U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5218

Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to 

Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins 

of Northeastern Illinois and Southeastern Wisconsin
Physical, Chemical, and Biological 

Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and 

Des Plaines River Basins of Northeastern 

Illinois and Southeastern Wisconsin

By Mitchell A. Harris, Barbara C. Scudder, Faith A. Fitzpatrick, and Terri L. Arnold

Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5218

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

Gale A. Norton, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

P. Patrick Leahy, Acting Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2005

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Suggested citation:

Harris, M.A., Scudder, B.C., Fitzpatrick, F.A., and Arnold, T.A., 2005, Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses 

to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins of Northeastern Illinois and Southeastern Wisconsin: U.S. 

Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5218, 72 p.

Cover photos, clockwise from top left:

1. Des Plaines River near Russell, Illinois, north of Russell Road, July 18, 2000.

2. Green sunfish, from Des Plaines River near Riverside, Illinois, September 7, 2000.

3. Willow Creek and water tower in Rosemont, Illinois, May 1, 2001.

4. Filtering algae sample for chlorophyll and ash-free dry-mass analysis, July 18, 2000.
iii

FOREWORD

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is committed to serve the Nation with accurate and timely 

scientific information that helps enhance and protect the overall quality of life, and facilitates effective management of water, biological, energy, and 

mineral resources. Information on the quality of 

the Nation’s water resources is of critical interest to 

the USGS because it is so integrally linked to the 

long-term availability of water that is clean and safe 

for drinking and recreation and that is suitable for 

industry, irrigation, and habitat for fish and wildlife. Escalating population growth and increasing 

demands for the multiple water uses make water 

availability, now measured in terms of quantity and 

quality, even more critical to the long-term sustainability of our communities and ecosystems.

The USGS implemented the National WaterQuality Assessment (NAWQA) Program to support 

national, regional, and local information needs and 

decisions related to water-quality management and 

policy. Shaped by and coordinated with ongoing 

efforts of other Federal, State, and local agencies, 

the NAWQA Program is designed to answer: What 

is the condition of our Nation’s streams and ground 

water? How are the conditions changing over time? 

How do natural features and human activities affect 

the quality of streams and ground water, and where 

are those effects most pronounced? By combining 

information on water chemistry, physical characteristics, stream habitat, and aquatic life, the NAWQA 

Program aims to provide science-based insights for 

current and emerging water issues and priorities. 

NAWQA results can contribute to informed decisions that result in practical and effective waterresource management and strategies that protect and 

restore water quality.

Since 1991, the NAWQA Program has implemented interdisciplinary assessments in more than 

50 of the Nation’s most important river basins and 

aquifers, referred to as Study Units. Collectively, 

these Study Units account for more than 60 percent of the overall water use and population served 

by public water supply, and are representative of 

the Nation’s major hydrologic landscapes, priority 

ecological resources, and agricultural, urban, and 

natural sources of contamination. 

Each assessment is guided by a nationally 

consistent study design and methods of sampling 

and analysis. The assessments thereby build local 

knowledge about water-quality issues and trends 

in a particular stream or aquifer while providing an 

understanding of how and why water quality varies 

regionally and nationally. The consistent, multiscale approach helps to determine if certain types of 

water-quality issues are isolated or pervasive, and 

allows direct comparisons of how human activities and natural processes affect water quality and 

ecological health in the Nation’s diverse geographic 

and environmental settings. Comprehensive assessments on pesticides, nutrients, volatile organic 

compounds, trace metals, and aquatic ecology are 

developed at the national scale through comparative 

analysis of the Study-Unit findings. 

The USGS places high value on the communication and dissemination of credible, timely, 

and relevant science so that the most recent and 

available knowledge about water resources can be 

applied in management and policy decisions. We 

hope this NAWQA publication will provide you 

the needed insights and information to meet your 

needs, and thereby foster increased awareness and 

involvement in the protection and restoration of our 

Nation’s waters. 

The NAWQA Program recognizes that a 

national assessment by a single program cannot 

address all water-resource issues of interest. External coordination at all levels is critical for a fully 

integrated understanding of watersheds and for costeffective management, regulation, and conservation of our Nation’s water resources. The Program, 

therefore, depends extensively on the advice, cooperation, and information from other Federal, State, 

interstate, Tribal, and local agencies, non-government organizations, industry, academia, and other 

stakeholder groups. The assistance and suggestions 

of all are greatly appreciated.

 

 Robert M. Hirsch

 Associate Director for Water
iv
Contents

Abstract...........................................................................................................................................................1

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1

Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................2

Study Area..............................................................................................................................................3

Methods...........................................................................................................................................................3

Characterization of Urban Indicators and Landscape Features...................................................6

Geomorphology and Hydrology..........................................................................................................7

Reach-Scale Habitat ............................................................................................................................7

Water Chemistry ...................................................................................................................................8

Trace Elements in Streambed Sediment...........................................................................................8

Algae and Chlorophyll..........................................................................................................................8

Macroinvertebrates..............................................................................................................................9

Fish ..........................................................................................................................................................9

Univariate and Multivariate Data Analyses .....................................................................................9

Relations Among Urban Indicators...........................................................................................................10

Physical Responses to Urbanization ........................................................................................................10

Landscape Characteristics ...............................................................................................................10

Geomorphology and Hydrology........................................................................................................10

Reach-Scale Habitat ..........................................................................................................................11

Chemical Responses to Urbanization.......................................................................................................11

Nutrients and Major Ions in Water..................................................................................................11

Organic Wastewater Compounds....................................................................................................17

Trace Elements in Streambed Sediment.........................................................................................17

Biological Responses to Urbanization .....................................................................................................18

Algae and Chlorophyll........................................................................................................................18

Macroinvertebrates............................................................................................................................19

Fish ........................................................................................................................................................23

Comparison of Biological Community Reponses to Urbanization ..............................................26

Summary........................................................................................................................................................27

Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................................30

Literature Cited.............................................................................................................................................30

Figures

1-2. Maps showing—

 1. Location of study area and land cover in northeastern Illinois and southeastern 

 Wisconsin, 2000–01...............................................................................................................4

 2. Location of stream sites sampled in northeastern Illinois and southeastern 

 Wisconsin, 2000–01...............................................................................................................5
vi

3-11. Graphs showing—

 3. Land cover in drainage basins of 45 stream sites sampled in northeastern 

 Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01, ordered by percent urban land.........6

 4. Scatterplots of selected variables along the urban gradient, percent watershed 

 urban land, for 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern 

 Wisconsin, 2000–01.............................................................................................................12

 5. Box plots of selected variables in four urban watershed land-cover categories 

 for 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 

 2000–01 .................................................................................................................................14

 6. Algal partial detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) by A) site and by 

 B) species for 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern 

 Wisconsin, 2000 ...................................................................................................................20

 7. Algal partial canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) biplots of the relations 

 of environmental variables to A) stream sites and to B) species, in 

 northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01 ......................................21

 8. Macroinvertebrate partial detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) by 

 A) site and by B) taxon for 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and 

 southeastern Wisconsin, 2000 ..........................................................................................24

 9. Macroinvertebrate partial canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) biplots 

 of the relations of environmental variables to A) stream sites and B) species 

 in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000v01 ...................................25

 10. Fish partial detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) by A) stream sites and 

 by B) species in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 1995–2001 .....28

 11. Fish partial canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) biplots of the relations 

 of environmental variables to A) stream sites and to B) species, in 

 northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 1995–2001 ...................................29

Tables

1. Sampling sites, locations, drainage area, percent watershed urban land, and 

 population density for 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern 

 Wisconsin, 2000–01 ....................................................................................................................37

2. Variables, abbreviations, and median, minimum, and maximum of variables 

 used in analysis of effects related to urbanization, for 45 stream sites in 

 northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01 ..............................................39

3. Watershed land-cover categories and ranges of other urban indicators for 

 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01...............45

4. Variables with significant (p <0.05) Spearman rank correlation coefficients with 

 variables and urban indicators for 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and 

 southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01 ...........................................................................................46

5. Reach-scale habitat characteristics with significant (p < 0.05) Spearman rank 

 correlation coefficients with low-flow water-surface slope (SLOPELO) for 45 

 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01 ...................49
vii

6. Number of total detections of each wastewater compound and percent 

 detections in each watershed urban land-cover category for 44 stream sites 

 in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01 ..........................................50

7. Algal species, taxon, code, number of sites found, mean abundance and 

 maximum abundance of algae collected from 45 stream sites in northeastern 

 Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000 .............................................................................52

8. Spearman rank correlations for algal and macroinvertebrate variables with 

 urban land cover, for two sampling substrates, for 45 stream sites in northeastern 

 Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01.......................................................................59

9. Gradient length and eigenvalues for algae, macroinvertebrate, and fish detrended correspondence analysis for 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and 

 southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01 ...........................................................................................59

10a. Spearman Rank correlations of environmental variables with algae DCA axes 

 for samples collected in 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern 

 Wisconsin, 2000–01 ....................................................................................................................60

10b. Spearman Rank correlations of environmental variables with macroinvertebrate 

 DCA axes for samples collected in 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and 

 southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01 ...........................................................................................61

10c. Spearman Rank correlations of environmental variables with fish DCA axes for 

samples collected in 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern 

 Wisconsin, 1995–2001 ................................................................................................................62

11. Canonical correlation coefficients of environmental variables with the first four 

 partial canonical correspondence analysis axes for the algal, macroinvertebrate 

 and fish communities in 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern 

 Wisconsin, 1995–2001 ................................................................................................................63

12. Macroinvertebrate genera, taxon, codes, number of sites found, mean 

 abundance, and maximum abundance of macroinvertebrates collected from 45 

 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000..........................64

13. Fish species, taxon codes, number of fish collected, and number of sites from 45 

stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 1995–2001 ...............70
viii

Multiply By To obtain

Length

centimeter (cm) 0.3937 inch (in.)

millimeter (mm) 0.03937 inch (in.)

micrometer (μm) 0.00003937 inch (in.)

meter (m) 3.281 foot (ft) 

kilometer (km) 0.6214 mile (mi)

Area

square centimeter (cm2) 0.001076 square foot (ft2)

square meter (m2) 10.76 square foot (ft2) 

square kilometer (km2) 0.3861 square mile (mi2)

Volume

liter (L) 0.2642 gallon (gal)

Flow rate

cubic meter per second (m3/s) 35.31 cubic foot per second (ft3/s)

Mass

gram (g) 0.03527 ounce, avoirdupois (oz)

kilogram (kg) 2.205 pound avoirdupois (lb)

Hydraulic gradient

meter per kilometer (m/km) 5.27983 foot per mile (ft/mi) 

Temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) as follows:

°F=(1.8×°C)+32

Specific conductance is given in microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius (μS/cm at 

25°C).

