NC SAM FIELD ASSESSMENT RESULTS

Accompanies User Manual Version 2.1

USACE AID #:	NCDWR #:
INSTRUCTIONS: Attach a sketch of the assessment area and photographs. Attach a copy of the USGS 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle, and circle the location of the stream reach under evaluation. If multiple stream reaches will be evaluated on the same property, identify and number all reaches on the attached map, and include a separate form for each reach. See the NC SAM User Manual for detailed descriptions and explanations of requested information. Record in the “Notes/Sketch” section if supplementary measurements were performed. See the NC SAM User Manual for examples of additional measurements that may be relevant.
NOTE EVIDENCE OF STRESSORS AFFECTING THE ASSESSMENT AREA (do not need to be within the assessment area). PROJECT/SITE INFORMATION:
1. Project name (if any):	2. Date of evaluation:
3. Applicant/owner name:	4. Assessor name/organization:
5. County:	6. Nearest named water body on USGS 7.5-minute quad:
7. River basin:
8. Site coordinates (decimal degrees, at lower end of assessment reach):
STREAM INFORMATION: (depth and width can be approximations)
9. Site number (show on attached map):	10. Length of assessment reach evaluated (feet):
11. Channel depth from bed (in riffle, if present) to top of bank (feet):	Unable to assess channel depth.
12. Channel width at top of bank (feet):	13. Is assessment reach a swamp steam? Yes No
14. Feature type: Perennial flow Intermittent flow Tidal Marsh Stream
STREAM CATEGORY INFORMATION:
15. NC SAM Zone:	Mountains (M) Piedmont (P) Inner Coastal Plain (I) Outer Coastal Plain (O)
16. Estimated geomorphic 19 valley shape (skip for Tidal Marsh Stream):	A	B
(more sinuous stream, flatter valley slope)	(less sinuous stream, steeper valley slope)
17. Watershed size: (skip	Size 1 (< 0.1 mi2) Size 2 (0.1 to < 0.5 mi2) Size 3 (0.5 to < 5 mi2) Size 4 (≥ 5 mi2)
for Tidal Marsh Stream)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
18. Were regulatory considerations evaluated? Yes No If Yes, check all that apply to the assessment area.
Section 10 water	Classified Trout Waters	Water Supply Watershed (I II III IV V)
Essential Fish Habitat	Primary Nursery Area	High Quality Waters/Outstanding Resource Waters
Publicly owned property	NCDWR Riparian buffer rule in effect	Nutrient Sensitive Waters
Anadromous fish	303(d) List	CAMA Area of Environmental Concern (AEC)
Documented presence of a federal and/or state listed protected species within the assessment area.
List species:
Designated Critical Habitat (list species)
19. Are additional stream information/supplementary measurements included in “Notes/Sketch” section or attached? Yes No

1.	Channel Water – assessment reach metric (skip for Size 1 streams and Tidal Marsh Streams)

A	Water throughout assessment reach.

B	No flow, water in pools only.

C	No water in assessment reach.

2.	Evidence of Flow Restriction – assessment reach metric

A	At least 10% of assessment reach in-stream habitat or riffle-pool sequence is severely affected by a flow restriction or fill to the point of obstructing flow or a channel choked with aquatic macrophytes or ponded water or impoundment on flood or ebb within the assessment reach (examples: undersized or perched culverts, causeways that constrict the channel, tidal gates, debris jams, beaver dams).

B	Not A

3.	Feature Pattern – assessment reach metric

A	A majority of the assessment reach has altered pattern (examples: straightening, modification above or below culvert).

B	Not A

4.	Feature Longitudinal Profile – assessment reach metric

A	Majority of assessment reach has a substantially altered stream profile (examples: channel down-cutting, existing damming, over widening, active aggradation, dredging, and excavation where appropriate channel profile has not reformed from any of these disturbances).

B	Not A

5.	Signs of Active Instability – assessment reach metric

Consider only current instability, not past events from which the stream has currently recovered. Examples of instability include active bank failure, active channel down-cutting (head-cut), active widening, and artificial hardening (such as concrete, gabion, rip-rap).

A	< 10% of channel unstable

B	10 to 25% of channel unstable

C	> 25% of channel unstable

6.	Streamside Area Interaction – streamside area metric

Consider for the Left Bank (LB) and the Right Bank (RB).

