Wadeable stream habitat monitoring at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park: 2019 change report

Bateman McDonald, Jacob

doi:10.36967/nrr-2280026

The Southeast Coast Network (SECN) stream habitat monitoring protocol collects data to give park resource managers insight into the status of and trends in stream and near-channel habitat conditions (McDonald et al. 2018a). Wadeable stream assessments are currently implemented at the five SECN inland parks with wadeable streams. These parks include Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield, Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, and Congaree National Park. Streams chosen for assessment were specifically targeted for management interest (e.g., trail erosion issues and upstream urban development) or to provide a context for similar-sized stream(s) within the park or network (McDonald and Starkey 2018a). The objectives of the SECN stream habitat monitoring protocol are to: • Determine status of upstream watershed characteristics (basin morphology) and trends in land cover that may affect stream habitat, • Determine the status of and trends in benthic and near-channel habitat in selected wadeable stream reaches (e.g., bed sediment, geomorphic channel units [GCUs], and large woody debris [LWD]), • Determine the status of and trends in cross-sectional morphology, longitudinal gradient, and sinuosity of selected wadeable stream reaches. On May 17, 2017, data were collected at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (KEMO) to characterize the in-channel and near-stream habitat on Noses Creek (KEMO001) and John Ward Creek (KEMO002). These data, along with the analysis of remotely-sensed geographic information system (GIS) data, are presented in a baseline report that describes and compares the watershed-, reach-, and transect-scale characteristics of these two stream reaches to each other and to similar-sized streams at Chattahoochee National Recreation Area (McDonald and Starkey 2019a). On May 1, 2019, KEMO001 and KEMO002 were resurveyed to determine the amount of change that has occurred on each reach. This report compares the results of the 2019 resurveys to the initial 2017 baseline surveys. Noses Creek’s watershed (KEMO001) is steep and forested and Ward Creek’s watershed (KEMO002) has low slope and relief and is covered mostly by urban and or suburban development. Based on the geomorphic and land cover characteristics of the two watersheds, Noses Creek is interpreted to be flashier than Ward Creek; though stream gages are needed to determine each stream’s flow regime. Based on the results of the pebble counts, the type and distribution of GCUs within each reach, and the presence or absence of LWD, in-stream habitat within both of the surveyed streams were classified the same as in 2017 (‘poor to fair’ on KEMO001 and ‘poor’ on KEMO002). The processes that have a potential impact on these habitat classifications have not changed since the previous survey. If the bed material at KEMO001 becomes finer and if the GCUs within the reach become more homogenous, the habitat classification may degrade to ‘poor.’ Alternatively, addition of LWD to KEMO001 may increase habitat diversity and provide more stability to the reach that could upgrade the classification to ‘fair.’ The addition of LWD to KEMO001 seems likely, as a large LWD dam has developed just upstream of the reach that may fail prior to the next scheduled survey in 2022. Habitat at KEMO002 will continue to be ‘poor’ until stable (non-mobile) in-channel (non-bridging) LWD increases the diversity of habitat and upstream conditions reduce the amount of fine sediment delivered to the reach (Allan and Castillo 2007). Currently, much of the existing LWD bridges the channel (does not contact the bed) and has minimal influence on GCUs. Both of the stream reaches are recovering from a legacy of poor land use practices and are influenced by varying amounts of impervious surface cover and urban and or suburban development in their watersheds. Both reaches are affected by episodic and...

Wadeable stream habitat monitoring at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park: 2019 change report

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