Concentrations of chemical constituents in water are given either in milligrams per liter (mg/L) 

or micrograms per liter (μg/L).

< Less than

≤ Less than or equal to

> Greater than

≥ Greater than or equal to

Conversion Factors, Abbreviated Water-Quality Units, and 

Other Abbreviations
Abstract 

Physical, chemical, and biological responses to urbanization were examined along an agricultural to urban watershed 

land-cover gradient of 45 stream sites in the Fox and Des 

Plaines River Basins in northeastern Illinois and southeastern 

Wisconsin, including the Chicago metropolitan area. The 

study was conducted during 2000–01 as part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water-Quality Assessment Program, 

upper Illinois River Basin study. Correlation, nonparametric 

analysis of variance, and multivariate analyses were used to 

assess interactions among the watershed characteristics. Physical characteristics of stream sites were affected by landscape 

characteristics and land-use practices, as well as by urbanization. Bankfull-channel area was smaller and less variable for 

stream sites with 10 percent or less watershed urban land, than 

for stream sites with more watershed urban land. Concentrations of chloride and sodium in water increased, whereas 

concentrations of calcium and magnesium decreased with 

increasing percent watershed urban land. Concentrations of 

arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel 

and zinc in streambed sediment increased with increasing 

percent watershed urban land. Indices representing benthic 

algal, macroinvertebrate, and fish biological communities 

declined as urban land cover increased. Indices of macroinvertebrate and fish communities initially declined sharply from 0 

to 30 percent urban land cover. Urban indicator variables and 

variables correlated with urban land cover were important on 

the first axis of all indirect and direct ordinations of all three 

biological communities. Environmental variables that were 

correlated to biological communities included urban land-use 

indicators, concentrations of trace elements in streambed sediment, and dissolved ions in water. Other important environmental variables were related to stream slope, stream power 

and the transport index, percent fines in the substrate, canopy 

cover and nutrients.

Introduction

Urbanization has been cited as one of the major causes 

of stream impairment in the United States and Europe and it 

is recognized as a growing threat to stream water quality and 

biological integrity as land area that is covered by urban development increases (House and others, 1993; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2000; Paul and Meyer, 2001). Resource 

managers, engineers, and scientists have been concerned 

about urban development since at least the 1960s (Leopold, 

1968; American Society of Civil Engineers, 1969; Spieker, 

1970; The H. John Heinz III Center, 2002). Streams in urban 

and urbanizing areas are subjected to physical and chemical 

changes, which in turn can affect aquatic habitat and biological communities.

Physical effects of urbanization include direct channel 

modification, as well as indirect effects on hydrology, geomorphology, and temperature (House and others, 1993; Paul and 

Meyer, 2001). Urban development modifies land surfaces and 

increases the amount of impervious surface in the watersheds. 

Some researchers have cited increasing impervious cover, 

and the hydrologic and geomorphic changes that result, as an 

important cause of decline in biological community integrity 

(Schueler, 1994; Booth and Jackson, 1997). Investigators have 

examined the “total impervious area” as well as the “effective 

impervious area” – impervious areas that have direct hydraulic 

connection to the stream system (Booth and Jackson, 1997). 

Altered stream fluvial dynamics that result from increased 

impervious area include increased surface runoff; modified 

peak-flow characteristics, modified sediment erosion and 

deposition characteristics; modified flood characteristics; and 

reduced infiltration and lower base flows (House and others, 1993; Leopold, 1968; Booth and Jackson, 1997; Konrad, 

2003). In northeastern Illinois, Allen and Bejcek (1979) found 

that urban development of rural area streams increased streamflow for the 2-year flood by a factor of three. Channel enlargement typically occurs from increases in the peak and volume 

of stream runoff (Leopold, 1994). Geomorphic changes can be 

highly variable and are dependent on local conditions.

Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to 

Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins of 

Northeastern Illinois and Southeastern Wisconsin

By Mitchell A. Harris, Barbara C. Scudder, Faith A. Fitzpatrick, and Terri L. Arnold
The changes in stream and sediment chemistry induced 

by urban development vary depending on the type and extent 

of development in a watershed (House and others, 1993; Paul 

and Meyer, 2001). Point sources include domestic and industrial wastewater discharges. Nonpoint-sources include runoff 

from parking lots and roads, which may contain petroleum 

derivatives, metals, and deicing salts, and runoff from residential areas, parks and golf courses, which may contain nutrients and pesticides. In urban areas, both point and nonpoint 

sources can contribute chemical contaminants to streams. In 

general, there is an increase in concentrations of nutrients and 

other ions, metals, pesticides, and organic contaminants with 

increasing urban land (Porcella and Sorenson, 1980; U. S. 

Geological Survey, 1999). Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and 

other organic wastewater contaminants that have not been 

widely examined were the focus of recent studies that examined stream sites downstream of intense urbanization (Kolpin 

and others, 2002). Little is known about potential synergistic 

interactions that may occur in the environment from complex 

mixtures of organic contaminants in wastewater effluent (Kolpin and others, 2002). 

Aquatic biological communities integrate the state of 

and changes in hydrology, water chemistry, geomorphology, 

habitat, food source, and biotic interactions (Karr, 1991; Yoder 

and Rankin, 1995). Decreases in biotic diversity and integrity 

of invertebrate and fish communities have been related to 

urbanization (Klein, 1979; Dreher, 1997; Wang and others, 

1997; Kennen, 1999; Yoder and others, 1999; Wang and others, 2001). Less work has been done on microbes, algae, and 

macrophytes (Paul and Meyer, 2001). 

Agriculture is the predominant land use in northeastern 

Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin in terms of land area, but 

the metropolitan areas of Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, 

Wisconsin are large and expanding rapidly (fig. 1). Watersheds 

are being converted from agricultural to urban land and, therefore, stream conditions may reflect both land uses. The percent 

watershed agricultural land has been shown to be a major 

factor affecting fish, macroinvertebrate, and habitat integrity in previously forested watersheds (Richards and others, 

1996; Roth and others, 1996; Cuffney and others, 1997; Wang 

and others, 1997; Fitzpatrick and others, 2001). Ruhl (1995) 

working in Chicago-area streams found that fish-community 

structure, water quality, streambed sediments, and habitat were 

strongly related to the watershed land use. Many agricultural 

streams near the Chicago area, however, still support highquality fish assemblages (Dreher, 1997; Wang and others, 

1997; Fitzpatrick and others, 2004). Geologic setting has been 

suggested as an important factor in moderating the biological 

response of streams to agriculture and urbanization (Wang 

and others, 1997). Comparing fish collections in the 1980s 

to collections in the 1990s, Fitzpatrick and others (2004) 

found improvement in IBI scores and increases in numbers of 

intolerant fish species in streams in the Fox and Des Plaines 

River Basins. Surficial deposits and population characteristics 

probably affected the relative amount of improvement in fish 

populations at different sites. Improvements to wastewatertreatment plants and other point sources in recent decades have 

lead to some improvement of biotic integrity of urban, urbanizing, and rural streams in northeastern Illinois (Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, 1987; Dreher, 1997; Fitzpatrick 

and others, 2004). Nevertheless, biotic integrity continues 

to decrease as watersheds are converted from agricultural to 

urban land.

Understanding the effects of urbanization on the physical, 

chemical, and biological conditions of streams in northeastern 

Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin was determined to be a 

major issue for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study of 

the upper Illinois River Basin (UIRB) as part of the National 

Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) (Arnold and 

others, 1999). Historical biotic index data from the Illinois 

Environmental Protection Agency and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and sediment trace-element data 

from the U.S. Geological Survey for 43 stream sites in the 

Fox and Des Plaines River Basins from the 1980s and 1990s 

were examined within the context of an agricultural to urban 

land-cover gradient (Fitzpatrick and others, 2004). This study 

illustrated the potentially complex spatial and temporal relations among biotic integrity, sediment chemistry, watershed 

urban land, and geologic setting. In the 1980s, stream sites in 

agricultural settings had a range of biotic integrity from low to 

high based on fish and invertebrate indices, but streams with 

more than 10-percent watershed urban land consistently had 

low biotic integrity. Copper concentrations in sediment above 

background levels occurred in stream sites with greater than 

40 percent watershed urban land and the fish and invertebrate 

indices correlated with urban-associated sediment trace-element concentrations. The number of intolerant fish species and 

biotic integrity increased in some rural, urbanizing, and urban 

streams from the 1980s to 1990s, with the largest increases 

occurring in rural streams with loamy/sandy surficial deposits. 

However, smaller increases also occurred in urban streams 

with clayey surficial deposits and over 50-percent watershed 

urban land (Fitzpatrick and others, 2004). 

In 2000–01, as part of the UIRB-NAWQA study, physical, chemical, and biological data were collected from sites 

in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins along an agricultural 

to urban land-cover gradient (figs. 1, 2). Many of the sites 

overlapped with sites used for the historical analysis described 

above. These new data were collected with the main purpose 

of determining if ecological responses to urbanization varied 

among different biological communities and indicators within 

the context of their geologic setting. Specific data from this 

study are available from various sources, including Adolphson 

and others (2002), the USGS Illinois Water Science Center 

Web site (http://il.water.usgs.gov), and the USGS NAWQA 

site (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/).

