 24.70 12.80 23.60 Degrees Celcius (Temperature)
Dissolved Organic Carbon 2008-07-02 8.8 4.90 2.30 9.30 2.00 9.42 Milligrams Per Liter
Nitrate + Nitrite As Nitrogen 2008-07-02 0.02 0.08 0.02 0.61 0.01 0.09 Milligrams Per Liter
Orthophosphate As Phosphorus 2008-07-02 2 2.00 1.00 11.00 1.00 3.00 Micrograms Per Liter
Total Alkalinity 2008-07-02 8 19.50 4.44 113.20 2.00 21.00 Milligrams Per Liter
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen 2008-07-02 0.5 0.40 0.20 0.60 0.10 0.50 Milligrams Per Liter
Total Phosphorus 2008-07-02 21 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 0.95 Nuisance algae
Freshwater Sponge 0.63 Not algae
Moss 0.95 Not algae
Plant 3.81 Not algae
Sand / Mud 10.16 Not algae
Mat Not Visible 24.13 Thin algal layer
Mat Incomplete 47.30 Thin algal layer
Mat <1mm Thick 1.90 Thin algal layer
Mat Crust 10.16 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-861-2008R (745)
Sample Date: 2008-07-02 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
Tuomeya americana Red Algae 0.347 0.137 NA
Batrachospermum Red Algae 0.293 0.492 27.6 27 32
Homoeothrix juliana Filamentous Cyanobacteria 0.158 0.038 NA 32
Leptolyngbya Filamentous Cyanobacteria 0.107 0.000 38.3 28 75
Achnanthidium minutissimum Pennate Diatom 0.029 0.004 1 2 2 7 N P 41.2
Gongrosira Filamentous Green 0.025 0.026 37.3 37
Fragilaria gracilis Pennate Diatom 0.008 0.001 1 1 2 2 N V 30.6 18 22
Fragilaria vaucheriae Pennate Diatom 0.008 0.002 3 3 2 5 N V 44.2 36
Ulnaria ulna Pennate Diatom 0.003 0.016 3 4 2 N E 34.2 17 21
Eunotia implicata Pennate Diatom 0.003 0.007 1 V E 28.3 16 15
Gomphonema parvulum Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.000 4 4 2 5 N S 42.2 21
Brachysira microcephala Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.000 2 1 2 2 M P 18 12 18
Ulnaria acus Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.004 2 3 2 5 N E 31.7 29 48
Aulacoseira ambigua Centric Diatom 0.001 0.000 3 2 2 5 N U 34.5 25 56
Tabellaria flocculosa (strain III) Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.002 1 2 1 3 N U 18.8 17 32
Tabellaria flocculosa (strain IV) Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.002 1 2 1 3 N U 18.8 9 5
Eunotia bilunaris Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.001 2 2 2 7 V E 37.6 17 28
Eunotia formica Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.009 1 1 2 3 V E NA 33 52
Eunotia incisa Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.001 1 1 1 1 V E 24.8 18 35
Eunotia minor Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.000 1 1 V E 42.4 19 34
Gomphonema acuminatum Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.001 2 2 2 5 N S 26.7 13 15
Gomphonema parvulius Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.001 N S NA 17 22
Pseudostaurosira parasitica Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 2 2 4 N E 49.6
Staurosira construens var. venter Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 2 2 4 N V 41.3 35 67
Achnanthidium reimeri Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 2 V P NA 33 24
Achnanthidium rivulare Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 N P 49.9 39 49
Psammothidium bioretii Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 1 2 3 V P 31.2 15 12
Psammothidium subatomoides Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 1 1 2 V P 42.4 20 35
Encyonema minutum Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 2 V S 50.2 21
Encyonema silesiacum Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.002 3 3 2 7 V S 46.9 43 69
Gomphonema americobtusatum Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 N S NA
Decussata placenta Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 2 2 2 5 M P NA
Frustulia crassinervia Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 1 1 1 M P 24.7 27 61
Navicula cryptocephala Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 3 3 2 7 M P 56.3 55 80
Navicula cryptotenella Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 2 2 7 M P 44.6 61 82
Navicula gregaria Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 4 3 3 5 M P 79.6 66 89
Eolimna minima Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 4 4 2 5 M P 57 64 88
Navicula tenelloides Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 1 2 5 M P 75.8 51 62
Pinnularia Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.002 M P NA
Sellaphora pupula Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 3 3 2 4 M P 46.8 38 75
Surirella linearis Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.248 2 2 2 H P NA
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 linearis Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 2 2 2 4 H P 54.2 68 87
Nitzschia palea Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 4 5 2 6 H P 60.3 67 89
Nitzschia sociabilis Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 2 2 2 5 H P NA
Tabellaria flocculosa var. linearis Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 N U 18.8 25 33

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.