Physical Evaluation
This portion of the survey includes a wide variety of observations using all senses, making several judgments based
on established rating descriptions, as well as collection and measurement procedures. In this section we discuss
general physical observations. These observations should be completed prior following the water quality analysis.
The table below provides a list of the conditions that are assessed as wells as some general guidelines regarding
what certain characteristics indicate. Water observations are made in a run or riffles, sediment observations are
also made in a run or riffle and benthic algae observations are made in a riffle. These observations should be made
multiple times throughout the reach to make sure conditions are consistent. You should write comments on the survey
data sheet if any notable differences within the reach are observed. The University of Maine’s field guide to
aquatic phenomenon provides an overview and images of many of the conditions below.
Physical Characteristics
Water Conditions
Colors
- Brown is usually caused by sediment in the water. Some muddiness (brown color) is natural after
storms, but if the condition persists look for an activity upstream that has disturbed the soil such as
construction sites, logging, storm water runoff from roads or urban areas, or agricultural activities such as
cattle in the stream.
- Black is usually caused by coalmine drainage, tar or sometimes waste material from road
construction.
- Green is often due to an algae bloom caused by excessive nutrients in the water. The source
could be sewage, fertilizers from farms, homes or golf courses or waste from animal feedlots.
- Multi-colored sheen can occur naturally in stagnant waters, but a sheen that is moving or does
not break up easily may be an indication of oil pollution. The source could be runoff from streets or parking
areas or illegal dumping. In some areas the use of all-terrain vehicles may contribute to stream oil pollution.
- Orange or red is often associated with acide mine drainage.
- Tea colors can be caused by wetlands or tanins.
- White or gray can be caused by runoff from landfills, sewage and mining.
Odors
- Rotten eggs: This strong sulfur-like odor can be an indication of sewage pollution or polluted
coalmine drainage.
- Musky: This slight organic odor is often natural, but in some cases may indicate nutrient
enrichment from organic waste products or sewage contamination.
- Oily: This odor may indicate pollution from oil and gas wells.
- Chemical: There are a wide variety of chemical odors usually the result of industrial
discharges, solvents and detergents.
Substration Conditions
Colors
- Brown is an indication of silt deposits from sediment sources. Most stream bottoms are normally
brown in color.
- Black Black deposits can occur naturally in heavy organic soils but can also be due to fine
coal particles, tars, ashes, sludge etc.
- Green is a possible indication of excessive algae growth from organic (nutrient) enrichment
sources.
- Orange or red coating of flocculates on the sediments is usually due to polluted coalmine
drainage.
- White or gray cottony mass is a sewage fungus common to organic polluted waters. An even
coating of white or gray flocculates may be aluminum precipitating out of solution from acid mine drainage.
Odors
Volunteer monitors do not assess sediment odors; but occasionally it is good practice to compare sediment odors to
odors in the water column. Stirring the bottom sediments and collecting a sample of water and sediment near the area
that was disturbed assess sediment odors. The odors in the sediments are similar to those described for water.
Streambed composition is either estimated or measured using a pebble count procedure. The major size categories
are silt/clay (mud), sand, fine gravel, coarse gravel, cobble, boulder, bedrock and woody debris. Read the
pebble count section for more information.
Algae Conditions
Color
Algae color varies from brown to dark green in most streams and rivers; although color is a noticeable condition of
the algae it is not a particular indicator of the types or of the condition represented by the algal community.
Abundance
Coverage in a riffle is estimated based upon the following: none, scattered, moderate or heavy. A heavy coating of
matted and floating algae is often an indication of nutrient rich conditions caused by excess nitrogen and
phosphorous.
Growth Habit
The growth habit characteristics are critical to understating the algae. Most stream algae will be evenly coated on
the rocks and have a smooth or slimy texture; other types will be filamentous and have a hairy texture; and others
will be matted. Matted algae are easily removed from the surfaces by slowly scraping with your fingers. If the algal
community is mostly matted pieces will come off in junks like carpet when it has been removed from flooring.
Foam occurs naturally due to the decomposition of leaves (this foam is generally less than three inches high and
cream colored). Excessive white foam may be due to detergent pollution.
Additional Information
Benthic Algae
- Description: Benthic stream algae distribution and structure presented by Chritopher Eisler
of Tennessee Tech. University.
A Field Guide to Aquatic Penomena
- Description: Lakes and streams don't always look or behave the way we expect. Water can be
full of strange colors, unidentified blobs, and swimming creatures.
Acid Mine
Drainage
- Description: Acid mine drainage (AMD) is water contaminated when pyrite (iron sulfide) is
exposed to air and water. The exposure often results in reactions that form sulfuric acid and dissolved
iron. Some or all of this iron can precipitate to form the red, orange, or yellow sediments (yellowboy) on
the streambed.
Pebble
Count
- Description: The composition of the streambed and banks is an important facet of stream
character, influencing channel form and hydraulics, erosion rates, sediment supply, and other parameters.
Observations tell us that steep mountain streams with beds of boulders and cobbles act differently from
low-gradient streams with beds of sand or silt.
Foam
- Description: Foam often is seen accumulating against logs or on the banks of streams, or
along the shores of lakes on windy days. When it first appears, foam can be white, but generally turns brown
over time. The development of foam occurs due to changes in the water surface tension and the physical
introduction of air.