Purpose and Scope

This report presents the results of a study to determine 

how urbanization of the areas of northeastern Illinois and 

   Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
southeastern Wisconsin, especially surrounding the Chicago 

metropolitan area, affects physical, chemical, and biological conditions of streams. The study included 45 stream sites 

along an agricultural to urban land-cover stream gradient, 

using a space-for-time substitution (described in the Methods section later in the report). Data were collected during 

2000–01; sites were located in two river basins in the greater 

Chicago area. The study was part of the upper Illinois River 

Basin study of the USGS NAWQA Program.

How geomorphic, hydrologic, habitat, and chemical 

stream characteristics, and algal, invertebrate and fish communities change as stream basins are converted to urban land 

use from agricultural land use and the major factors affecting 

aquatic biological communities in northeastern Illinois and 

southeastern Wisconsin are summarized in this report. The 

report includes a description of field and analytical methods, 

evaluates patterns of the representative physical, chemical, and 

biological variables, and lists the algal, macroinvertebrate, and 

fish assemblages sampled. Data and more detailed methodology from this study were reported in Adolphson and others 

(2002).

Study Area

Study watersheds are located in the Fox and Des Plaines 

River Basins of northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin (fig. 2). The combined drainage area of the study area is 

approximately 12,400 km2 (4,770 mi2). The Chicago River, the 

Calumet River system, and the Du Page River are included in 

the Des Plaines River Basin (fig. 1). The Fox and Des Plaines 

Rivers are major tributaries of the Illinois River. 

The Chicago metropolitan area, one of the largest urban 

areas in the United States, lies largely within these basins (fig. 

1). In the 2000 census, the population of Cook County alone 

was 5,377,000 and the population of the Chicago Combined 

Metropolitan Statistical Area (includes Chicago, Ill., Kenosha, Wis., Gary, Ind., and Kankakee, Ill.) was 9,158,000 (U.S. 

Bureau of the Census, 2001). The northern part of the study 

area includes urbanizing areas around Milwaukee, Wis. These 

areas contain important farmland, and conversion of agricultural land to urban land is a concern. The amount of land being 

developed is disproportionate to the increase in population, 

as low density residential land use has increased in proportion to other land uses (Arnold and others, 1999). Agricultural 

and urban land are the dominant land uses in the Fox and Des 

Plaines River Basins (fig. 1), with small amounts of forest and 

wetland, mainly occurring in county forest preserves (Vogelmann and others, 2001). Forest preserves are common along 

rivers in the Chicago area and extensive flood-plain areas in 

the preserves are, in part, used for flood control.

The environmental setting of the study area is described 

in detail in Arnold and others (1999) and summarized below. 

The climate is humid continental with an average annual temperature (1961–90) of about 9°C (48°F) and average annual 

precipitation of about 890 mm (35 in.). Two physiographic 

sections cover the study area. The Great Lakes Section encompasses the entire Des Plaines River Basin and the northern 

half of the Fox River Basin; and the Till Plains Section covers 

the southern half of the Fox River Basin (Fenneman, 1938; 

Leighton and others, 1948). The topography in the study 

area is relatively flat and studied watersheds have slopes that 

range from 0.2 to 3.4 percent (Adolphson and others, 2002). 

The distribution of Quaternary deposits is highly variable and 

complex, but the deposits generally consist of clayey till in the 

Des Plaines River Basin, glacial lake clay in the Chicago River 

and Calumet Basins, sandy and loamy till and outwash sand 

and gravel in the upper Fox River Basin, and loamy till in the 

lower Fox River Basin (Willman, 1971; Lineback and others, 

1983).

A variety of stormwater-control techniques are used in 

the study area. Wet and dry stormwater-detention ponds of 

various sizes are numerous. Combined-sewer systems are 

used in Chicago and in many of the suburbs. Historically, the 

capacity of combined-sewer systems was often exceeded during summer thunderstorms resulting in the release of untreated 

sewage directly to streams. To avoid this release, Chicago’s 

Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP) system was developed 

(Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, 1999). The TARP is a system of drop shafts, tunnels, 

and reservoirs designed to capture and hold overflows from 

combined sewers and convey the overflows to a wastewatertreatment plant for treatment (Terrio, 1994). Six streams in this 

study are in part of TARP: Willow Creek, Salt Creek, Addison 

Creek, Flag Creek, North Creek, and Midlothian Creek (map 

reference numbers [nos.] 5, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16, respectively, fig. 2). 

There are five major wastewater-treatment plants operated by 

the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Two of the plants are located upstream of the sampled 

reaches on Willow Creek and Salt Creek.

Methods

This study was conducted as part of the upper Illinois 

River Basin study of the U.S. Geological Survey National 

Water-Quality Assessment Program. The complete data set 

and methods are provided in Adolphson and others (2002). 

Urbanization indicators and watershed-scale characteristics 

were calculated for each stream site. Two major physiographic 

settings were sampled: clayey surficial deposits (full gradient) 

and loamy/sandy deposits (partial gradient). Water chemistry, 

sediment chemistry, geomorphic, flow, habitat, algae, invertebrate, and fish data were collected from 45 stream sites in 

the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins in 2000–01 (tables 1 

and 2). Correlation, nonparametric analysis of variance, and 

multivariate analyses were used to assess interactions among 

the characteristics.

The urban-gradient approach, where multiple watersheds 

representing different levels of urbanization are used in a 

space-for-time substitution, was used to examine biologiMethods 
Figure 1. Location of study area and land cover in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000-01 (Land cover from 

Vogelmann and others, 2001).

 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Figure 2. Location of stream sites sampled in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000-01.

Methods 
cal community responses to urbanization. Percent-watershed 

urban land cover was used to represent the urban gradient. 

Urban land cover in the watersheds of the studied sites ranged 

from 0.03 percent to 92-percent urban land (fig. 3). Agricultural land use in the watersheds of the studied sites ranged 

from 0-percent to 99-percent agricultural land. 

Drainage areas for the stream sites ranged from 20 to 326 

km2 (8 to 126 mi2). Stream sites without point sources were 

preferred but point sources could not be avoided in highly 

urbanized areas. One site (Basset Creek, map reference number [no.] 31), in a rural area, was dropped from the analysis 

because a sewage-treatment plant was discovered upstream 

after the sampling was conducted. Stream sites with historical 

streamflow collected by the USGS or biological data collected 

by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and 

those that represented an agricultural to urban land-cover gradient were preferentially selected. 

Sites were originally grouped into two surficial-deposit 

categories based on texture of surficial deposits in their 

watersheds. Sites were classified as clayey if they had surficial deposits in their watersheds consisting of greater than 

50-percent clayey till, lake clay, and silt. Typically, the soils 

in these watersheds have low permeability. Sites were classified as loamy if they had greater than 50-percent loam, sand, 

and gravel deposits in their watersheds, and the soils in these 

watersheds have relatively moderate to high permeability. All 

sites in the Des Plaines River Basin and three eastern tributaries to the Fox River were classified as clayey. The rest of the 

sites in the Fox River Basin were classified as loamy. Urban 

land cover at clayey sites ranged from 3 to 92 percent and at 

loamy sites ranged from 0 to 30 percent. Thus, a full urban 

gradient was represented by clayey sites and a partial gradient 

by loamy sites.

Characterization of Urban Indicators and 

Landscape Features

Watershed-scale data for urban indicators, land cover, 

and landscape-scale geologic and geomorphic characteristics 

were derived from overlays of thematic maps with watershed 

boundaries by use of a geographic information system (GIS) 

(table 2). Watershed percent land-cover was calculated from 

30 m Multi-Resolution Land Cover (MRLC) data (Vogelmann and others, 2001). Urban land cover was defined as 

the sum of four categories: low-density residential, highdensity residential, commercial/industrial/transportation, and 

urban/recreational grasses. Population density data included 

information from the U.S. Bureau of Census 1980, 1990, and 

2000 population data (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1985; 1991; 

2001). An area around the streams was created by drawing a 

polygon with a boundary 60 m from the stream on each side 

to calculate percentages of soil permeability, surficial deposits, 

and depth to bedrock. 

In addition to watershed urban land cover, road density 

and estimated impervious area were used to represent urban 

Figure 3. Land cover in drainage basins of 45 stream sites 

sampled in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 

2000-01, ordered by percent urban land. Site abbreviations are 

listed in table 1. Site locations are shown on figure 2.

   Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
area. The 1999 Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) system line files (U.S. Bureau 

of the Census, 1999) representing roads were used to estimate 

road density. To obtain an estimate of overall impervious area 

based on urban land cover, U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(1986) estimates of percent impervious area provided by different urban land-cover categories were used in calculations. 

Impervious area of roads was estimated by assigning various 

widths depending on the road type.

Landscape-scale geologic and geomorphic data included 

surficial Quaternary deposits, bedrock geology, depth to 

bedrock, soil permeability, drainage area, average basin 

slope, drainage density, basin relief ratio, cumulative stream 

length, and a transport index (drainage density times relief 

ratio) (table 2). The 1:24,000-scale National Elevation Data 

Set (NED) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) (U.S. Geological 

Survey, 2001), GIS, and the Basinsoft Program were used to 

calculate selected watershed-scale geomorphic characteristics 

(Adolphson and others, 2002; Fitzpatrick and others, 1998; 

Harvey and Eash, 1996). Climatic data for air temperature, 

precipitation, snowfall, and degree days were also compiled 

(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1995). 

Latitude was included as a variable to account for any possible 

gradient related to location.

Geomorphology and Hydrology

Channel geometry, roughness, and slope characteristics 

were calculated from data collected from reach-scale surveys 

of channel cross sections and longitudinal profiles (table 2). 

Surveys were conducted from November 2000 through May 

2001. Each reach was surveyed at three cross sections, located 

near the top, middle, and bottom of each reach sampled for 

habitat. Methods described in Fitzpatrick and others (1998) 

were used to determine bankfull channel indicators. Bankfull 

and channel flow, and unit-area stream power was simulated 

with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ HEC-RAS (v. 3.0) computer program (Brunner, 2001). Bankfull flows were simulated in HEC-RAS by adjusting discharge to match observed 

bankfull stage indicators (as described in Harrelson and others, 

1994). Bankfull-channel area was normalized by drainage area 

prior to analysis because of its dependence on stream size. 