LB	RB

A	A	Little or no evidence of conditions that adversely affect reference interaction

B	B	Moderate evidence of conditions (examples: berms, levees, down-cutting, aggradation, dredging) that adversely affect reference interaction (examples: limited streamside area access, disruption of flood flows through streamside area, leaky or intermittent bulkheads, causeways with floodplain constriction, minor ditching [including mosquito ditching])

C	C	Extensive evidence of conditions that adversely affect reference interaction (little to no floodplain/intertidal zone access [examples: causeways with floodplain and channel constriction, bulkheads, retaining walls, fill, stream incision, disruption of flood flows through streamside area] or too much floodplain/intertidal zone access [examples: impoundments, intensive mosquito ditching]) or floodplain/intertidal zone unnaturally absent or assessment reach is a man-made feature on an interstream divide

7.	Water Quality Stressors – assessment reach/intertidal zone metric

Check all that apply.

A	Discolored water in stream or intertidal zone (milky white, blue, unnatural water discoloration, oil sheen, stream foam)

B	Excessive sedimentation (burying of stream features or intertidal zone)

C	Noticeable evidence of pollutant discharges entering the assessment reach and causing a water quality problem

D	Odor (not including natural sulfide odors)

E	Current published or collected data indicating degraded water quality in the assessment reach. Cite source in “Notes/Sketch” section.

F	Livestock with access to stream or intertidal zone

G	Excessive algae in stream or intertidal zone

H	Degraded marsh vegetation in the intertidal zone (removal, burning, regular mowing, destruction, etc)

I	Other:	(explain in “Notes/Sketch” section)

J	Little to no stressors

8.	Recent Weather – watershed metric (skip for Tidal Marsh Streams)

For Size 1 or 2 streams, D1 drought or higher is considered a drought; for Size 3 or 4 streams, D2 drought or higher is considered a drought.

A	Drought conditions and no rainfall or rainfall not exceeding 1 inch within the last 48 hours

B	Drought conditions and rainfall exceeding 1 inch within the last 48 hours

C	No drought conditions

9.	Large or Dangerous Stream – assessment reach metric

Yes	No	Is stream is too large or dangerous to assess? If Yes, skip to Metric 13 (Streamside Area Ground Surface Condition).

10.	Natural In-stream Habitat Types – assessment reach metric

10a.	Yes	No	Degraded in-stream habitat over majority of the assessment reach (examples of stressors include excessive sedimentation, mining, excavation, in-stream hardening [for example, rip-rap], recent dredging, and snagging) (evaluate for Size 4 Coastal Plain streams only, then skip to Metric 12)

10b.	Check all that occur (occurs if > 5% coverage of assessment reach) (skip for Size 4 Coastal Plain streams)

A	Multiple aquatic macrophytes and aquatic mosses (include liverworts, lichens, and algal mats)

B	Multiple sticks and/or leaf packs and/or emergent vegetation

C	Multiple snags and logs (including lap trees)

D	5% undercut banks and/or root mats and/or roots in banks extend to the normal wetted perimeter

E	Little or no habitat

Check for Tidal Marsh Streams Only
F	5% oysters or other natural hard bottoms

G	Submerged aquatic vegetation

H	Low-tide refugia (pools)

I	Sand bottom

J	5% vertical bank along the marsh

K	Little or no habitat

*********************************REMAINING QUESTIONS ARE NOT APPLICABLE FOR TIDAL MARSH STREAMS****************************

11.	Bedform and Substrate – assessment reach metric (skip for Size 4 Coastal Plain streams and Tidal Marsh Streams)

11a.	Yes	No	Is assessment reach in a natural sand-bed stream? (skip for Coastal Plain streams)

11b.	Bedform evaluated. Check the appropriate box(es).

A	Riffle-run section (evaluate 11c)

B	Pool-glide section (evaluate 11d)

C	Natural bedform absent (skip to Metric 12, Aquatic Life)

11c.	In riffle sections, check all that occur below the normal wetted perimeter of the assessment reach – whether or not submerged. Check at least one box in each row (skip for Size 4 Coastal Plain streams and Tidal Marsh Streams). Not Present (NP) = absent, Rare (R) = present but < 10%, Common (C) = > 10-40%, Abundant (A) = > 40-70%, Predominant (P) = > 70%. Cumulative percentages should not exceed 100% for each assessment reach.

NP	R	C	A	P

Bedrock/saprolite

Boulder (256 – 4096 mm)

Cobble (64 – 256 mm)

Gravel (2 – 64 mm)

Sand (.062 – 2 mm)

Silt/clay (< 0.062 mm)

Detritus

Artificial (rip-rap, concrete, etc.)

11d.	Yes	No	Are pools filled with sediment? (skip for Size 4 Coastal Plain streams and Tidal Marsh Streams)

12.	Aquatic Life – assessment reach metric (skip for Tidal Marsh Streams)

12a.	Yes	No	Was an in-stream aquatic life assessment performed as described in the User Manual?

If No, select one of the following reasons and skip to Metric 13. No Water Other:

12b.	Yes	No	Are aquatic organisms present in the assessment reach (look in riffles, pools, then snags)? If Yes, check all that apply. If No, skip to Metric 13.

