Assessment of Urban Streams in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, PA

A variety of methods exist for the rapid assessment of stream reaches. They vary widely in the type of data collected, the complexity of the methods, and the conclusions that can be drawn from the results. Relying on a variety of these methods as a basis, the Patrick Center for Environmental Research of The Academy of Natural Sciences in conjunction with the University of Delaware developed a method to assess streams based on geomorphic, habitat and riparian features. Over 60 km of streams including 426 stream reaches were assessed during a 2 month field effort. Analysis of the data produced an overall Stream Quality Index (SQI) that was used to classify streams into four major categories: severely impaired, impaired, moderately impaired, and slightly or non-impaired. The SQI rating was used in conjunction with other natural resource inventory data to aid in restoration planning and overall management of the Fairmount Park system.