Details on methods used may be found in Fitzpatrick and others (in press, 2005).

Stream competence and erosivity for bankfull flow was 

estimated (Fitzpatrick and others, in press, 2005). Competence 

was based on shear stress calculations for bankfull flow from 

HEC-RAS and describes the maximum particle size that a 

stream is capable of transporting under a given flow. Bankfull 

erosivity was calculated as the ratio of stream competence 

(mm) at bankfull flow divided by the average particle size 

(mm). Average particle size was taken from the reach-scale 

habitat measurements.

Hydrologic data used in this study included streamflow 

measurements at the time of ecological sampling in July 2000, 

daily streamflow data collected at 15 out of the 45 sites at 

USGS streamflow-gaging stations from 1985 to 2000, and 

HEC-RAS estimated base flow determined from water-surface data collected during channel cross-section surveys. The 

ecological sampling was done at some stream sites during 

falling stages following summer thunderstorms; therefore, 

streamflow measurements collected during the sampling were 

not always a good representation of base flow. The HEC-RAS 

estimates were compared to discharge measurements collected 

during the July 2000 ecological sampling. Flow variability 

was calculated as the ratio of bankfull flow to base flow. Flow 

data also were normalized by drainage area to avoid the effects 

of watershed size obscuring relations to other watershed and 

geomorphic characteristics.

Reach-Scale Habitat 

Reach-scale habitat characteristics were collected at each 

site concurrently with biological sampling during July 2000. 

Methods followed USGS protocols (Fitzpatrick and others, 

1998), and included channel, substrate, and bank measurements. Reach lengths ranged from 150 to 300 m. Measurements were made at 11 equidistant transects within each reach. 

At each transect, channel depth and substrate measurements 

were made at the thalweg and at two other points equally 

spaced along the transect within the channel. Data for land 

cover within a 15-m buffer at the endpoints, open-canopy 

angle, and channel aspect were collected at each transect. 

Segment slope and sinuosity for a segment encompassing 

the sampled reach was measured from 1:24,000-scale NED 

DEM data (U.S. Geological Survey, 2001); these characteristics were calculated as in Fitzpatrick and others (1998). Bank 

stability was classified using a bank-stability index (BSI), also 

described in Fitzpatrick and others (1998). The bank-stability 

index is calculated from bank angle, vegetative cover, height, 

and substrate measurements. To help quantify bank erosion 

and overall sedimentation, two measurements additional to 

those listed in the USGS protocols were used: the length of 

bank erosion occurring along the transect line and silt depth at 

each transect point.

Two habitat indices were calculated, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Rapid Bioassessment Protocol (RBP) and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 

(WDNR) habitat index (Barbour and others, 1999; Simonson 

and others, 1994; respectively). Each index contained multiple 

metrics that are combined to give a cumulative assessment of 

habitat quality for the stream site. Some modifications were 

made to the calculation of the metrics because data-collection 

techniques varied among the USGS, USEPA, and WDNR protocols. All deviations from published versions were systematically recorded and archived, along with any errors that may 

have resulted during data collection.

Metrics of channel shape and variability were calculated 

from the habitat data. A channel-shape index (CHANSH) was 

calculated for each transect by the equation 

Methods 
CHANSH = (W/D)(D/Dmax), where W = wetted width and D = 

average depth, and Dmax = maximum depth. This index provides a measure of relative occurrence of macrohabitat conditions (Terry Short, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 

2003). The coefficient of variation of the channel-shape index 

(CHANSHCO) provides of measure of variability in the shape 

of the wetted channel. Bankfull area and bankfull width/depth 

ratios were calculated for each transect and, subsequently, 

averaged for the reach. The coefficient of variation of bankfull 

width/depth ratio also gives an indication of variability in the 

channel shape.

Water Chemistry

Water-chemistry samples were collected once at each site 

during July 2000. Samples were analyzed for concentrations 

of nutrients, major ions, and for municipal organic wastewater 

compounds (table 2). All water samples with sufficient water 

depths were depth- and width-integrated following USGS 

protocols (U.S. Geological Survey, variously dated). At wadable sites having insufficient water depths, dip samples were 

collected at the center of flow. Most samples were taken during stable low-flow conditions; however, sites sampled during 

the first few days (July 10–12, 2000) of the study were taken 

during falling stages following summer thunderstorms. Water 

temperature, air temperature, pH, specific conductivity, and 

dissolved oxygen concentrations were measured in the field at 

the time of sampling. Streamflow was measured at sites that 

were not near a streamflow-gaging station. 

Samples for nutrients and major ions were analyzed at the 

U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Laboratory 

(NWQL) using methods described in Fishman and Friedman 

(1989) and Fishman (1993). Total phosphorus, nitrate plus 

nitrite as N, and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) are discussed 

in this report. 

Water samples also were tested for presence of 45 

compounds that are often detected in wastewater, including antioxidants (5 compounds), detergent and disinfectants 

(7), flame retardants (2), Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons 

(PAHs) (11), pesticides (7), pharmaceuticals (3), plasticizers 

(6), and steroids and hormones (4). Organic wastewater compounds were analyzed at the NWQL using a custom method 

described in Brown and others (1999). Data are presented only 

as detected or not detected because samples may not meet 

standard NWQL data-quality acceptance criteria for organic 

analytes of 60-percent recovery with a standard deviation of 

15 percent for approved methods. An additional pesticide 

(not included above), N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET), 

was found in blank samples and was not used in analysis. The 

sample from one site, Flag Creek (no. 8; fig. 2), was lost in 

processing. 

Trace Elements in Streambed Sediment

Streambed-sediment samples were collected for analyses 

of trace elements in July 2000 using USGS protocols (U.S. 

Geological Survey, variously dated). Five to 10 samples of 

fine-grained sediment were collected by hand with a Teflon scoop from each of 5 to 10 depositional zones that were 

submerged during low flow. Samples were collected from the 

upper 2 cm, which is the most recently deposited sediment 

layer. The sample was composited and homogenized, and a 

portion of the sample was removed for analysis of particle 

size. The remainder of the composite was wet-sieved with 

native water through a 63 μm-plastic mesh, and collected for 

trace-element analysis. Samples were analyzed for 46 major 

and trace elements using total digestion at NWQL in Denver, 

Colorado (Fishman, 1993); however, this report discusses 

selected trace elements that are of most concern in the UIRB.

Sediment trace-element concentrations for arsenic, 

cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, zinc were 

compared to the consensus-based sediment quality guidelines 

of MacDonald and others (2000). Harmful effects on sediment-dwelling organisms are expected in sediments where 

concentrations exceed the Probable Effect Concentrations 

(PEC), and harmful effects are not expected where contaminant concentrations are less than Threshold Effect Concentrations (TEC).

Algae and Chlorophyll

Benthic algal (periphyton) collections followed USGS 

protocols (Porter and others, 1993) and were collected 

between July 10 and July 26, 2000. In each reach, periphyton was collected from either cobble riffles or submerged 

woody snags. Each cobble sample was a composite of five 

subsamples collected from each of five locations in the stream 

reach (total sampling area about 75 cm2). Where cobble riffles 

were unavailable, woody snags were used for periphyton 

samples and two snag sections were composited from each of 

five locations in the stream reach (sampling area of about 500 

cm2 ). For comparison, cobble riffles or woody snags were 

concurrently sampled for periphyton at three sites where both 

substrates were available: Butterfield Creek, Pewaukee River, 

and Ferson Creek (nos. 14, 28, 38, respectively).

 From each composite periphyton sample, aliquots were 

removed for chlorophyll a, pheophytin a, and ash-free drymass (AFDM) analysis, and immediately frozen on dry ice. 

Similarly, aliquots for chlorophyll a in phytoplankton were 

split from water samples that were collected for nutrient analyses. The NWQL fluorometrically analyzed for chlorophyll 

a and pheophytin a (Arar and Collins, 1997) and analyzed 

for AFDM gravimetrically (Britton and Greeson, 1987). The 

remainder of each composite periphyton sample was preserved 

in 5-percent buffered formalin for taxonomic identification 

and enumeration at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

   Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Analysis of periphyton data included basic summaries 

of algal groups (green, blue-green, yellow-green, red, diatoms, dinoflagellates, and euglenoids) at sites and comparison among sites using cell densities and biovolumes. Algal 

metrics included taxa richness and diatom-based metrics such 

as pollution tolerance, siltation, and diversity. The diatom 

pollution-tolerance index and percent sensitive and tolerant 

diatoms were computed based on tolerances in Bahls (1993) 

and Lange-Bertalot (1979). The diatom pollution-tolerance 

index and siltation index were computed according to Bahls 

(1993) and calibrated as described in Scudder and Stewart 

(2001). The diatom pollution-tolerance index values can range 

from 3.00, all sensitive diatoms, to 1.00, all most-tolerant 

diatoms. The diatom pollution-tolerance index value of 2.4 

is the threshold below which sites are rated as having at least 

“minor pollution.” Values greater than 2.4 are rated as having 

“no pollution”. Diatom growth-form guilds based on Molloy 

(1992) were computed based on morphological characteristics 

of cells: (1) small and monoraphid (Achnanthes spp.), (2) concave and monoraphid (Cocconeis spp.), (3) centric and nonfilamentous, (4) filamentous, (5) adnate, (6) erect, (7) biraphid, 

prostrate, and nonmotile, (8) biraphid, prostrate, and motile 

(Navicula spp.), (9) stalked, and (10) araphid (Eunotia spp.).

Macroinvertebrates

Benthic macroinvertebrate community collections followed USGS protocols (Cuffney and others, 1993) and were 

concurrent with algal and habitat sampling. In each reach, a 

benthic macroinvertebrate sample was collected from cobble 

riffles, or, if no cobble riffles were present, samples were 

collected from submerged woody snags. In order to compare 

results from the different methods, at three sites, two samples 

were collected, one from cobble riffle and the other from submerged woody snags. 

