PA319: Arcadia Creek Scoring Tables

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Arcadia Creek

Axtell Creek

West Fork Portage Creek

Portage Creek

Arcadia Creek Scoring Table

Go to the scoring table
Go to the figures

Link to the Selection of Sites for Action
View the BMP table.

Background:

As part of the development of the Watershed Management Plan, critical areas, both along the creek corridors and within the watersheds, were identified. Kieser & Associates staff surveyed each creek corridor in March 2002 and collected the following information:

Photographs for the website Watershed Tours
Erosion and litter hot spots
Water clarity
Fauna observed
Substrate type
Riparian cover
Development pressures

Based on these field surveys, each creek was divided into stretches having consistent riparian quality and land use. These data, along with data collected from other sources (such as storm sewer maps and water quality monitoring), were utilized to identify critical stretches and sites (having both a high quality and a low quality). The attached figures illustrate these scores.

The scoring procedure is based upon the addition of scores (0-3) for habitat quality, water quality and development pressures. Ten total parameters are involved in the development of the score (for a total of 30 points).

Habitat Quality

Substrate
Sinuosity
Shading
Riparian width and type
Erosion
Litter

Water Quality

Clarity
Number of discharge points

Development Pressures

Proximity of road, rail roads, buildings
Flood Storage Capacity and connections to the floodplain

The total score, derived from the addition of the individual scores for these parameters, provides a snapshot-in-time (March, 2002) assessment of each stretch's condition. Desired uses for each creek, as identified by the subwatershed committees, were compared to these scores to determine which stretches had the potential to meet these desired uses. Those stretches having the potential to meet these uses and having a high BMP efficacy, based on number of landowners, types of suitable BMPs and BMP costs, were targeted for restoration projects. Those areas having high scores, that are not already preserved, were targeted for preservation.

In 2004, each stretch was reevaluated based on new projects that have occurred in the watershed. The figures below illustrate the 2004 scores in comparison to the 2002 baseline condition.

Baseline Scoring Table:

Stretch #	Stretch Location	Stretch Description	Score out of 30
1	Non contributing area west of Drake Road	Stagnant ditch between Amtrak rail line and KL Avenue west of 11th Street, wetland areas to west	none
2	Pond east of Drake Road, north of Stadium Drive	Pond with emergent vegetation at east end, wooded riparian edge on south side, herbaceous on north	24.5
3	Pond outlet to east end of Meadow View Mobile Home Park	Narrow channel between Amtrak rail and Meadow View, steep banks on each side, much debris	9
4	east end Meadow View to beginning of City of Kalamazoo Well Field #12	South bank flattens and supports aquatic vegetation, less debris	12.5
5	City of Kalamazoo Well Field #12	Shrub wetland	23
6	Adams Outdoor Advertising property	Herbaceous wetland	28
7	Second Reformed Church "Inspiration Walk"	Shrub and cattail wetland	30
8	Kalamazoo Christian High School	Sinuous, eroding channel, no vegetation, widens to pond at east end	14
9	SE corner of Howard Street and Stadium Drive	Woodland, much lower elevation than surrounding roads and apartments	26
10	North side Amtrack rail, south of WMU parking lot	Shrub valley, flat banks become steep 20 feet from channel	20
11	West end WMU Power Plant	Wooded and shrub vegetation, erosion location	27.5
12	East end WMU Power Plant	Mowed lawn, then widens to small marsh area	20.5
13	Near WMU Kanley Track	Flat grassed bank to north, steep bank to south	19
14	Lovell Street to Academy	Eroding banks, large trees, straight channel	6.5
15	Academy to Elm	Rock, cement banks, straight channel	4
16	Downtown to outlet	Concrete channel with pond, underground portions	5

Figures:

Please click on a figure for an enlarged view.