Chapter 3

Watershed inventory

3.1 Introduction

A watershed inventory can help you identify potential concerns in your watershed by assisting
you in observing and evaluating how various land uses can affect watershed quality. You will
contact state, county, and city government agencies to learn how they are involved in the
current and future planning of your watershed, and you’ll drive or bike your watershed’s roads
making firsthand observations. All you need is the enthusiasm to explore and a few sharp
pencils!

3.1.1 Why do a watershed inventory?

 Completing the inventory will help educate the group about activities in the watershed
that could be affecting the overall watershed quality of your streams and lakes.
 To have a better understanding of how land use and landscape features affect water
resources in your watershed.
 An inventory can help in developing a monitoring strategy to collect baseline data or
monitor the progress of your restoration efforts.
 You can use the material from the inventory at public meetings, to educate residents
about your project.
 Your inquiries will help you meet knowledgeable people and locate valuable information
sources in the area, and alert you to interest groups that may have been left out of the
group.
 Finally, your inventory is a detailed record of current conditions and characteristics of
this unique watershed, serving as a benchmark to measure future changes against.

1.1.2 How do you do it?

Depending on the nature of your watershed, you may not need every section or table presented
here. Pick and choose what’s vital to you. At a minimum, complete the “Getting to know your
watershed area” and “Land use overview” sections, then evaluate which other sections you
need to explore in order to meet your group’s goals. Before you start, identify who will do the
inventory (perhaps the planning or technical subcommittees) and when the group expects it to
be finished. It should be done early in the planning process, right after developing goals and
objectives.
Share the information you are gathering with the larger group frequently (at least monthly) in
order to make sure your efforts mesh with the others in the group, and to establish whether you
are on track with the group’s objectives and needs. Finally, present the information you
gathered in a clear, organized way so everyone can understand it.
There are two levels or tiers to most sections of the Workbook.

Tier One can be completed at home or in the office, using published material, the various Web
sites, or contacting local governments. Since many useful sources of environmental data are
available on the Web, we suggest that you use it to answer certain questions. If you do not have
Internet access, check your local library. Most local libraries provide free Internet access.
Tier Two usually involves traveling around the watershed making direct observations. You can
learn any things from looking at maps of the area, but there is no substitute for seeing it
yourself. By driving, biking, canoeing, and hiking around your watershed you will gain firsthand
knowledge of potential problem areas as well as places where water is well protected. Photos,
either digital or on paper, are valuable additions to your records. Take pictures of sites you
observe in the field, problem areas, people involved in watershed group activities, etc.
Remember to mark which pictures go with which sites! The two tiers are separate because they
do not need to be done at once, and they do not need to be done by the same person.
You can complete the ten inventory sections one at a time or all at once. How long it takes
depends on the size of your watershed and the level of detail you want; most sections can be
completed in a few days. No formal training is required.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can be used to make many of the analyses easier.
However, instructions are also provided for doing the assessments without the use of GIS.

3.2: Determine Watershed Boundaries

Before you can learn what is happening in a watershed, you need to know where the
boundaries are and how large the watershed is. If you already know your watershed boundaries
and size, you can skip this section and go directly to the other Sections. If not, this section will
help you determine them.
In this section you will gather:
 Watershed boundaries and watershed area
 Hydrologic unit codes
 Area of watershed in each county, if more than one county
 Percentage of the county in the watershed, for one or more counties
A watershed is an area of land from which all water drains to a common outlet. There are two
options for determining your watershed boundaries. You can use the hydrologic unit area
code boundaries that have been developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) or you can
map the watershed yourself using a topographic map.

3.2.1 Delineate the Watershed Using a Topographic Map

The second option is to delineate the watershed boundaries yourself. Once you’ve obtained the
topographic maps for your area, the following steps will help you locate the boundaries of the
watershed.
1. Mark the downstream outlet of your watershed (marked with an X in Figure 3.1). The
farther downstream from the headwaters of the river your outlet is, the larger your
watershed will be. The smaller your watershed is, the easier it will be to obtain the
information for the inventory.

