Cowanesque River at Lawrence, PA (COWN 1.0)

Group 1

• Water Quality: Temperature and total aluminum exceeded water quality standards.
• Macroinvertebrate IBI Score: Moderately Impaired
• Habitat Assessment: Supporting
• Discussion: There are several concerns with water quality at COWN 1.0, including aluminum. However, WQI values in 2009 appeared to be lower than previous years, indicating a possible improvement in water quality. Physical habitat was rated supporting, with staff noting concerns surrounding instream cover and riparian vegetative zone width. After receiving slightly impaired macroinvertebrate IBI scores in 2007 and 2008, the macroinvertebrate community declined to receive a moderately impaired rating in 2009. Pollution tolerant midges comprised 42 percent of the taxa collected at this site. Additionally, few EPT taxa were collected.
• Other Notes: This site is a little more than a mile downstream of the Cowanesque Lake and represents a recovery zone of the Cowanesque River, after it is impounded in a 1,085 acre reservoir.