Evaluation of riparian health assessment methods to assess conditions of perennial streams in two different geological provinces in the State of Montana. Miller, Travis^*,1, Marlow, Clayton¹, Meeks, Richard¹, ¹ Animal and Range Sciences Department, Bozeman, Montana

ABSTRACT- The evaluation of streamside or riparian health has become of great interest to land managers, rehabilitation specialists, and outdoor recreational users. These interests coincide with the desire to maintain or restore stream ecosystems. However, riparian and upland management policy throughout Montana and the Northern Rocky Mountain region is driven by the assumption that high ecological condition in riparian areas is also indicative of good trout habitat and unimpaired water quality. Numerous assessment methods have been designed to assess the condition of these systems. Often management decisions are made using only one assessment method that addresses one part of a very complex ecosystem. Furthermore, many of assessment procedures are applied statewide, regionally and nationally without consideration of potential differences in riparian ecosystems due to climate and physiographic province. The question arises: which of the current assessment methods best reflects ecosystem functions and/or water quality across these large spatial scales? This study collected data on 5 streams in the Northern Rocky Mountains (western Montana) and 5 streams in the Northern Great Plains (eastern Montana) including measurements of in-stream habitat and morphological features. Each stream section was divided into 4 reaches, and riparian condition was evaluated using Proper Functioning Condition, NRCS health status, and Greenline composition assessment methods. In-stream habitat conditions such as pool/riffle ratio, width/depth ratios, vegetative overhang, undercut banks, large wood, entrenchment ratio, and substrate along with aquatic macroinvertebrate population assemblages were used as the baseline for evaluating in-stream habitat and ecosystem health.

KEY WORDS: stream ecosystem function and health, aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages, riparian health assessment monitoring methods, in-stream habitat