Stream Condition Assessment, MS4, Fish Habitat, Fish Distribution, Rapid Surveys, Habitat Quality Assessment
Timber Run, a long-term monitoring, reference stream in Maryland was surveyed using the High Definition Stream Survey (HDSS) and High Definition Fish Survey (HDFS). The survey was completed by a single surveyor using the HDSS Backpack setup in a single day and covered over 3.7 km. The habitat assessment included stream channel geomorphology, bank condition, instream habitat, and infrastructure and was completed in only 2.2 hours. The fish surveys were completed on a wide range of habitats throughout the stream. This long-term reference stream had been surveyed numerous times over the past 19 years, but the traditional survey methods only covered 100m and required 4-6 people to complete. The combination of the HDSS and HDFS approach proved much faster and more spatially complete than past traditional surveys and provided new insights into this reference stream.
Timber Run in MD was surveyed using the HDSS and HDFS methods in less than 1/80 the time when compared to the traditional survey methods.