1	>1	Numbers over columns refer to “individuals” for Size 1 and 2 streams and “taxa” for Size 3 and 4 streams.

Adult frogs

Aquatic reptiles

Aquatic macrophytes and aquatic mosses (include liverworts, lichens, and algal mats)

Beetles

Caddisfly larvae (T)

Asian clam (Corbicula)

Crustacean (isopod/amphipod/crayfish/shrimp)

Damselfly and dragonfly larvae

Dipterans

Mayfly larvae (E)

Megaloptera (alderfly, fishfly, dobsonfly larvae)

Midges/mosquito larvae

Mosquito fish (Gambusia) or mud minnows (Umbra pygmaea)

Mussels/Clams (not Corbicula)

Other fish

Salamanders/tadpoles

Snails

Stonefly larvae (P)

Tipulid larvae

Worms/leeches

13.	Streamside Area Ground Surface Condition – streamside area metric (skip for Tidal Marsh Streams and B valley types)

Consider for the Left Bank (LB) and the Right Bank (RB). Consider storage capacity with regard to both overbank flow and upland runoff.

LB	RB

A	A	Little or no alteration to water storage capacity over a majority of the streamside area

B	B	Moderate alteration to water storage capacity over a majority of the streamside area

C	C	Severe alteration to water storage capacity over a majority of the streamside area (examples: ditches, fill, soil compaction, livestock disturbance, buildings, man-made levees, drainage pipes)

14.	Streamside Area Water Storage – streamside area metric (skip for Size 1 streams, Tidal Marsh Streams, and B valley types)

Consider for the Left Bank (LB) and the Right Bank (RB) of the streamside area.

LB	RB

A	A	Majority of streamside area with depressions able to pond water ≥ 6 inches deep

B	B	Majority of streamside area with depressions able to pond water 3 to 6 inches deep

C	C	Majority of streamside area with depressions able to pond water < 3 inches deep

15.	Wetland Presence – streamside area metric (skip for Tidal Marsh Streams)

Consider for the Left Bank (LB) and the Right Bank (RB). Do not consider wetlands outside of the streamside area or within the normal wetted perimeter of assessment reach.

LB	RB

Y	Y	Are wetlands present in the streamside area?

N	N

16.	Baseflow Contributors – assessment reach metric (skip for Size 4 streams and Tidal Marsh Streams)

Check all contributors within the assessment reach or within view of and draining to the assessment reach.

A	Streams and/or springs (jurisdictional discharges)

B	Ponds (include wet detention basins; do not include sediment basins or dry detention basins)

C	Obstruction passing flow during low-flow periods within the assessment area (beaver dam, leaky dam, bottom-release dam, weir)

D	Evidence of bank seepage or sweating (iron in water indicates seepage)

E	Stream bed or bank soil reduced (dig through deposited sediment if present)

F	None of the above

17.	Baseflow Detractors – assessment area metric (skip for Tidal Marsh Streams)

Check all that apply.

A	Evidence of substantial water withdrawals from the assessment reach (includes areas excavated for pump installation)

B	Obstruction not passing flow during low-flow periods affecting the assessment reach (ex: watertight dam, sediment deposit)

C	Urban stream (≥ 24% impervious surface for watershed)

D	Evidence that the streamside area has been modified resulting in accelerated drainage into the assessment reach

E	Assessment reach relocated to valley edge

F	None of the above

18.	Shading – assessment reach metric (skip for Tidal Marsh Streams)

Consider aspect. Consider “leaf-on” condition.

A	Stream shading is appropriate for stream category (may include gaps associated with natural processes)

B	Degraded (example: scattered trees)

C	Stream shading is gone or largely absent

19.	Buffer Width – streamside area metric (skip for Tidal Marsh Streams)

Consider “vegetated buffer” and “wooded buffer” separately for left bank (LB) and right bank (RB) starting at the top of bank out to the first break.

Vegetated	Wooded

LB	RB	LB	RB

A	A	A	A	≥ 100 feet wide or extends to the edge of the watershed

B	B	B	B	From 50 to < 100 feet wide

C	C	C	C	From 30 to < 50 feet wide

D	D	D	D	From 10 to < 30 feet wide

E	E	E	E	< 10 feet wide or no trees

20.	Buffer Structure – streamside area metric (skip for Tidal Marsh Streams)

Consider for left bank (LB) and right bank (RB) for Metric 19 (“Vegetated” Buffer Width).