Figure 3.1: Outlet Location Figure 3.2: High Points and Figure 3.3: Delineated Watershed
and Flow Arrows Flow Direction
 2. Locate all water features that flow to the outlet. Trace the water from its source to the
outlet and then back again to make sure you don’t miss any tributaries. Use arrows to
mark the directions of the streams (Figure 3.1). To determine which direction a stream is
flowing, compare the elevations of the land around the stream to the stream. [The brown
lines on the topographic map are contour lines. These lines connect all points of equal
elevation. The thick dark lines will have a number associated with them showing the
elevation. The thin lines change in 10 ft increments and the dark lines change in 50 ft
increments.]
3. Find and mark the highpoints on the map surrounding the streams you’ve marked
(Figure 3.2). The high points will often appear on the map as closed areas.
4. Connect the highpoints, starting and returning to the outlet, to form the boundaries
(Figure 3.3). You should not cross any water features except at the outlet. Follow ridges
and cross slopes at right angles to the contour lines. If you have doubts about a certain
area, refer to the soil maps in your county soil survey; often the direction of drainage and
the location of ridges and low spots is easier to see by comparing two maps.
5. Once the boundaries are drawn, imagine a bucket of water poured on the surface. Make sure it
flows from the boundary to the outlet.

Once you’ve determined the boundaries of the watershed, make several copies of the map. You
will use these maps to determine the area, mark important features, and keep as back up
information. Five or six copies should suffice.

3.2.2 Watershed Area

The watershed area is needed throughout the inventory. You can estimate the areas using your
topographic map. One method to find the area is to count squares using a grid. You can also
use a tool called a “planimeter” to trace the boundary of the watershed (it will calculate the area
within the boundary), or a dot or grid counter to determine the area. [If you have the watershed
boundaries in GIS, use your GIS software to identify the area in acres or square miles. Acres
are most commonly used for watershed and county data.] Record the total area of the
watershed on the worksheet at the end of this section: ‘Worksheet 1.1: Watershed
Boundaries”.
Since watersheds can vary in size from a few acres to several hundred thousand acres, your
watershed may lie in one or more counties. Some of the data you will want to collect are only
reported at the county level. To determine values for your watershed you will be asked to
estimate the value from county numbers. Therefore, you will need to know the area and
percentage of the watershed in each county. Record the areas on Worksheet 1.1.
Divide the watershed area in each county by the county’s area. This will give you the fraction, or
percentage, of each county that is in the watershed.

Estimating Area Using a Grid

Use graph paper or draw a grid of equally spaced lines in both directions (for example, each
grid line could be 1 cm apart). Photocopy this onto a transparency. Then overlay the
transparency on the watershed map and count the number of squares that are in the watershed
within each county. Using the scale of the map you can get the area of the watershed
WORKSHEET 1.1 WATERSHED AREA

HUC and Watershed Name Total Area of Watershed

Acres Sq. Miles

County Area of watershed Total county area Percentage of

in the county county
within the
watershed

3.3 Physical Features of the Watershed

The physical characteristics of the watershed can have an important impact on watershed
quality.
In this section you will examine the natural physical features of the land in your
watershed.
 Soils
 Floodplains & floodways
 Topography of the watershed
 Geology
 Karst (sinkhole) areas

