| Mud Run Stream Mitigation Bank |
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Service Area: The Service area for the Mud Run Stream Mitigation Bank includes the Lower Middle Ohio River Valley, and the Lower Kanawha River watersheds in West Virginia. The 8-Digit codes for these watersheds are WV05030202 and WV05050008. Use of the credits from the Bank to compensate for impacts beyond the Service Area may be considered by the USACE or permitting agency on a case-by-case basis.
Mud Run was evaluated using the EPA's Rapid Bioassessment Protocol (RBP) for low gradient streams. The RBP scores for Mud Run existing conditions range 72-100 out of a possible 200. The channel base line condition had poor bank stability, poor, riffle-pool sequences, and little or no riparian buffer.
In addition to assessing the stream using the RBP habitat assessment, benthic macorinvertebrate samples were collected at three separate locations. The type and abundance of macorinvertebrates in the streams is an indicator of water quality. The West Virginia Stream Index which assigns streams a rating ranging from Very Good to Very Poor was used to evaluate Mud Run. The benthic macorinvertebrate samples indicated that the stream segments in Mud Run were Fair or Poor conditions. The Samples were predominantly composed of the midge family Chironomidae, which can be an indication of excess sedimentation in the channel.
The Stream was also assessed using the Rosgen geomorphic stream classification assessment. The stream is exhibiting characteristics of an F-Type stream (Rosgen 1994). F-Type streams are historically unstable, exhibit erosive vertical banks, ands are over wide.
The Mud Run watershed is approximately 3.3 square miles of forest and pasture land located in Jackson County, West Virginia. The stream mitigation site consists of 7642 linear feet of Mud Run, 392 linear feet of UT to Mud Run and several ephemeral drains. Both streams are extremely impaired due to historical straightening, clearing of the buffer, and cattle access. The channels are getting wider and deeper creating plateaus and disconnecting from the original flood plain. Restoring the loss of functions will have a positive impact on the downstream channels through flood attenuation, treatment of overbank flows in the buffer (Sediment and pollutant reduction), reduction of bank source sediment and increased habitat (terrestrial and aquatic).
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