When a cobble riffle was present, a Hess sampler was 

used to collect macroinvertebrates, except at one site where a 

modified kick net was used, and five or six subsamples were 

obtained from two riffles and were combined for a single 

sample. Invertebrates from about 10 snags were combined to 

form a sample from each study reach. A 425-μm mesh net was 

used for all samples.

The USGS National Water-Quality Laboratory Biology 

Unit sorted the invertebrate samples using a 500-organism 

count method and identified the organisms according to the 

Standard Taxonomic Assessment as provided by Moulton 

and others (2000). When possible, mollusks, crustaceans, and 

insects were identified to either genus or species level, and 

other benthic macroinvertebrate groups were identified to 

higher taxonomic levels.

For invertebrates, descriptive statistics, including richness 

measures, composition (relative abundance) measures, tolerance indices, diversity indices, and functional-feeding group 

composition, were calculated. Taxa that are not normally considered part of the benthic fauna were excluded from calculations; these taxa included neustonic taxa (for example, the true 

bug families Gerridae and Veliidae), and terrestrial taxa (for 

example, adult midges). 

Fish

Fish-community data were collected by three agencies: 

the USGS (two sites sampled in 2000 and 22 sites sampled 

in 2001), the IDNR (17 sites sampled during the period 

from 1995 to 1999), and the WDNR (5 sites sampled in July 

1997). The USGS used a barge or backpack electroshocker to 

sample one pass of the entire stream reach and then conducted 

supplementary riffle kicks and seine hauls (Meador and others, 1993). The IDNR collected fish in a single pass using a 

backpack electroshocker, electric seine, or boat electroshocker 

(Bertrand and others, 1996) to sample a 91- to 213-m reach 

(including a riffle-pool sequence, if present). The WDNR 

used a barge or backpack electroshocker to sample all major 

habitats in a stream reach. The reach length for WDNR 

sampling was determined by stream size, which is based on 

stream width (Lyons, 1992). Fish data for the Addison Creek 

at Bellwood, Ill. (no. 7) site were collected near but not at the 

same reach as the other types of samples.

A revised Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) is being 

reviewed for use in Illinois (Roy Smogor, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, written commun., 2003). A draft version of the revised Illinois IBI was used in this analysis. The 

IBI is scored on a scale of 0 to 60. Ten metrics were used, of 

which six are based on richness, three on trophic- or reproductive-structure, and one on tolerance. Metric values were scaled 

according to geographic region, and stream size and slope. 

Univariate and Multivariate Data Analyses 

Spearman rank correlation was used to correlate environmental variables to urban indicators. Variables representing various data types were plotted against percent watershed 

urban land cover. Trends are indicated in the scatterplots with 

a lowess smooth line. Sites were divided into four categories 

based on amount of urban watershed land—low (LO): 0 to 

10 percent (17 sites); middle-low (ML): > 10 to 25 percent 

(8 sites); middle-high (MH): > 25 to 50 percent (9 sites); 

and high (HI): > 50 to 100 percent (11 sites) (table 3). The 

Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric analysis of variance was used to 

test significant differences between pairs of urban land-cover 

categories using Data Desk 6 software (Data Description, Inc., 

1997). Linear regression was used to highlight the linear relation between nitrate and agricultural land cover. The adjusted 

r-squared (coefficient of dermination) was used as a measure 

of the strength of the relation. 

Indirect gradient analysis (Detrended correspondence 

analysis (DCA)) and direct gradient analysis (canonical correspondence analysis (CCA)) were used to examine relations 

between environmental variables and biological communities 

using the CANOCO 4.5 program (ter Braak, and Smilauer, 

Methods 
2002). Covariables were selected to reduce the effect of 

sampling variability. Sampling substrate was used as a covariable for algae and macroinvertebrate sample analyses and 

sampling agency was used as a covariable for analysis of fish 

samples. Algae data were analyzed at the species level, data 

were square-root transformed, and analyses were examined 

with rare taxa without downweighting. Macroinvertebrate taxa 

were analyzed at the genus level (Cuffney, 2003), data were 

square-root transformed, and only taxa that appeared at least 

10 percent of the sites were used. All fish species were used in 

the analyses; fish-species data were log transformed, and rare 

species were downweighted. Environmental variables were 

then correlated to the DCA axes for algae, invertebrates, and 

fish. For CCA analysis, the number of environmental variables 

was reduced to 45, using principal-component analysis and 

correlation to identify correlated variables. Forward selection 

was used to select the environmental variables in the CCA 

model for invertebrates and fish and for assistance in selection 

of environmental variables in CCA for algae.

Relations Among Urban Indicators

The major urban indicators of watershed urban land 

(URBANLU), road density (ROADDEN), estimated impervious surface (IMPERV), and 2000 population density (POPDEN00)) were correlated highly with each other; correlation 

coefficients ranged from 0.95 to 0.99 (table 4). Watershed 

urban land was used as the main urban indicator in subsequent 

analysis of urban effects on physical, chemical, and biological 

data. Percent agricultural land was negatively correlated with 

urban land (rho = -0.94). The three sites with the most urban 

land, Addison Creek (92 percent), Flag Creek (87 percent), 

and Willow Creek (86 percent) (nos. 7, 8, 5, respectively; fig. 

2), had the least agricultural land, each with less than 0.25 

percent (fig. 3). The most agricultural sites, Buck Creek (99 

percent), Somonauk Creek (94 percent), and Big Rock Creek 

(95 percent) (nos. 46, 44, 42, respectively), all had less than 

1-percent urban land (fig. 3). 

Examination of population density change in the watershed from 1990 to 2000 gives some indication of the spatial 

distribution and urbanization rates. Median population growth 

of 45 watersheds between 1990 and 2000 was 20 percent 

(table 2). Growth exceeded 60 percent in six watersheds in the 

rapidly growing perimeter of the Chicago metropolitan area. 

For example, population density doubled in the Waubansee 

Creek (no. 40) watershed, from 317 people/km2 to 646 people/

km2, and in the Ferson Creek (no. 38) watershed, populations 

increased 70 percent, from 76 people/km2 to 133 people/km2. 

Watersheds with the lowest growth rates included both mostly 

rural and mostly urban areas. Rural watersheds that were not 

growing rapidly in 2000 included Buck Creek (no. 46) and Big 

Rock Creek (no. 42) with about 5 and 24 people/km2, respectively. Likewise, the most urban sites did not have high growth 

rates; all but one of the sites with over 70-percent urban land 

cover had less than 10-percent growth rates. The Addison 

Creek (no. 7) watershed with the highest percent urban land 

cover had the highest population density and grew from 1,597 

people/km2 to 1,689 people/km2. 

Physical Responses to Urbanization

Stream hydrology and geomorphology develop from the 

underlying physical landscape (long time scale, from hundreds 

to thousands of years) and the overlying land use (recent, short 

time scale, several years to tens of years) of a stream watershed. Reach-scale habitat characteristics represent the conditions under which biological communities are sampled. 

Landscape Characteristics

Urban indicators and other landscape characteristics were 

highly correlated (table 4), often because of site selection. 

Soil-permeability variables (including percent clayey surficial 

deposits (WATCLAY)) and stream size (including drainage 

area (DRAIN)) correlated to urban land cover because of the 

sampling design of having a full gradient (0–100 percent urban 

land) of streams in the clayey deposits and a partial gradient 

of streams in loamy deposits. As a result, only 4 of the 16 sites 

classified as loamy had greater than 7-percent urban watershed 

land. More variability in stream size was found at sites with 

lower percent urban land use. Streams with higher percent 

urban land cover also had smaller watersheds. The amount of 

forest and wetland in the 60-m stream-network buffer was not 

correlated with watershed urban land.

Based on results from Fitzpatrick and others (in press, 

2005), relations among landscape characteristics were a reflection of watershed size, geologic setting, and riparian buffer 

characteristics of the sampled streams. Stream sites with larger 

drainage areas had lower reach-scale slopes, less watershed 

clayey deposits, less forest/wetland in the stream-network buffer, and more open canopy. Stream sites with steep watershed 

slopes had high transport indices, high drainage density, and 

more forest/wetland in the stream-network buffer.

Geomorphology and Hydrology

For the geomorphic variables, bankfull-channel area 

adjusted for drainage area (AREABFDA) had the highest 

Spearman rank correlation (0.59) with watershed urban land 

(table 4, fig. 4a). This variable was also correlated with watershed clayey surficial deposits, indicating that clayey, urban 

streams have larger bankfull-channel areas than loamy/sandy, 

rural streams (Fitzpatrick and others, in press, 2005). Bankfull-channel area (adjusted for drainage area) at sites in the LO 

urban land-cover category (between 0- and 10-percent urban 

land) was significantly lower than in the three higher landcover categories (fig. 5a).

10 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Three hydrologic variables, bankfull flow normalized by 

drainage area (BFLOWDA), base flow including point source 

contributions, and flow variability (FLOWVAR2), correlated 

with similar landscape and geomorphic variables (Fitzpatrick 

and others, in press, 2005). Stream sites with large bankfull 

flows and high flow variability had small drainage areas, large 

bankfull areas, and high stream power. In contrast, stream sites 

with high base flow (including point-source contributions), 

had large drainage areas, small bankfull areas, and low stream 

power. However, if the estimated average point-source component of flow was subtracted from the estimated base flow, then 

the difference was negatively correlated with the amount of 

urban land, indicating that ground-water contributions to base 

flow are less at urban stream sites (Fitzpatrick and others, in 

press, 2005).

The size of 2-year flood peaks increased as urban land 

cover increases from 0 to about 30 percent, but above 30-percent watershed urban land, the relation becomes more complex 

and is possibly related to watershed relief, drainage density, 

and stormwater-control practices (Fitzpatrick and others, in 

press, 2005). The transport index (TRANSIN) had the highest 

correlation with 2-year flood, indicating that streams in urban 

areas with relatively high watershed relief and drainage density still have larger floods than streams with low watershed 

relief and drainage density, regardless of the extent or type of 

hydrologic modifications implemented such as combined sewers and stormwater detention. 