3.3.1 Soils

Soil influences watershed quality in many ways. A good inventory should include at least a basic
understanding of the soils in the watershed. Obtain a copy of the Soil Survey for your
watershed from the SWCD office. Also request a set of loose soil survey map sheets for the
watershed, from the SWCD office. Draw the watershed onto the loose soil maps. (It does not
have to be absolutely accurate). List the soil mapping units you see within the watershed, and
look up their characteristics in the survey. (Note: If you have access to GIS and digital county
soil data, it will save a lot of time in determining the soil types in your watershed
To estimate the area of each soil type, you can either approximate it visually by estimating the
percentage of the watershed that they take up, or use a grid counter to estimate acreage. You
do not need to know the exact acreage; the point of estimating area is to identify which mapping
units are the most common in the watershed. If you want to interpret it ivually, you might color
each major soil type a different color and ask others to help estimate the percentage of each
color. You should be able to come within about 10% using this method.
Notice which soil types occur with each land use, such as residential, farming, and industrial
areas. Pay particular attention to whether the soils are suitable for septicsystems, prone to
flooding or high water tables, or have other attributes that generate concern about the land uses
and zoning in the watershed.
For each soil, the Soil Survey provides information about many properties that are useful to
understand in watershed management, such as flooding occurrence, high water table depth,
and suitability for septic systems.
Water-related features can be found in the “Soil and Water Features” (or “Water Features” in
older Surveys) table of the Soil Survey, and are explained below. Other characteristics may also
be of interest to your group.
Flooding

Flooding carries many pollutants into streams and rivers, and dictates what land uses will be
appropriate. Write down the flooding frequency category. Soils that are flooded “occasionally,”
“frequently,” and “very frequently” have the possibility of being flooded.

High Water Table Depth

Many soils in Indiana have a high water table and need to be artificially drained for optimal crop
production or for development. Soils that have high water table depths of less than 2.0 feet are
usually drained by perforated tubing commonly called “tiles”. This tile drainage is not directly
visible, but can have an important impact on water quality. Nitrate can easily leach with the
drained water, which is channeled directly into ditches and streams.
Suitability for Septic Systems
Septic systems rely on the soil to treat wastewater. Many soils are not suitable for this treatment
system, and therefore special measures are required if houses are to be built in these areas. It
is helpful to understand this characteristic of soils in your watershed

3.3.2 Floodplains

IDNR Division of Water determines floodway boundaries in developing areas. The SWCD office,
County Planning office, and some realtors will have copies of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) floodplain maps that identify areas where flood insurance is
available. These will tell you where flooding occurs within certain frequencies. In some counties,
the floodplain map is available at the Web site
<http://www.esri.com/hazards/makemap.html>. In areas where the FEMA maps are not
available, the Soil Survey can provide information on flooding.
Look for soil types that are frequently or occasionally flooded. Roughly delineate these areas
on your map or obtain copies of the FEMA maps. Also note land use in the flood plain areas.

3.3.3 Topography

Use your topographic map, combined with driving around the watershed, to get a sense of the topography.
Where are the steeper slopes? Where are the flatter valleys? You can also use the Soil Survey to obtain
information about topography in the watershed. The average slope is given for each soil type, which you
can use to estimate slopes in different parts of your watershed.

3.3.4 Geology

The Soil Survey (printed version) is also a good source of information about geology of the area. You
don’t need to understand the geology in great detail to develop a watershed plan, but it is a good idea to
know whether or not the area was glaciated, and what kind of deep subsurface layers might be present, for
example. There may be local people that you can talk with who are very interested in the geology of the
area, and can contribute a great deal to your watershed group’s work.

3.3.5 Karst Areas

In south central Indiana, limestone near the surface has been worn away by millennia of rain, forming
caves and sinkholes. This type of landscape is called “karst”, after the area in central Europe where this
geology was first studied. In karst landscapes, there is little surface water since streams often sink out of
site except during the wettest weather. Since the rock underlying the earth is essentially limestone Swiss
cheese, it is very vulnerable to contamination from pollutants on the surface. Springs are likely to emerge
to the surface during rainy weather, and it can be very difficult to identify where water is flowing
underground. In these areas, human and animal waste management, nutrient and pesticide management,
and sediment control are absolutely critical. If there are areas in your watershed that are karst
landscapes, mark their boundaries on the topo map with a highlighter. The local planning and health
departments, as well as the soil survey, can help you identify these area

WORKSHEET 2: SOIL INFORMATION

Soil type Area or % Flooding High water Suitable for Suitability for Comments
(estimate) table depth septic systems foundations

Information about Flood plains Topography

Information about Geology Karst areas

3.4 Land Use Overview

Knowing how land is used in your watershed can help you determine possible pollutant sources or
problem areas in your watershed. Land use changes through time, which is different than many of the
physical features you noted in the previous section. Therefore in this section you will note current land
use, then try to get an idea about future land use by looking at zoning maps.

