Abstract

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, collected water-quality, stream-habitat, and biological data from five sites on Highland and Marchand Bayous in Galveston County, Texas, during 2006–07. Water-quality data-collection surveys consisted of synoptic 24-hour continuous measurements of water temperature, pH, specific conductance, and dissolved oxygen and periodically collected samples analyzed for several properties and constituents of interest. Bacteria samples were collected monthly at 10 sites on Highland and Marchand Bayous during the study. Stream-habitat data were collected at five sites three times during the study, July–August 2006, March 2007, and July–August 2007. At each site, a representative stream reach was selected. Within this reach, five evenly spaced stream transects were determined. At each transect, stream (wetted channel width, water depth, bottom material, instream cover) and riparian (bank slope and erosion potential, width of natural vegetation, type of vegetation, percentage tree canopy) attributes were measured.

Benthic macroinvertebrate and fish data were collected from the same five sites identified for habitat evaluation. Three assessments were done to account for seasonal differences in biotic distribution. Stream-habitat and aquatic biota (benthic macroinvertebrates and fish) were assessed at each site three times during the study to evaluate aquatic life use. A total of 5,126 macroinvertebrate individuals were identified at all sites. During the study, 34 species of fish representing 28 families were collected from all the sites.

Revised January 25, 2010

First posted February 10, 2009