Crystal Creek

The rocks were slippery from the morning dew. The vegetation is thick , but we cut it back and cut and pulling some weeds to make the rocks and ground apparent.
Odour - Rotting.

High vegetation blocks the view of the footing
Rocky shore
Material left from culvert installation
Slippery Creek Bottom, clay.

"There was a beautiful heron that was approx 50 feet upstream from the site, it flew away- scared me as it was so big. Unidentifiable.
The dammed area in the culvert has been taken over by a beaver - look at photos. it has changed the flow and level of the water at the sample site- see pictures of dam overflow and water level at the culvert. .44m looked at past photos for comparison.
There was brown algae- diatoms present- no sign of any long threaded algae in the deep part of the pool must have washed away or died."
be careful if you walk down the boulder hill or the overgrown vegetation both paths have a variety of safety concerns- footing is unstable or unlevel

The wetted bankful, hydro and flow can be skewed because there is a dam that has acquired in front of the culvert, which has slowed the flow, created a pool and slowed the speed of flow. See photos. Pileated Woodpecker and yellow rump Warbler on site. The other side of the culvert acquiring more sand and the rocks are blocking passage as the water is lower than the rip rap. The site is overgrown with vegetation. Since they cut it back along the gas lines, the original path is covered. If you approach and descend down the rock wall be careful of rock landslides. The rocks are slippery, the bank is soft- recommend wearing boots-

Some frogs are near the stream. Heavy - extreme vegetation on the boulders, be careful on boulders. Beaver made a dam at a culvert.

Different types of Algae were spotted on this visit. Attached brown algae(diatoms), and another green algae which unsure of. And another species in a stagnant puddle where the overflow has been left dry. A beautiful frog was spotted in the stagnant puddle and buried itself in the mud. Two fry were spotted, unidentifiable in the water ripples. The lower side of the culvert is low and the sand island is bigger.
The plants are overgrown and are prickly. Watch your arms- recommend long sleeve shirt and long pants to get to the sampling site through the wildflowers

The ditch has been cut so there is a path now through the vegetation but still need to pass through lover-grown vegetation consisting of a lot of cows parsnip( can cause rash). The rip rap is not visible so be careful and watch footing.

Fish fry present, could not identify species. Crayfish present.
The vegetation is overwhelming, there is a path to the creek. Wear a hat and check for ticks and other bugs when leaving the site.

There is no ball to measure discharge, the bank's full width will not change for this site because of the riprap barrier.
The other site of the culvert is a sand-dominant substrate, possibly from the road sand they use in the winter. Does not appear to have a natural substrate. Never seen fish here. The culvert is new but fast-flowing. Fish may not be able to pass these areas.
The water was higher than my last visit. No beaver dam present any longer or sign of beaver. The vegetation is so overgrown on the walk to the creek. It’s a floral wonderland. The overflow on the left bank had stagnant water in it. The riparian barrier on the right bank was almost submerged, showing the water level.

The water appears fast otherwise normal. The dam gone. Lots of plants growth.