In this section you will examine how the land in the watershed is being used, and how it may be used in
the future (based on zoning plans).
 Tier 1: Find maps of current and zoned land uses. Calculate impervious areas under each of the land
uses.
 Tier 2: Drive around the watershed, seeing what might be different than on your map or photo.
Adjust maps based on your observations and any other information.

3.4.1 Current Land Use

Unfortunately, printed maps of land use are not widely available for most areas in Indiana. The
best ways to determine the current land uses are GIS data, recent aerial photographs,
topographic maps, Indiana
Agriculture Statistics publications, or conducting a “windshield survey.” GIS: If you have GIS, or
can ask an agency or organization with GIS to assist you, the task is much easier and your
results will be more accurate. The GAP data, developed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
using satellite imagery from 1992, is considered an appropriate coverage for watershed
assessment. If you use it, you can easily calculate the area of each land use in your watershed.
Another coverage is the “National Land
Cover Database”, developed by USGS (http://landcover.usgs.gov/). Aerial Photos: (See
information on obtaining aerial photos in the Introduction.) Photocopy the needed maps and
identify the various land uses in the watershed. If you have GIS, you may want to digitize the
derive your areas that way. This is particularly useful if the watershed is developing rapidly, and
you are aware of tracts that have changed hands or are slated for development that has not yet
begun.
Topographic maps: Topographic maps show forested areas, towns, high-density areas, and all
buildings in rural areas are marked on them. By using the map, you can estimate the percent of
the total watershed area that each land use covers. Note the year that the map was updated so
you will know how old your information is.

3.4.2 Zoned (Potential) Land Uses

Most counties have planning departments and/or Plan Commissions that create maps to show
how each parcel is zoned determine how land can be used in the future (zoning). Although
zoning maps are not usually representative of current land uses, they do show what potentially
could be built in each area. You should be aware of these to plan for future impacts on your
watershed. These maps vary in size, scale, and detail from county to county and possibly from
township to township within a county.
You can usually look at these maps at the planning department. Many of the maps can be
photocopied, but some planning departments may charge you a small fee to copy them.
First, draw the boundaries of the watershed on the zoning map. Then observe the different
types of zoned land uses within the watershed. To make it easier to distinguish each, you may
want to color code corresponding land uses. Next, estimate the area of each land use, using the
same methods you have in previous sections.
There is no universal legend for zoning maps, so you may have to adjust the entries on the
worksheet to better match the categories your county uses. The difference between low density
(LD) and high density
(HD) housing is particularly variable. You may need to adjust the size of the lots based on what
your local zoning board uses. Many zoning boards consider agricultural land and forest
together, so you may not be able to distinguish each. Some counties may only have maps by
townships. In that case, make a separate worksheet column for each township. Record your
findings on Worksheet 3.1.

3.4.3 Calculating Impervious Area

Impervious surfaces in a watershed can have significant impacts on the quality of streams. In a
forested or natural setting, most rainfall soaks (infiltrates) into the ground. When the ground is
paved for roads and parking lots, or buildings are constructed and roofed, the water can no
longer infiltrate and therefore it runs off directly into the stream. Rainfall collects and flows into
the stream much more quickly and in larger volumes than before. This hydrologic change
results in stream bank erosion, sandbars, and silt deposits on the stream bed. In addition the
runoff carries increased quantities of pollutants from the landscape into the water. There may
also be less water in the stream during dry periods due to a decrease in groundwater flow.
These changes degrade aquatic habitat and can cause maintenance problems for the
community.
Using the areas you estimated for the various land uses in the watershed, estimate the amount
of “imperviousness” that is in your watershed for both current and future (zoned) land uses. The
values in the worksheet are approximate. They are intended to give you an idea of the percent
impervious area usually found in certain land uses. Record your results in Worksheet 3.2.

