Field form beta Streamflow Duration Assessment Method for the Great Plains
Revision Date: November 2023 Page 1 of 6
Beta Streamflow Duration Assessment Method - Great Plains
General site information
Project name or number:
Site code or identifier:
Assessor(s):
Waterway name:
Visit date:
Current weather conditions (check one): Notes on current or recent weather
~ Storm/heavy rain conditions (e.g., precipitation in previous
~ Steady rain week):
~ Intermittent rain
~ Snowing
~ Cloudy ( % cover)
~ Clear/Sunny
Coordinates at downstream end
(decimal degrees):
Lat (N):
Long (E):
Datum:
Surrounding land-use within 100 m (check one or two):
~ Urban/industrial/residential
~ Agricultural (farmland, crops, vineyards, pasture)
~ Developed open-space (e.g., golf course)
~ Forested
~ Other natural
~ Other:
Describe reach boundaries:
Mean bankfull channel width
(m)
(Indicator 5)
Reach length (m):
40x width; min 40 m; max 200 m.
Site photographs:
Enter photo ID or check if completed
Top down: Mid down:
Mid up: Bottom up:
Disturbed or difficult conditions (check all that apply): Notes on disturbances or difficult site conditions:
~ Recent flood or debris flow
~ Stream modifications (e.g., channelization)
~ Diversions
~ Discharges
~ Drought
~ Vegetation removal/limitations
~ Other (explain in notes)
~ None
Observed hydrology: Comments on observed hydrology:
% of reach with surface flow
% of reach with sub-surface or surface flow
# of isolated pools
Site sketch:
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Field form beta Streamflow Duration Assessment Method for the Great Plains
Revision Date: November 2023 Page 2 of 6
1. EPT Family Richness
Collect aquatic invertebrates from at least 6 locations in the assessment reach and determine if any specimens of EPT
(Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera) are present. Identify EPT to family and enumerate up to 5 taxa.
Check one
Taxon
Mayfly
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Field form beta Streamflow Duration Assessment Method for the Great Plains
Revision Date: November 2023 Page 3 of 6
3. Number of Hydrophytic Plant Species
Record up to 5 hydrophytic plant species (FACW or OBL in the Great Plains, Midwest, or Northeast-Northcentral regional
wetland plant lists, depending on location) within the assessment area: within the channel or up to one half-channel width.
Explain in notes if species has an odd distribution (e.g., covers less than 2% of assessment area, long-lived species solely
represented by seedlings, or long-lived species solely represented by specimens in decline), or if there is uncertainty about the
identification. Enter photo ID, or check if photo is taken.
Check if applicable:
Species
~ No vegetation in assessment area
Odd
distribution? Notes
Photo
ID
~ Number of hydrophytic plant species identified from the assessment reach without odd distribution (Enter zero
if none were found).
Notes on hydrophytic vegetation:
4. Absence of Rooted Upland Plants in Streambed
Scoring guidance:
Absence of
0: (Poor) Rooted upland plants are prevalent within the streambed/thalweg.
Rooted Upland
1: (Weak) Rooted upland plants are consistently dispersed throughout the streambed/thalweg.
Plants in
2: (Moderate) Few rooted upland plants are present within the streambed/thalweg.
Streambed
3: (Strong) Rooted upland plants are absent within the streambed/thalweg.
score (0-3)
Recommended photos (record in photolog, below):
Half-scores are allowed
1) channel vegetation, and
2) upland vegetation
Notes:
5. Bankfull channel width (copy from first page of field form)
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Field form beta Streamflow Duration Assessment Method for the Great Plains
Revision Date: November 2023 Page 4 of 6
6. Sinuosity
Sinuosity score (0-3)
Stream length: 200 m
Valley length: 107 m
Sinuosity = 200/107 = 1.87
Scoring guidance:
0: Poor
1.0 to 1.05
1: Weak
1.05 to 1.2
2: Moderate
1.2 to 1.4
3: Strong
Above 1.4
7. Floodplain and Channel Dimensions
Floodplain and
Channel
Dimensions
score (0-3)
2x Maximum Bankfull Depth
Flood-prone Width (S? 2x Max Bankfull Depth
Entrenchment Ratio (Flood-prone Width/Bankfull Width)
Scoring guidance:
0: (Poor) Ratio of flood-prone width to bankfull width < 1.2.
1.5: (Moderate) Ratio between 1.2 and 2.5. Stream is moderately confined. Floodplain is present
but may only be active during larger floods. Stream is incised, with a noticeably confined
channel. Floodplain is narrow or absent, and typically disconnected from the channel
3: (Strong) Ratio >2.5. Stream is minimally confined, with a wide, active floodplain.
8. Particle Size or Stream Substrate Sorting
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Field form beta Streamflow Duration Assessment Method for the Great Plains
Revision Date: November 2023 Page 5 of 6
Particle Size or
Stream
Substrate
Sorting
score (0-3)
Half-scores are allowed
Scoring guidance:
0: (Poor) Particle sizes in the channel are similar or comparable to particle sizes in areas close to
but not in the channel. Substrate sorting is not readily observed in the channel.
1.5: (Moderate) Particle sizes in the channel are moderately similar to particle sizes in areas close
to but not in the channel. Various sized substrates are present in the channel and are
represented by a higher ratio of larger particles (gravel/cobble).
3: (Strong) Particle sizes in the channel are noticeably different from particle sizes in areas close
to but not in the channel. There is a clear distribution of various sized substrates in the channel
with finer particles accumulating in the pools, and larger particles accumulating in the
riffles/runs.
Notes:
9. Northern or Southern Plains
If the project is within CO, IA, IL, KS, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, SD, WI, or WY, it is within the Northern Plains.
NM, OK, and TX lie in both regions; check map in Figure 2 in user manual, or input latitude and longitude from
page 1 of the field form into the web application to calculate for these states.
Northern Plains Q Southern Plains
Photo log
Indicate if any other photographs taken during the assessment:
Photo ID Description
Additional notes about the assessment:
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Field form beta Streamflow Duration Assessment Method for the Great Plains
Revision Date: November 2023
Page 6 of 6
Model Classification:
EH Ephemeral
~ Intermittent
~ Perennial
~ Less than perennial
~ At least intermittent
~ Needs more information
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