Anthony Sasson's presentation at the OEC's 2013 Legislative Summit.

1. Primary Headwater Habitat
Streams
Anthony Sasson, The Nature Conservancy
OEC Legislative Summit, February 1. 2013

2. Primary Headwater Habitat
Streams:
What are they, and why be
concerned?
1. Types (Class I, II, III)
2. Distribution of headwater streams
(map)
3. Importance of these streams
4. Impacts (development, mining ,
roads)
5. Legally defining PHWH streams

3. Primary Headwater Habitat
Streams
Why a different classification for
Primary Headwater Streams
compared to other streams?
• First or second order streams (beginnings
of the stream network)
• Less than one square mile (640 acres
drainage area)
• Standard Ohio stream classification used
for Clean Water Act does not fit these
small streams

5. Primary Headwater Habitat
Streams

6. Grand River PHWH stream (Lake SWCD
map)

7. Importance of
Primary Headwater Habitat
streams
• First to receive water and pollutants
• Easiest to degrade (pollutants and
habitat)
• Supply most of the water, nutrients,
energy, biology to rest of the watershed’s
streams
• Headwater-dependant fish, amphibians
and other aquatic life
• Help determine downstream health;
cumulative impacts from loss of these
streams tailed salamander, Rocky River watershed
Long
Rocky River Watershed Council
• Aesthetics

8. Primary Headwater Habitat
Streams
Class I streams
Class I PHWH streams
are ephemeral streams,
warm water, little
aquatic life
Ohio EPA photos

9. Primary Headwater Habitat
Streams
Class II streams
• Intermittent but
may have perennial flow
• Warm water
• Moderately diverse
• Some fish, amphibians
Ohio EPA photos

10. Primary Headwater Habitat
Streams
Class III streams
Perennial flow influenced by groundwater
Moderately diverse to highly diverse aquatic life
Ohio EPA photos

11. Primary Headwater Habitat
Streams Class III stream
TNC photo

12. Primary Headwater Habitat
Streams Class III stream
TNC photo Dace – ODNR photos

13. PHWH streams flow into these
larger streams and determine their
health
TNC photo
Ohio EPA photo

14. Impacts to
Primary Headwater Habitat
streams
• Development –Commercial and
residential
• Mining – Coal, Stone/sand &
gravel
• Roads – Highway expansions,
new street development
• Shale gas development - access
roads, pipelines, drilling pads

15. Mitigation for
Primary Headwater Habitat
streams
Mitigation importance:
PHWH are ~1/2 of mitigation needs in
Ohio streams
Washington County PHWH, Marietta College photo Ohio EPA photo