3.4.4 Public & Private Land

Indiana has very little public land compared to a state like Utah, but many watersheds will still
have areas managed by public or non-profit entities. These could be Federal or State forests,
reservoir boundaries, nature preserves, land trust holdings, or county parks. Some may show
on your topo maps; or you can obtain a GIS coverage of public and managed lands. You can
also peruse tax maps in the County Assessor’s office. The purpose of collecting this information
is to identify stakeholders who may have a keen interest in your watershed project, and may
have a lot to contribute.

TIER 2

3.4.5 Windshield survey:

Drive through the watershed and observe what is there. It is a good idea to have at least three
people participate. One person will drive, another will observe the landscape, and the third will
record the observations on a topographic map or road map. Don’t try to write and drive if there
is only one person making observations! Pull over as often as you can safely do so and write
down your observations.

Worksheet 3.1: Land Use Overview

Current Land Use County 1 County 2 Total for
NOTE: Your categories may be different than the Watershed
examples below (acres & %)
Concentrated Residential [Subdivisions and strip
development]
Rural Residential [isolated houses and farmsteads]
Commercial & Industrial
Working Agricultural Land [Cropland and
pasture]
Forest
Total
Zoned or Proposed Land Use County 1 County 2 Total for
NOTE: Your categories may be different than the Watershed
examples below (acres & %)
Concentrated Residential [Subdivisions and strip
development]
Rural Residential [isolated houses and farmsteads]
Commercial & Industrial
Working Agricultural Land [Cropland and
pasture]
Forest
Total

Worksheet 3.2: Impervious Area in Your Watershed

Current Land Use Area or % (from Typical Impervious Impervious Area
Note: Use the same categories as in Worksheet 4.1) Fraction in Watershed
Worksheet 4.1
Concentrated Residential [Subdivisions
and strip development]
Rural Residential [isolated houses and
farmsteads]
Commercial & Industrial
Working Agricultural Land [Cropland
and pasture]
Forest
Total
Proposed or Zoned Land Use Typical Impervious Impervious Area
Fraction in Watershed
Concentrated Residential [Subdivisions
and strip development]
Rural Residential [isolated houses and
farmsteads]
Commercial & Industrial
Working Agricultural Land [Cropland
and pasture]
Forest
Total

3.5 Streams, Lakes, & Wetlands

Understanding the streams and lakes that drain your watershed is a very important part of
understanding your watershed. Streams, lakes, and other waterbodies are the central focus of
any watershed. By observing the landscape around the water bodies, you can learn what could
potentially affect their ecosystems, and by observing the water body itself, you can learn its
current condition. Wetlands are valuable because they help to regulate water levels, can reduce
flooding, provide wildlife habitat, and can improve water quality
Tier 1: Locate streams, lakes, and wetlands in the watershed and use published sources to identify any
known water quality concerns or problems.
Tier 2: Observe the streams, lakes, and wetlands to see their current condition, and how adjacent land
uses may be affecting them.

Tier 1

3.5.1 Stream Locations

Locate all streams in the watershed using your maps, photos, or local knowledge. The term
“streams” includes streams, rivers, ditches, legal drains, and channeled water ways. Write the
name of each stream in the worksheet at the end of this section: “Worksheet 4.1:
Streams”. Note: Some streams on the topo map may not have names. You might be able to
find names from local residents, county maps, or other sources; or you may choose to create an
identifying name or number yourselves. Keep track of which names are “official” and “unofficial”!

3.5.2 Legal Drains

In Indiana, many streams are considered “legal drains.” Legal drainage systems were
established to remove excess water from agricultural land to improve crop production. These
drains are dredged periodically to make sure the flow of water is unobstructed. Visit your County
Surveyor’s office to determine which streams in your watershed are legal drains, and find out
about their maintenance schedules. The Surveyor has jurisdiction over legal drains and will
have maps you can look at. Record this information on Worksheet 4.1

3.5.3 Impaired Streams

Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act requires Indiana to identify waters that do not meet water
quality standards. The 303(d) list identifies streams that do not meet the standards,
contaminants of concern, and the severity of the impairment. This information is published by
the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and can be found at the Web
site http://www.IN.gov/idem/water/planbr/wqs/303d.html Streams that are not on the list may be
unimpaired, or may not yet have been assessed. The 2002 draft list is currently open for public
comment.
Complete the “impaired streams” section of Worksheet 4.1 by marking streams that are on
the 303(d) List, what contaminants are of concern, the severity ranking, and whether a TMDL
(Total Maximum Daily Load calculation for the contaminant of concern) has been scheduled or
completed.

