Habitat+Survey



The Environmental Science Block 6 class performed a habitat survey of the Lisha Kill stream in Niskayuna, NY. This survey was done to ensure that the Lisha Kill would be a suitable location to release the trout that the class raised. A team of 11 students went to the stream to conduct the habitat survey. The following information is what the team found while conducting the survey.




 * __Lisha Kill Preserve__**

Latitude: 42°47.466 N Longitude: 73°51.301 W Width: 18.5 ft 19.6 ft 37.6 ft Depth: Pool - 2.4ft Riffle - .6ft Point A: 2.15 [ft/s]- Middle of the stream Point B: 0.03 [ft/s]- Undercut bank Point C: 1.73 [ft/s]- Riffles upstream Point D: 2.69 [ft/s]- Riffles downstream
 * __Stream Velocity__**



Normal water level Many pools and riffles No litter No oily film No dams Well-developed riffles; excellent size Substrate is cobbles and hard bed rock No excessive algae or weed growth Low Turbidity Snags and submerged logs Has wide variety of flow patterns Has a riparian zone greater than 35 yards
 * __Observations__**

The team determined that the Lisha Kill would be an adequate site for the release of the trout. The stream was graded using a habitat survey guide. The stream scored very high in almost all categories and was deemed excellent for our purposes. The trout were released in the Lisha Kill a few months after this survey took place. The trout now happily reside in the Lisha Kill.