Stream orders

[Rusty Spinner]

After seeing a post a few weeks ago about riffles vs pocket water and some chat today about S-1 vs S-2 and what it means, I'm starting this informational thread. The "S" is a designation for "stream" and the # after it denotes the stream "order". I've attached a diagram so you can better understand it. I found myself taking this job with TU because of my love for wild trout only to discover I love rivers equally

Google Image Result for http://www.lifeinfreshwater.org.uk/images/StreamOrder.jpg

A stream/river's water quality has nothing to do with its order #, but most S-1s are going to be found in the more pristine headwaters areas within a given watershed and often have appropriate protections from pollution - often but not always of course. Same for S-2.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Ill take a big stream, with a side of wild tribs. Hold the chubs please.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

So on top of stream order are water quality where you want C-1 for trout which we have on the trout waters of the Musky, Pequest, SBR, Flat Brook, etc. We also have Trout Production (TP) or Trout Maintenance (TM) or Non Trout (NT) designations on top of the other two designations. The combinations in a state like ours that has trout in the north and warmwater fisheries in the south are nearly endless. The Musky at Point Mountain is a S-4, C-1, TM waterbody that I would argue could be reclassified as S-4, C-1, TP if the Division took time to mainstem electro fish it and recognize our mainstem spawners and not just our trib spawners as they do now.