3.5.4 Fish Consumption Advisory

Each year the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH), in cooperation with IDNR and IDEM
develops a Fish Consumption Advisory list for the state. The advisory is based on levels of
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and mercury found in fish tissue. This list can be accessed at
ISDH Web site (http://www.state.in.us/isdh/) under “Data and Statistics”. Determine if any fish
consumption advisories are in effect for the streams you identified in Worksheet 4.1. Add Fish
Consumption Advisory information to Worksheet 4.1.

3.5.5 Lakes

Identify lakes and large ponds on the topographic map or aerial photo. For public lakes or any
others you will include in the watershed plan, note what stream feeds the lake and what water
receives the lake outflow. If there are no public lakes in the watershed, you may choose to
simply locate the private lakes and ponds and move on For large or public access lakes:
! Using the same method as for the area of your watershed, estimate the area of the lake
watershed and the lake itself.
! Note whether they have swimming or boating, who manages the lake, and a contact person for
further information.
! If there is a lake association, find out who a contact person is.
! Contact the Indiana Clean Lakes Program at IDEM and ask for the trophic scores for each
public access lake. The trophic score is an index of lake ecology that tells whether the lake is
likely to have an excess of nutrients flowing into it. ! Ask your local water utility whether the lake
is used as a drinking water source for any customers.

3.5.6 Beach Closings

Beaches are sometimes closed due to high levels of E. Coli. Although E. Coli bacteria
themselves are usually harmless, they are monitored as indicators of unsanitary conditions, and
other more dangerous pathogens may be present where large numbers of E. coli are found.
If any beaches are located in your watershed, determine if they have been closed during the
most recent operating season and if closings occurred in previous years. Your county health
department should be able to help you determine this. Add this information to the Worksheet
4.4.

3.5.7 Wetlands

“Wetlands” is a collective term for marshes, swamps, and bogs. Wetlands are areas of land that
lie in flat vegetated areas and sometimes are hard to identify because while some are wet most
or all of the time, others are actually dry much of the year. In Indiana, the most common types
are forested wetlands and small temporarily flooded wetlands in farm fields. Wetlands are
valuable because they help to regulate water levels, reduce flooding, recharge aquifers, provide
wildlife habitat, and improve water quality.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service developed the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) in the
1980s to provide information on characteristics, size, and status of the nation’s wetlands.
Information on wetlands in your watershed can be obtained on the Web by using an interactive
mapping tool. You can access this site athttp://www.nwi.fws.gov. Choose the “Wetlands
Interactive Mapper” to determine the wetlands in your watershed and their size. This data can
also be downloaded and used with GIS. (Note: The NWI Web site was shut down in December
2001, and has not reopened as of March 2002.) An additional source of information about
wetlands is the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). NRCS may have copies of
the US Fish and Wildlife
Service National Wetlands Inventory maps, and can supply Soil Surveys.
Wetlands are also shown on the topographic map that you are using to mark locations and the
Soil Survey map used in the agricultural section. Your local NRCS office may also know of other
wetlands in the watershed.
• USGS map symbol for wetlands
• Soil Survey map symbol for wetlands
Once you have located the wetlands, mark them on the copy of your map labeled “Agriculture,
Forest, and Wetlands.” Label each site with a “W” and the site number. Record the site
numbers, a location description, and area of the sites on Worksheet 4.4.