Reach-Scale Habitat

Six reach habitat variables had small but significant 

(p < 0.05) negative correlations with watershed urban land 

(table 4). These variables included coefficient of variation of 

stream aspect (ASPCO), coefficient of variation of canopy 

closure (RIPCLOCO), average bankfull-channel width/depth 

ratio in runs (BWDRATRU), average bankfull-channel width/

depth ratio (BWDRAT), coefficient of variation of wetted 

width/depth ratio (WDRATCO), and coefficient of variation of 

shape index (CHANSHCO). 

There was no significant correlative relation between 

RBP Habitat Index scores (RBPHABIN) and urban land 

cover, however, a difference by category resulted (fig. 4b). 

Sites between 10- and 25-percent urban land cover (ML) had 

better habitat scores than sites with higher watershed urban 

land (categories MH and HI) (fig. 5b). The RBP correlated 

with other urban, landscape, and reach-scale geomorphic and 

habitat characteristics (table 4). Stream sites with high habitat 

index scores had low percent disturbed land cover in reachscale riparian buffer, steep reach-scale slope, low potential for 

erosion of the channel bed, less fine substrate, high variability 

in bankfull width/depth ratios, and high percent riffle. Most 

of these correlated characteristics are used in the calculation 

of metrics included in both indices. High RBP habitat index 

scores also were related to high transport index, steep watershed slope, high percent coarse deposits in the stream-network 

buffer, high stream power, wide channels, and little bank erosion (Fitzpatrick and others, in press, 2005). 

Various habitat variables were correlated to stream slope 

(table 5). Greater slope (SLOPELO) was strongly correlated 

(rho > 0.48, p < 0.001) to larger substrate size (SUBST, 

ROUGH, GRAVEL), amount of riffle in the reach (RIFFLE), 

and coefficient of variation of mean depth (DEPCO). The 

two habitat quality indices, RBP habitat index (RBPHABIN) 

and Wisconsin habitat index (WIHABIN), and two variables, 

coefficient of variation of aspect (ASPCO) and average riparian canopy closure (RIPCLO), were also positively correlated 

with stream slope (p < 0.05). Additionally, stream shape was 

apparently more variable at sites with greater stream slopes. 

Lower stream slope was correlated with greater embeddedness 

(EMBED), percent substrate as fines (FINES), and amount of 

runs (RUN). Stream size (DRAIN) and other variables related 

to stream size, were negatively correlated to stream slope. 

These variables included wetted cross-sectional area (WETXSAR), bankfull cross-sectional area (BKFXSAR), wetted 

stream volume (WETVOL), mean depth (DEPAVG), mean 

maximum depth (DEPMAX), bankfull stream-surface area 

(BKFSURAR), wetted stream-surface area (WETSURAR).

Correlations (or lack of correlations) among forest 

in the stream-network buffer (BUFFOWE), canopy angle 

(CANOPY), and percent disturbed land cover in the reach 

buffer (RIPLU) illustrate the importance of collecting multiple 

spatial scales of riparian buffer data (Fitzpatrick and others, 2001). Canopy angle did not correlate with the percent 

disturbed land cover in the reach buffer, possibly because 

open-canopy streams may have undisturbed land cover such as 

wetland or grassy areas. Forest/wetland in the stream-network 

buffer was more prevalent in smaller, clayey watersheds with 

relatively steep watershed slopes; and also was associated with 

narrower channels. Disturbed land cover in the reach buffer 

did not correlate with any reach-scale geomorphic or habitat 

characteristics. The correlation of disturbed land cover in the 

reach buffer with the habitat indices is present because quality 

of the riparian zone is a metric in the index.

Chemical Responses to Urbanization

Increases in concentrations of nutrients and other ions, 

metals, pesticides and organic contaminants have been 

observed with increasing watershed urbanization (Porcella and 

Sorenson, 1980; U. S. Geological Survey, 1999). Both agricultural and urban land uses have been shown to be sources of 

nutrients to streams (Herlihy and others, 1998; U. S. Geological Survey, 1999). 

Nutrients and Major Ions in Water

The six sites with the highest total phosphorus concentrations (fig. 4c) were Salt Creek, West Branch Du Page River, 

Flag Creek, East Branch Du Page River, Addison Creek, and 

Chemical Responses to Urbanization 11
Figure 4. Scatterplots of selected variables along the urban gradient, percent watershed urban land, for 45 stream sites in northeastern 

Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01. Lowess smooth trend line is drawn. (A) Bankfull-channel area/drainage area; (B) Rapid 

Bioassessment Protocol (RBP) Habitat Index; (C) Phosphorus, total, milligrams per liter; (D) Nitrate + nitrite, as N, milligrams per 

liter; (E) Total Kjeldahl nitrogen, milligrams per liter; (F) Chloride, dissolved, milligrams per liter; (G) Organic wastewater compounds, 

number detected; (H) Copper in streambed sediment, milligrams per kilogram; (I) Diatom Pollution Index; (J) Number of Ephemeroptera, 

Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) taxa; (K) Fish Index of Biotic Integrity.

12 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Figure 4. Continued.

Chemical Responses to Urbanization 13
Figure 5. Box plots of selected variables in four urban watershed land-cover categories for 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and 

southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01. Watershed land-cover categories are LO: 0 percent to 10 percent (17 sites); ML: >10 percent to 25 

percent (8 sites); MH: >25 percent to 50 percent (9 sites); HI: >50 percent to 100 percent (11 sites). Kruskal-Wallis test was used to test 

significant differences between pairs of land-cover categories; different letter signify differences at p < 0.05. (A) Bankfull-channel area/

drainage area; (B) Rapid Bioassessment Protocol (RBP) Habitat Index; (C) Phosphorus, total, milligrams per liter; (D) Nitrate + nitrite, as 

N, milligrams per liter; (E) Total Kjeldahl nitrogen, milligrams per liter; (F) Chloride, dissolved, milligrams per liter; (G) Organic wastewater 

compounds, number detected; (H) Copper in streambed sediment, milligrams per kilogram; (I) Diatom Pollution Index; (J) Number of 

Ephemeroptera , Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) taxa; (K) Fish Index of Biotic Integrity; >, greater than; <, less than.

14  Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Figure 5. Continued.

Chemical Responses to Urbanization 15
Willow Creek (nos. 6, 23, 8, 24, 7, 5, respectively; fig. 2). 

These highest total phosphorus concentrations ranged from 

0.46 mg/L (Willow Creek) to 2.5 mg/L (Salt Creek), and five 

of these values were outliers on a standard box plot (exceeding 

1.5 times the interquartile distance + upper quartile) (NIST/

SEMATECH, 2002). These sites all had among the highest 

amounts of urban land cover in the watershed; West Branch 

Du Page River, had 58-percent urban land and the other five 

sites had greater than 72-percent watershed urban land. Total 

phosphorus concentrations at the other 39 sites, including 5 

sites with greater than 50-percent watershed urban land, had 

no correlation with urban land cover. Total phosphorus in the 

LO urban land-cover category was significantly lower than 

total phosphorus in the MH and HI categories (fig. 5c). 

Agricultural and urban land uses have been demonstrated 

to contribute to elevated phosphorus concentrations above 

background levels in streams (Herlihy and others, 1998; U. S. 

Geological Survey, 1999). Osborne and Wiley (1988) found 

that urban areas, compared to agricultural areas, contribute 

disproportionately larger amounts soluble reactive phosphorus 

to streams in an agricultural watershed. Wastewater and fertilizers are important contributors of phosphorus in urban areas 

(La Valle, 1975).

Nitrate (nitrate + nitrite as N) was significantly higher 

in the LO urban land-cover category than in the MH category 

(fig. 5d). The correlation of nitrate with land cover was significant with both agricultural land cover and urban land cover, 

but greater with agricultural land. Nitrate concentrations at 

sites with less than 50-percent urban land were linearly related 

to the amount of agricultural area in the basin. Considering 

only sites with greater than 50-percent agricultural land, the 

adjusted r-squared with nitrate and percent agricultural land 

was 0.62 (p ≤ 0.001). One site, Sugar Run (no. 21), which 

was sampled on the first day of sampling after a storm, had 

the highest nitrate concentrations measured during this study. 

Removing Sugar Run from the regression raised the adjusted 

r-squared to 0.81 (p ≤ 0.001). 

Of the sites with greater than 50-percent watershed 

urban land, six sites had high nitrate concentrations relative to 

most other sites. These are the same sites with elevated total 

phosphorus concentrations—Flag Creek, West Branch Du 

Page River, Salt Creek, East Branch Du Page River, Willow 

Creek, and Addison Creek. Nitrate concentrations at these 

sites ranged from 2.3 mg/L to 9.3 mg/L. Nitrate concentrations 

at the other five sites with greater than 50-percent urban land 

(Rock Run, Skokie River, Sawmill Creek, Tinley Creek, and 

Midlothian Creek; nos. 26, 11, 9, 17, 16, respectively) were all 

0.6 mg/L or lower. 

Evidence is present for both point and nonpoint sources 

of nutrients along the urban gradient in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin. Urban sites typically have 

multiple point and nonpoint sources. Three of the six highly 

urbanized sites with higher phosphorus and nitrate concentrations had six or greater permitted discharge facilities in their 

watersheds: East Branch Du Page River (11 facilities); West 

Branch Du Page River (8); and Willow Creek (6) (nos. 24, 23, 

5, respectively). The other three sites had either two or three 

facilities. The five highly urban sites with lower phosphorus 

and nitrate concentrations had either two or fewer discharge 

facilities reported. In contrast, all but one of the five highly 

urbanized stream sites with lower phosphorus and nitrate 

concentrations had higher percent forest and wetland within 

a 60-m buffer along the stream length (median = 25 percent, 

range from 16 to 35 percent) than the six other sites (median = 

15 percent, range from 7 to 21 percent). Nitrate was negatively 

correlated to (rho = -0.61) percent forest and wetland within 

a 60-m buffer along the stream length. Herlihy and others 

(1998) found increasing nitrate concentrations associated with 

both agriculture and urban land uses, but found nitrate to be an 

especially good indicator of agricultural land use.

