Black Branch 2

Small headwater stream heavily impacted by adjacent agricultural land use and concrete rubble dumping. Habitat severely degraded. Very low flow may indicate intermittent status. Channel substrate is almost entirely artificial (concrete debris). Minimal aquatic habitat value in current condition.

The channel bed is heavily altered with dumped concrete rubble. While there is no formal channelization, the substrate has been completely replaced with artificial material. The concrete debris fills much of the channel cross-section and has altered natural channel morphology. Adjacent agricultural shed and gravel pad indicate historic site modification. Score of 3 reflects substantial alteration but floodplain connection still partially intact.

The channel is slightly incised but not deeply entrenched. The low banks suggest the channel can still access its floodplain during moderate events. Adjacent agricultural fields appear relatively flat and accessible. The concrete rubble fill may have altered local hydraulics but overall connection appears moderate. Green hose suggests possible water withdrawal.

While much of the bed is concrete rubble rather than natural sediment deposits, fine sediment has accumulated around and between the concrete pieces. The uniform, shallow flow suggests pools have been filled with debris and sediment. The concrete rubble itself acts as a form of deposition/fill that has drastically altered the channel bed. Score of 3 reflects moderate artificial and natural deposition.

The channel is uniformly shallow with very low flow. Only slow-shallow regime is present. No pools, riffles, or deep areas are visible. The concrete rubble fill has eliminated any natural depth variability. The entire visible reach is dominated by a single shallow, slow flow regime.

Water covers approximately 25-50% of the channel width, flowing as a thin film between and over the concrete rubble. Much of the substrate is exposed. Low flow conditions with significant exposed bed material throughout the reach.

No natural riffles or pool-riffle sequences are visible. The concrete rubble-filled channel provides uniformly flat, shallow conditions with no habitat diversity. While some minor turbulence occurs around larger concrete pieces, these do not constitute functional riffles.

This appears to be a small headwater stream or agricultural drainage that has been significantly modified by concrete rubble dumping. The channel morphology has been altered from its natural form. Classification as Rosgen G-type is tentative and based on the narrow, somewhat entrenched form, but the extensive artificial substrate makes natural classification difficult. The true bed material beneath the concrete rubble is likely silt/clay based on the surrounding agricultural landscape and limestone geology of the Wilson County area.

Left bank is low to moderate height with some tree root protection. However, the concrete rubble along the bank face, the proximity of the agricultural shed and gravel driveway, and limited root density reduce stability. Some scour evident at the base. The bank is not failing but has limited natural stability features. Score of 4 reflects moderate instability with some root protection.

Left bank has approximately 50-70% vegetation coverage. The shed, gravel pad, and open agricultural field directly adjacent result in obvious disruption of the riparian zone. The buffer is extremely narrow (estimated 10-20 feet). Invasive species appear present. Some trees provide limited protection but overall vegetative cover is insufficient.

Left bank is the more impacted side due to proximity of agricultural infrastructure (shed, gravel drive). The riparian buffer is critically narrow. Concrete rubble dump along bank toe. Open agricultural field begins within approximately 20 feet of channel.

Right bank has denser vegetation cover including shrubs and trees that provide better root protection. Bank height is moderate, and the dense invasive shrub thicket, while ecologically undesirable, does provide physical bank stabilization. No active erosion or failure observed on the right bank. Score of 6 reflects moderate stability provided by vegetation.

Right bank has approximately 70-90% vegetation coverage due to the dense invasive shrub thicket. However, the dominance of invasive species (likely bush honeysuckle or privet based on green semi-evergreen foliage in winter) reduces the score. While coverage is high, ecological quality is low. Score of 5 reflects good coverage but invasive dominance.

Right bank is better vegetated but dominated by invasive shrubs. Dense thicket provides physical stability but poor ecological function. Agricultural fields visible beyond the riparian zone suggest buffer is narrow on this side as well.

Left riparian buffer is critically narrow, estimated at only 10-15 feet wide before transitioning to agricultural land use (shed, gravel, open field). For a channel approximately 3 feet wide, this represents roughly 3-5x channel width, but the absolute width is far below the 30ft TDEC minimum. The shed and gravel driveway encroach severely. Score of 2 reflects the extremely narrow absolute buffer width and heavy encroachment.

Right riparian zone appears wider than the left, with the dense shrub thicket extending approximately 25-50 feet before reaching the agricultural field boundary visible in the BACK view. While wider than the left bank, the buffer is dominated by invasive species, which reduces ecological function. Score of 5 reflects moderate width but compromised species composition.

While some trees and shrubs are present, the riparian vegetation is not in a natural state. The left bank has extremely limited vegetation, and the right bank is dominated by invasive shrubs. The floodplain transitions rapidly to agricultural use on both sides. The ecosystem is functioning at a reduced capacity due to invasive dominance and inadequate buffer width.

Currently in winter leaf-off, so shade assessment is limited. The canopy structure suggests approximately 50-75% shade when in full leaf on the right bank, but the left bank would receive substantial direct sunlight due to the narrow buffer and open field. Overall estimated summer shade of 25-50% across the channel. Score of 5 reflects moderate shading potential.