Tier 2

3.5.8 Stream Observations in the Field

Choose sites along the streams that have easy access without trespassing on someone’s
property. Good locations are usually bridges where you can gain access to the stream from the
road. Mark the location of sites on the copy of your map labeled “Streams & Lakes”, assigning a
different number for each site.
Describe each site on the top portion of Worksheet 4.2. If you cannot measure the depth and
width of the stream, try to estimate them. Next, enter your comments on the site. For example,
look for erosion or scouring around bridges, culverts, or any other engineering structure you
see. Erosion could indicate increased stream flow due to human influences in the watershed.
Structures that need to be replaced because of erosion or scour represent a potential economic
impact on the community

Instructions for Recording Observations

The bottom portion of Worksheet 4.2 contains columns to record characteristics of the
streambank, riparian area, and in-stream habitat. The following list describes the topics covered
in the worksheet for the sites you described above.
NOTE: A streambank is defined as the area of the bank from the water’s edge up to bank full
stage. Bank full stage is the point of highest flow before the water spills into the floodplain. The
riparian area is the land running alongside the stream, including a portion of the floodplain.
• Channel Modified: Modification can consist of vegetation being removed, very straight
channels, rip rap on the banks, or concrete banks (urban areas).
• Pipes: If you see a pipe at the site, indicate yes. Pipes can be tile drains from agricultural
fields, industrial discharge, or stormwater runoff.
• Trash: Indicate if you see a lot of trash at the site. This may come from runoff from urban or
impervious areas.
• Streambank Erosion: Indicate if the streambanks look stable or show signs of sloughing or
washing out.
• Streambank Cover: Streambank vegetation should be a dense cover of trees, shrubs, or
unmowed grasses (not field crops or lawns). Observe the vegetation and indicate whether or not
there is good cover.
• Riparian Cover: Good riparian cover consists of trees and/or unmowed grasses. Lawns,
crops, and bare soil are not adequate cover for riparian areas.
• Riparian buffer width: The wider the vegetated riparian area is, the better for stream habitat.
Trees or unmowed grasses in the riparian area form a “riparian buffer.” If there is such an area,
indicate its width.
• Fish hangouts: Good fish habitat includes areas where deep pools, root wads, fallen trees,
dense plant beds and overhanging vegetation providesheltered areas for fish to feed, breed,
and lurk during daylight. Indicate if you see any of these areas.
• Insect hangouts: Aquatic insects (macroinvertebrates) prefer areas of fine woody debris,
submerged logs, leaf packs, undercut banks, cobbles, boulders, and coarse gravel. All of these
provide habitat for feeding, breeding, and sheltering. Indicate if you see any of these areas.
When you have completed your observations for all selected sites, tally your results on
Worksheet 4.3, Stream Observation Summary Table.

Lake Observations

If you can access the public lakes, or any of the larger private lakes, go out and make
observations. Mark your observation locations on your map (L1, L2, etc.)
For each location, note whether there is a riparian buffer along the shore, plain mowed grass, a
seawall, or rip-rap. Also note the presence of large numbers of waterfowl if you see them. If
boating, fishing, or swimming are permitted, ask the contact person for the lake if there are any
concerns such as shoreline erosion, turbidity from boat traffic, violation of nowake zones,
complaints about the quality of fishing, aquatic weed problems, or other water-related concerns.
Note the information on Worksheet 4.4: Lake Observations.
Wetland Observations

When you are driving the watershed to make visual observations for other sections, note any
activity adjacent to the wetland that you think may have a negative impact, and record your
observation in the Worksheet 4.5 Wetland Observations.

3.6 Residential and Urban Areas

Residential and urban activities in a watershed can greatly affect water quality. Potential sources of
pollution include septic systems, impervious area runoff, construction erosion, and lawn chemicals. In
Tier 1 you will identify areas you should visit in Tier 2. Tier 2 includes field observation of homes,
construction sites, and large impervious areas, which may require a little more effort. You will need to
visually observe the sites to answer some questions, and you may need to contact someone to answer the
rest.

3.7 Regulated Pollutant Sources

3.8 Agriculture

3.9 Forest Land

3.10 Mines & Oil or Gas Wells

3.11 Social & Economic Factors