TKN was correlated with total phosphorus (rho = 

0.83), but not correlated (rho = -0.10) with nitrate. The relations between TKN and land cover were not clear. TKN 

(NITTKN_W) correlated more highly with agricultural land 

(rho = -0.52) than with urban land (rho = 0.46) (table 4). 

The relation between TKN and land cover was driven by the 

majority of the loamy sites (all Fox River Basin sites) with 

relatively low (0.6 mg/L) TKN (fig. 4e) as compared to the 

other sites. TKN concentrations were lower in the LO and 

ML land-cover categories than in the MH and HI categories 

(fig. 5e).

Specific conductivity was only weakly correlated to 

urban land cover (table 4). This weak correlation resulted 

because of opposing patterns for some major ions. Sodium, 

chloride, and potassium concentrations were positively correlated with urban land; however, calcium and magnesium 

concentrations were negatively correlated. Sodium and chloride concentrations had a highly positive correlation with each 

other (rho = 0.86), and calcium and magnesium were highly 

correlated with each other (rho = 0.98). Ruhl (1995) commented that concentrations of calcium and magnesium tend 

to be high in the upper Illinois River Basin because of glacial 

till deposits, and underlying limestone and dolostone bedrock. 

Leland and Porter (2000) found that calcium and magnesium 

ions were dominant in the upper Fox River Basin compared to 

other basins in the upper Illinois River Basin. 

Chloride concentrations in the LO urban land-cover 

category were significantly lower than in the other landcover categories, but increased with increasing land cover 

(figs. 4f, 5f). Elevated sodium and chloride concentrations, 

above background or natural levels, often have been associated 

with road deicing, but municipal and industrial sewage discharges, and fertilizers are other sources. In Canada, elevated 

chloride concentrations were found in areas of intense road 

salt loadings (Environment Canada, 2001). Herlihy and others 

(1998) found chloride ion concentrations to be a “surrogate 

for general human disturbance in the watershed” in the MidAtlantic region. 

16 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Organic Wastewater Compounds

The number of wastewater compounds detected at sites 

with greater than 25-percent urban land was significantly 

greater than at sites with less than 25-percent urban land 

(figs. 4g, 5g). At sites with greater than 25-percent urban land, 

the median number of compounds detected was 12 (mean = 

12; range from 6 to 19). In contrast, the 25 sites with less than 

25-percent urban land, the median was only 3 compounds 

detected (mean = 5; range from 0 to 19). 

Overall, the number of wastewater compounds detected 

at a site ranged from 0 at Big Rock Creek to 19 at North 

Branch Nippersink Creek and Butterfield Creek (nos. 42, 33, 

14, respectively). Of the 10 sites where the greatest number 

of wastewater compounds was detected, 8 had greater than 

25-percent urban land, but 2, North Branch Nippersink Creek 

and Plum Creek (no. 12), had less than 25-percent urban land. 

A variety of types of compounds were most commonly 

detected, including a detergent, diethoxy-Octylphenol (31 

detections); PAHs (naphthalene (30), fluoranthene (24), and 

pyrene (22)); an insecticide, diazinon (26); a flame retardant, 

Tri(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (26); and a plasticizer, phthalic 

anhydride (24) (table 6). All of these compounds were found 

more commonly at sites with greater than 25-percent urban 

land than at sites with less than 25-percent urban land. Diazinon and fluoranthene were detected at all 19 sites with greater 

than 25-percent urban land compared to only 7 of 25 sites 

with less than 25-percent urban land. Two other most common 

PAHs (fluoranthene and pyrene) were found at 18 of the 19 

most urbanized sites compared to 5 and 4, respectively, out of 

the 25 least urbanized sites. 

Low concentrations of many organic wastewater compounds were found in streams with urban sources across the 

United States during a recent reconnaissance study (Kolpin 

and others, 2002). Triclosan, an antibacterial ingredient in 

soaps, detergents, and toothpastes, and Tris (2-chloroethyl) 

phosphate, a flame retardant in plastics, were some of the 

commonly found compounds in the Kolpin and others (2002) 

study. 

Sources of these compounds detected in the UIRB 

streams are varied. Diazinon is an insecticide used to control 

cockroaches, silverfish, ants, and fleas in buildings and it is 

used on home gardens and farms to control a wide variety of 

insects. Diazinon is probably transported to streams in nonpoint overland flow. Diazinon has been found more commonly 

in urban streams than in agricultural streams (U. S. Geological 

Survey, 1999; Groschen and others, 2004). Industrial byproducts, including some PAHs, can be derived from regulated and 

unregulated industrial effluent, and household chemicals and 

pharmaceuticals have been reported from wastewater-treatment plants or domestic septic systems that do not remove 

them from the effluent (Paul and Meyer, 2001; Kolpin and 

others, 2002).

Trace Elements in Streambed Sediment

Sediment concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, 

copper, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc substantially increased 

with increasing urban land in the study area. The strongest 

correlation was between lead and urban land (rho = 0.87), followed by zinc (0.81), and copper (0.76) (table 4, fig. 4h.) Copper concentrations in the LO urban land-cover category were 

significantly lower than copper concentrations in the other 

categories; copper concentrations in the HI urban land-cover 

category were significantly higher than copper concentrations 

in other land-cover categories (fig. 5h).

Similar to the trace elements described above, lead, zinc, 

cadmium, nickel, and mercury concentrations in the LO or LO 

and ML land-cover categories were lower than the HI landcover category and concentrations in the MH and HI landcover categories were higher than concentrations in the LO 

land-cover category. Concentrations of various trace elements 

were lower at urban land cover of less than 10 percent. Copper, lead, zinc and arsenic concentrations were lower in the LO 

land-cover category than in the ML category. 

Consensus-based Threshold Effect Concentrations (TEC) 

of MacDonald and others (2000) were exceeded for chromium 

at 93 percent of the sites and for nickel at 70 percent of the 

sites. Cadmium and mercury TEC were exceeded the least 

often. The TEC for cadmium was exceeded at only three of the 

most urbanized sites (Addison Creek, Salt Creek and Willow 

Creek; nos. 7, 6, 5, respectively). The TEC for mercury was 

exceeded at two sites (Butterfield Creek (no. 14) and Pewaukee River (no. 28)). Concentrations of four other trace metals 

exceeded TEC standards at between 35 and 44 percent of the 

sites.

Consensus-based Probable Effects Concentrations (PEC) 

of MacDonald and others (2000) were exceeded at two sites: 

Addison Creek (no. 7) and Nippersink Creek (no. 32). Sediment concentrations of chromium, lead, and nickel exceeded 

PEC at Addison Creek, the site with the most watershed urban 

land and the highest population density. Sediment concentrations exceeded PEC for both chromium and nickel in Nippersink Creek, a primarily agricultural watershed. Nippersink 

Creek was also a high outlier for copper concentrations. 

Groschen and others (2000) found that concentrations 

of chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, selenium, and 

zinc decreased in the Illinois River in a downstream direction 

away from the Chicago metropolitan area. Fitzpatrick and 

others (1995), summarizing USGS and other historical data 

(1975–92) in the UIRB, found that sediment concentrations of 

chromium, copper, mercury and zinc were enriched in urban 

streams relative to agricultural streams, and concentrations 

of many trace elements decreased in the Illinois River with 

increasing distance from the Chicago metropolitan area. Rice 

(1999), Mathis and Cummins (1973), and Colman and Sanzolone (1992) also found relations between urban land use, or a 

surrogate, and sediment trace-element concentrations.

Chemical Responses to Urbanization 17
Biological Responses to Urbanization

Algae, macroinvertebrate, and fish communities are often 

sampled for monitoring water quality (Barbour and others, 

1999). These communities represent multiple trophic levels 

and each may be expected to respond differently to changes 

in watershed urbanization and changes in stream physical and 

chemical characteristics. 

Algae and Chlorophyll

A total of 263 unique algal taxa were identified in samples from the 45 sites (table 7). The most taxa (65) were found 

on woody snags from Plum Creek (no. 12; fig. 2), and the least 

taxa (19) were found on rocks from Sawmill Creek (no. 9). 

Both sites were in watersheds with clayey surficial deposits. 

Over half the algal taxa were found at only 1 or 2 sites, and 

70 percent of the algal taxa were found at 5 or fewer of the 45 

sampled sites. Algal abundance ranged from a minimum of 

41,224 cells per cm2 at Deer Creek (no. 13) to a maximum of 

4,697,531 cells per cm2 at Little Rock Creek (no. 43).

Most of the algal taxa (greater than or equal to 74 

percent) and most of the algal cells (median 66 percent) at 

all sites consisted of diatoms. In order of percent occurrence 

across all sites, the diatoms Amphora pediculus, Rhoicosphenia curvata, Navicula minima, Cocconeis placentula

var. lineata, and Navicula cryptotenella, Nitzschia frustulum, 

Cocconeis placentula var. euglypta, Cocconeis placentula, and 

Achnanthes lanceolata were the most common taxa. Of these 

species, only Navicula minima is considered to be pollution 

tolerant and the others are considered to be less tolerant or 

sensitive to pollution (Lange-Bertalot, 1979; Bahls, 1993). 

Diatoms accounted for the majority of the biovolume at 

many but not all sites, because of abundant green or red algae. 

For example, although green algae accounted for less than 1 

percent of the total algal biomass and 5 percent or less of the 

total algal cells at most sites (absent at 16 sites), 98 percent of 

the total algal biovolume at Long Run (no. 18) consisted of the 

green alga Cladophora glomerata, a species generally considered to indicate high nutrient concentrations when abundant. 

