Babcock Run (BABC)

During May 2006, the macroinvertebrate community of Babcock Run near Cadis, Pa., was designated as moderately impaired; which is a marked decline from last years nonimpaired rating. BABC had low metric scores for EPT Index, percent Chironomidae, and percent dominant taxa. The pollution tolerant Chironomidae midges were almost 60 percent of the entire sample. Physical habitat conditions were once again rated excellent, with good scores for epifaunal substrate, velocity/depth regimes, frequency of riffles, and vegetative protective cover. All field chemistry parameters were within acceptable limits. BABC is located in a mostly forested watershed, and the stream bed is dominated by cobble substrate.