Witch Hazel seedlings are blooming

The Witch hazel seedlings, planted 3 years ago(March 2009), have flower buds and some are already opening. La Russell Stream Team members took the first photograph today, Sunday, January 8, 2012. It shows the flower bud and beginning of a bloom. The other two pictures are what we can expect in the near future. Who could imagine that the Witch Hazel would be blooming the first week in January?

La Russell Visual Survey Data

La Russell Stream Team #2945 members completed their 2nd Visual Survey on the surrounding area. The purpose of the visual survey is to determine if there are obvious water pollution problems on the river and to characterize the riparian environment through which the river flows. The watershed map provides a perspective and guidance on which segment(s) of the river need attention. The survey covers multiple aspects of the quality and environment of Spring River at, and both upstream and down stream from the La Russell Access Point.

Floodplain land use:
40% pasture/hay fields
40% row crops
15% woods
5% residential

Riparian cover:
70% trees
25% grasses/weeds
5% parking lots/streets

Stream bank condition:
90% trees
5% grasses/weeds
5% bare ground

Bed composition of riffle:
60% bedrock
20% boulders (>10")
10% cobble (2-10")
5% gravel
5% sand

Percent embeddedness of cobble substrate:
10.2%

Algae present:
Stream bottom is 95% covered by visible algae.
Of the algae observed, 95% is close growing and 5% is filamentous (strands over 2" long)

Regrettably, some of the Riparian cover (trees along the river) have recently been cut. These included 6 trees that La Russell Stream team members planted 3-4 years ago (including False Indigo, Witch Hazel and Wild Plum). The debris was thrown into the River. This affects not only the aesthetics of the La Russell Access Point, but eliminates the natural Riparian barrier between the gravel parking lot and the river.

Water Chemistry #16

La Russell Stream Team #2945 members completed Water Chemistry Survey #16, Sunday, 01/08/2012, 2:30 pm. It was a beautiful, cool winter afternoon, partly sunny. Here are the results:
Air Temperature, 13C (55F)
Water Temperature, 10C (50F)
Conductivity 410 (average 3-samples)
Turbidity, 10
Dissolved Oxygen 13
Oxygen Saturation 115.4%
Nitrate, 4.0 (2-samples)
The river depth was 1.74' and the current was 120 cfs, reported by USGS.