. 2012 survey assessments and analysis of fish, macroinvertebrates and herpetofauna in the Otter Creek coal tracts area of Powder River County. Aquatic ecology; Aquatic invertebrates; Fishes; Amphibians; Reptiles. determining biological integrity (Hawkins and Norris 2000) and expected species richness. The Intermittent Prairie Stream (E005) in Montana is naturally fishless 80% of the time; therefore, absence of fish, in itself, should not be viewed as a biological impairment ( Threemile and Tenmile Creek). Likewise, stream reaches of Otter Creek have become dry in previous years (Stagliano
. 2012 survey assessments and analysis of fish, macroinvertebrates and herpetofauna in the Otter Creek coal tracts area of Powder River County. Aquatic ecology; Aquatic invertebrates; Fishes; Amphibians; Reptiles. determining biological integrity (Hawkins and Norris 2000) and expected species richness. The Intermittent Prairie Stream (E005) in Montana is naturally fishless 80% of the time; therefore, absence of fish, in itself, should not be viewed as a biological impairment ( Threemile and Tenmile Creek). Likewise, stream reaches of Otter Creek have become dry in previous years (Stagliano, personal observation. 2005-2008), thus placing certain stream sections within the D005 classification. We have identified and characterized reference condition indicator assemblages for these ecosystem types previously (Stagliano 2005), and were used here to compare to our site- specific observed species. Habitat Evaluations. Of the seven sampling reaches evaluated within the study area, we found three in Proper Functioning Condition (PFC) with a stable trend and four were Functional at Risk (FAR) (Table 7). Reasons that sites ranked FAR were due to structural habitat alteration by cattle with associated high CPI values (Home Creek {Otter_lA}, Threemile Creek {Otter_3m} and Otter #16-fall) (Figure 4) or anthropogenic stream manipulation (Otter Creek JT-Trussler and Otter Creek #16). Highest site integrity scores using both the BLM Habitat and PFC Assessment methods were recorded at the Tenmile Creek (Otter_23) and Otter Creek #22 (control-Denson reach) (Table 7). >-'^ Point conductivity measurements recorded at all '-^'j' Otter Creek mainstem sites and tributaries across all seasons were above the threshold for impairment levels (>500|as, DEQ 2006), and Home Creek site had visible signs of natural gas seepage from the sediments. Macroinvertebrate Communities: Overall, 105 unique macroinvertebrate taxa were reported from the 13 macroinvertebrate assessment samples (Appen
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Keywords: ., bo, booksubjectamphibians, booksubjectfishes, booksubjectreptiles