Left bank buffer is critically deficient with agricultural structures and gravel driveway within 20 feet of channel. Right bank buffer exists but is dominated by invasive species. Buffer restoration should focus on widening the left bank buffer and replacing invasive species on the right bank with native plantings. TDEC MS4 permit section 4.2.5.4 buffer requirements are not met at this location.

The channel bed is almost entirely composed of concrete rubble, which provides very poor substrate for macroinvertebrate colonization. The angular, smooth concrete surfaces lack the interstitial spaces and surface texture that natural cobble and gravel provide. No logs, snags, or undercut banks are present. Less than 20% of substrate is favorable for colonization. Score of 2 reflects nearly absent favorable habitat.

The substrate is almost entirely concrete rubble with fine sediment filling gaps. No natural gravel, root mats, or submerged vegetation is visible. The concrete provides a hard, impervious surface similar to bedrock in terms of biological function. Score of 2 reflects the near-absence of natural substrate features.

No pools are present. The channel is uniformly shallow with the entire bottom discernible. The concrete rubble fill has eliminated any natural pool formation. Water depth appears to be less than 2 inches throughout the visible reach.

No fish cover types are available. The channel is too shallow and narrow to support fish. No logs, deep pools, overhanging vegetation at water level, boulders creating cover, undercut banks, root mats, macrophyte beds, backwater pools, or functional riffles are present. The concrete rubble substrate provides essentially zero fish habitat.

No formal barriers visible within this immediate view. However, the extremely shallow flow and concrete rubble bed likely represent a de facto barrier to fish passage. The green hose/tubing in the channel may indicate water withdrawal. Score of 5 reflects the absence of formal structures but acknowledges the flow limitations.

Virtually no large woody debris is present in the channel. A few small sticks and leaf debris are visible but no functional LWD. The narrow channel and concrete rubble fill leave little opportunity for LWD recruitment or retention. No debris jams or pool-forming wood is present.

Only 1 habitat type is marginally present - some interstitial spaces between concrete rubble pieces that might function similarly to coarse gravel for macroinvertebrates. However, the concrete surface is poor for colonization compared to natural rock. No leaf packs, submerged logs, undercut banks, or cobble/boulder habitat visible. The extremely shallow flow further limits habitat. Score of 2 reflects near-absence of quality invertebrate habitat.

No organisms directly visible. Habitat conditions suggest only tolerant taxa would persist. Concrete rubble substrate, minimal flow, and lack of diversity in habitat features severely limit macroinvertebrate community potential.

No macroinvertebrates directly observed in the imagery. Assessment based on habitat quality only. The concrete rubble substrate and extremely shallow flow would likely support only the most tolerant organisms if any are present. Score of 2 assumes tolerant taxa may persist in the limited habitat available.

Suitable Habitat: No

The degraded condition of this stream segment, with concrete rubble substrate, extremely shallow flow, and invasive-dominated riparian zone, provides poor habitat for species of concern. No suitable habitat for rare aquatic species observed.

No wildlife directly observed during the survey. The dense invasive shrub thicket may provide some cover for terrestrial wildlife, and the concrete rubble piles could serve as shelter for small mammals or reptiles. However, the degraded aquatic habitat severely limits aquatic wildlife potential.

Water appears slightly gray/turbid but flow is so shallow that clarity assessment is difficult. No obvious sheen, foam, or scum is visible. The gray color may be partly due to sediment suspension from the concrete substrate. No strong discoloration or obvious contamination indicators. Score of 5 reflects the difficulty in assessment due to very shallow water and slightly turbid appearance.

Limited algae growth visible on the concrete rubble surfaces. No macrophytes or dense algal mats observed. The water does not appear green. Adjacent agricultural fields could be a nutrient source but no obvious enrichment indicators are present at this location. Score of 7 reflects relatively low nutrient enrichment indicators.

No manure or direct livestock access visible at this location. However, the adjacent agricultural field and farm structures suggest potential livestock activity in the area. No fencing prevents animal access to the stream. The green hose in the channel could be for animal watering. Score of 7 reflects no direct evidence but potential for livestock access.

Currently winter leaf-off conditions. During summer, the open left bank adjacent to agricultural field would allow substantial solar heating. The concrete rubble substrate may also absorb and radiate heat. The right bank's shrub canopy (though invasive) would provide some midday shading. Overall, thermal conditions in summer are likely warm due to the shallow flow, limited shade from left bank, and heat absorption by concrete substrate. Riparian buffer restoration on the left bank would significantly improve thermal management.

The dumping of concrete rubble/construction debris in the stream channel is a significant compliance concern. This may constitute unpermitted fill of waters of the state under TDEC regulations (TCA 69-3-108). The green hose/tubing in the channel should also be investigated for potential unpermitted water withdrawal or discharge. The extremely narrow riparian buffer on the left bank with structures encroaching within 30 feet does not meet TDEC buffer requirements.

Terrestrial Invasives Assessment

Aquatic Invasives Assessment

The dense shrub thicket on the right bank and portions of the left bank appear to be dominated by bush honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) or Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) based on the semi-evergreen green foliage visible during winter dormancy when surrounding native deciduous trees are bare. This is a strong indicator of invasive shrub presence. Some vining material visible on trees could be Japanese honeysuckle. Confidence is medium as positive species identification from imagery alone is limited during winter. The invasive shrubs cover an estimated 26-50% of the riparian zone.