LB	RB

A	A	Mature forest

B	B	Non-mature woody vegetation or modified vegetation structure

C	C	Herbaceous vegetation with or without a strip of trees < 10 feet wide

D	D	Maintained shrubs

E	E	Little or no vegetation

21.	Buffer Stressors – streamside area metric (skip for Tidal Marsh Streams)

Check all appropriate boxes for left bank (LB) and right bank (RB). Indicate if listed stressor abuts stream (Abuts), does not abut but is within 30 feet of stream (< 30 feet), or is between 30 to 50 feet of stream (30-50 feet).

If none of the following stressors occurs on either bank, check here and skip to Metric 22:

Abuts	< 30 feet	30-50 feet

LB	RB	LB	RB	LB	RB

A	A	A	A	A	A	Row crops

B	B	B	B	B	B	Maintained turf

C	C	C	C	C	C	Pasture (no livestock)/commercial horticulture

D	D	D	D	D	D	Pasture (active livestock use)

22.	Stem Density – streamside area metric (skip for Tidal Marsh Streams)

Consider for left bank (LB) and right bank (RB) for Metric 19 (“Wooded” Buffer Width).

LB	RB

A	A	Medium to high stem density

B	B	Low stem density

C	C	No wooded riparian buffer or predominantly herbaceous species or bare ground

23.	Continuity of Vegetated Buffer – streamside area metric (skip for Tidal Marsh Streams)

Consider whether vegetated buffer is continuous along stream (parallel). Breaks are areas lacking vegetation > 10 feet wide.

LB	RB

A	A	The total length of buffer breaks is < 25 percent.

B	B	The total length of buffer breaks is between 25 and 50 percent.

C	C	The total length of buffer breaks is > 50 percent.

24.	Vegetative Composition – streamside area metric (skip for Tidal Marsh Streams)

Evaluate the dominant vegetation within 100 feet of each bank or to the edge of the watershed (whichever comes first) as it contributes to assessment reach habitat.

LB	RB

A	A	Vegetation is close to undisturbed in species present and their proportions. Lower strata composed of native species, with non-native invasive species absent or sparse.

B	B	Vegetation indicates disturbance in terms of species diversity or proportions, but is still largely composed of native species. This may include communities of weedy native species that develop after clear-cutting or clearing or communities with non-native invasive species present, but not dominant, over a large portion of the expected strata or communities missing understory but retaining canopy trees.

C	C	Vegetation is severely disturbed in terms of species diversity or proportions. Mature canopy is absent or communities with non-native invasive species dominant over a large portion of expected strata or communities composed of planted stands of non-characteristic species or communities inappropriately composed of a single species or no vegetation.

25.	Conductivity – assessment reach metric (skip for all Coastal Plain streams)

25a.	Yes	No	Was conductivity measurement recorded?

If No, select one of the following reasons. No Water Other:

25b.	Check the box corresponding to the conductivity measurement (units of microsiemens per centimeter).

A	< 46	B	46 to < 67	C	67 to < 79	D	79 to < 230	E	≥ 230

Notes/Sketch:

Draft NC SAM Stream Rating Sheet

Accompanies User Manual Version 2.1

Stream Site Name	Date of Assessment
Stream Category	Assessor Name/Organization

Notes of Field Assessment Form (Y/N)
Presence of regulatory considerations (Y/N)
Additional stream information/supplementary measurements included (Y/N)
NC SAM feature type (perennial, intermittent, Tidal Marsh Stream)

Function Class Rating Summary	USACE/ All Streams	NCDWR Intermittent
(1) Hydrology
(2) Baseflow
(2) Flood Flow
(3) Streamside Area Attenuation
(4) Floodplain Access
(4) Wooded Riparian Buffer
(4) Microtopography
(3) Stream Stability
(4) Channel Stability
(4) Sediment Transport
(4) Stream Geomorphology
(2) Stream/Intertidal Zone Interaction
(2) Longitudinal Tidal Flow
(2) Tidal Marsh Stream Stability
(3) Tidal Marsh Channel Stability
(3) Tidal Marsh Stream Geomorphology
(1) Water Quality
(2) Baseflow
(2) Streamside Area Vegetation
(3) Upland Pollutant Filtration
(3) Thermoregulation
(2) Indicators of Stressors
(2) Aquatic Life Tolerance
(2) Intertidal Zone Filtration
(1) Habitat
(2) In-stream Habitat
(3) Baseflow
(3) Substrate
(3) Stream Stability
(3) In-stream Habitat
(2) Stream-side Habitat
(3) Stream-side Habitat
(3) Thermoregulation
(2) Tidal Marsh In-stream Habitat
(3) Flow Restriction
(3) Tidal Marsh Stream Stability
(4) Tidal Marsh Channel Stability
(4) Tidal Marsh Stream Geomorphology
(3) Tidal Marsh In-stream Habitat
(2) Intertidal Zone
Overall