Other species of green algae contributed more than one-quarter of the total algal biovolume at Indian Creek, Nippersink 

Creek, Little Rock Creek and Big Rock Creek (nos. 45, 32, 

43, 42, respectively). The abundance of green algae increased 

with increasing concentrations of the nutrient phosphorus in 

sediment (rho = 0.38) and dissolved solids (0.41) (table 8). At 

23 sites, a red alga (Unknown Rhodophyte Florideophycidae 

(chantransia)) made up at least half of the algal biovolume; 

however, red algae were absent from 13 of 45 sites. Yellowgreen algae were present only at Bull Creek, West Branch 

Du Page River, Rock Run, and Big Rock Creek (nos., 4, 23, 

26, 42, respectively) but abundance of this algal group was 1 

percent or less of the total algal abundance at these four sites. 

The yellow-green alga Dinobryon divergens was found at 

three of these sites. This colonial phytoplankton is important 

in water supplies because it may cause disagreeable taste and 

odor (Prescott, 1978; Terrell and Perfetti, 1989). Blue-green 

algae never accounted for more than 16 percent of the algal 

biovolume, although this group was present at most sites and 

in relatively high abundance (from 40 to 65 percent) at some 

sites. Although various species of blue-green algae are known 

to fix nitrogen, none of those found in this study are known 

nitrogen-fixers. The most common blue-green algae were 

Amphithrix janthina, a suspected nitrogen-fixing alga, and the 

filamentous Oscillatoria granulate and Oscillatoria prolifica. 

Euglenoids were found at just three sites and a different species was present at each site, whereas dinoflagellates were 

found only at Salt Creek (no. 6) and were represented by only 

one species. The dinoflagellate Glenodinium pulvisculus was 

found with abundance and biovolume less than 1 percent on 

rocks at Salt Creek. 

The diatom pollution-tolerance index indicates degrading water quality with lower values and the index showed a 

significant relation to increasing percent urban land (fig. 4i). 

This index relation indicated that at sites with more urban land 

in the drainage, the algal assemblages became more dominated 

by pollution-tolerant diatoms. Although index values for more 

sites indicated some pollution stress for diatom assemblages, 

no values greater than 2.4 for sites with greater than about 25-

percent urban land were determined during this study. Sites in 

the LO and ML urban land-cover categories had higher diatom 

pollution-tolerance index values than the two categories of 

sites with greater than 25-percent urban land (fig 5i).

The median percent pollution-sensitive diatoms at sites 

was 44 percent. Many silt-tolerant taxa also are pollutiontolerant. The highest percent pollution-sensitive diatoms and 

the lowest diatom silt index for all sites were found at Boone 

Creek (no. 34) and Mill Creek at Mooseheart, Ill. (no. 39) 

(81 percent sensitive taxa and < 20 percent silt-tolerant taxa). 

In contrast, the algal assemblage at Rock Run (no. 26) was 

represented by the lowest percent pollution-sensitive diatoms 

(5.3 percent) and the second highest (75 percent) silt index. 

Higher values of the silt index indicate a greater abundance of 

silt-tolerant diatom taxa. The diatom silt index was correlated 

(rho = -0.39) to one urban indicator, percent change in population density from 1990 to 2000 (POPDENCH). Increased fine 

sediment, such as silt, in streams is a common result of construction and adverse effects on streams can be severe (Waters, 

1995). Soil loss from construction sites can be much greater 

than from either agricultural or forest sources. 

The median percent pollution-tolerant diatoms was 17 

percent, and algal assemblages at Des Plaines River at Russell, 

Addison Creek, and Long Run (nos. 2, 7, 18, respectively) 

included much higher percent pollution-tolerant diatoms 

relative to other sampled sites (from 43 to 45 percent). The 

percent pollution-tolerant diatoms increased with increasing 

percent urban land and other indicators of urbanization (table 

4) such as increasing industrial land use, population density, 

impervious surface, dissolved sodium in water, concentrations 

of various metals (chromium, copper, nickel, zinc) in streambed sediment, as well as with indicators of eutrophication–

18 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
increasing TKN and total phosphorus in water. Fitzpatrick and 

others (2001) found that the percent pollution-tolerant diatoms 

showed the strongest relations to environmental variables 

of all algal metrics evaluated for their study of agricultural 

streams in Wisconsin.

Diatom diversity ranged from a low of 2.50 on rocks at 

Sawmill Creek (no. 9) to a high of 4.97 and 5.13 on woody 

snags at Deer Creek (no. 13) and Butterfield Creek (no. 14), 

respectively. The rock sample at Butterfield Creek did not have 

a similarly high value at 3.04. Diatom diversity index values 

for Addison Creek, Sawmill Creek (no. 9), and Jackson Creek 

(no. 22) showed that diatom assemblages in these stream sites 

were under high stress (values < 2.7). Diversity at 11 stream 

sites indicated no stress on the diatom assemblages from 

contamination; however, diversity may be high with moderate 

levels of some types of contamination.

Diatom guilds showed few relations with environmental 

characteristics (table 4). The abundance of Achnanthes spp. 

(guild 1) decreased and stalked diatoms (guild 9) increased 

with agricultural land cover. Neither guild showed any relation with urban land cover; however, the abundance of diatom 

guild 3 (non-filamentous centric diatoms) and guild 4 (filamentous centric diatoms) correlated with urban land cover. 

Guild 4 diatoms decreased with increasing urban land, road 

density, impervious cover, and population density, and the 

relation with urban land improved when woody snag samples 

were excluded. Guild 3 diatoms increased with urban land 

when woody snags alone were considered (table 8); however, 

this increase may simply reflect more slowly moving streams 

where these generally planktonic algae are more abundant.

Chlorophyll a in phytoplankton was weakly correlated 

to the urban-indicator variables (table 4). Chlorophyll a in 

periphyton was not correlated to any urban indicators, however, pheophytin, a degradation product of chlorophyll, was 

weakly correlated to all but one urban indicator.

The eigenvalues for DCA axes 1 through 4 are shown in 

table 9 and together the first four axes explained 17.3 percent 

of the variance in the algal data set. The taxa with high scores 

on the algal DCA axis 1 were the diatoms Achnanthes affinis, 

A. minutissima, Gomphonema minutum, Navicula capitatoradiata, and N. reichardtiana, and the blue-green alga Oscillatoria granulata (fig. 6). The sites that were scored highest 

on axis 2 were Little Rock Creek, Buck Creek, Jericho Creek, 

Boone Creek, and Indian Creek (nos. 43, 46, 30, 34, 45, 

respectively); all these sites were in watersheds with less than 

5-percent urban land. The sites that scored lowest on the algal 

DCA axis 1 were Salt Creek, Addison Creek, and Flag Creek 

(nos 6, 7, 8, respectively). All these sites had greater than 70-

percent urban land. The taxa which scored lowest on the algal 

DCA axis 1 were all diatoms: Achnanthes pinnata, Navicula 

ingénue, N. seminulum, N. tantula, and N. recens. The species 

Navicula, as a group, are generally motile and tend to be associated with higher silt conditions in streams (Molloy, 1992; 

Bahls, 1993).

DCA ordination indicated that urban land and other 

urban indicators were the major variables affecting the overall 

abundance and distribution of benthic algae in the studied 

stream sites (table 10a). The strongest correlations (rho > 0.6) 

to DCA axis 1 scores were all negative, and these included 

urban indicators, dissolved ions in water, and sediment metals, and percent clayey surficial deposits in the watershed 

(WATCLAY). Positive correlations to DCA axis 1 included 

dissolved magnesium (MG_W) and calcium ions (CA_W), 

and soil-permeability variables (WATMOPER, BUFMOPER). 

Fewer environmental variables were correlated to DCA axis 

2 and many of these variables were more highly correlated to 

DCA axis 1. 

The eigenvalues for the first four axes of the algal CCA 

were 0.242, 0.209, 0.189, and 0.166, respectively. The first 

four axes explained 16 percent of the cumulative percent 

variance of the algal species data and 39.3 of the cumulative 

percent variance of the algal species-environment relation. The 

variable URBANLU was selected as a representative variable 

for CCA because it was highly correlated with many other 

variables, such as CL_W, CU_S, and Pb_S. 

The most important environmental variables indicated 

by CCA were total phosphorus in water (PHOTOT_W) and 

the percent urban land (URBAN_LU), mean watershed slope 

(WATSLOP2), substrate variability (SUBSTCO), the percent clayey surficial deposits in the watershed (WATCLAY), 

nitrogen as nitrate plus nitrite (NITRAT_W), and the total 

number of detections of organic wastewater compounds 

(WWTPDET) (fig. 7; table 11). Additional important variables 

were arsenic in streambed sediment (AS_S), average wetted 

width/depth ratio (WDRAT), the amount of forest/wetland 

within the 60-m buffer (BUFFOWE), the slope of the lowflow water surface (SLOPELO), the percent habitat cover 

(HABCOVER), the average erosion length of stream banks 

(EROSION), the Wisconsin Habitat Index (WIHABIN), and 

average open-canopy angle (CANOPY). Algal species highly 

associated with increasing percent urban land in the watershed 

(URBANLU) were the green algae Scenedesmus opoliensis

and Scenedesmus acuminatus, blue-green alga Merismopedia 

tenuissima, and motile diatoms including Nitzschia thermaloides, Nitzschia intermedia, Nitzschia clausii, Navicula microcephala, Navicula gastrum, and Luticola goeppertiana.

Macroinvertebrates

The macroinvertebrate genera most commonly identified 

were the midges Polypedilum sp. (44 sites), and Ablabesmyia

sp. (42), and the caddisfly Cheumatopsyche sp. (41) (table 12). 

Other commonly identified taxa were Turbellaria (39 sites), 

Tubificidae (39), Baetis sp. (38), Hydropsyche sp. (37), Stenelmis sp. (37). The most abundant taxa in terms of mean percent 

of sample were Stenelmis sp. (10.6 percent), Cheumatopsyche

sp. (10.2 percent), and Tubificidae (9.8 percent). Taxa that also 

averaged more than 5 percent of sample composition were 

Polypedilum sp. (8.0 percent), Baetis sp. (7.3), Hydropsyche

sp. (6.6 percent), and Caecidotea sp. (6.6 percent). 

Biological Responses to Urbanization 19
Figure 6. Algal partial detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) by A) site and by B) species for 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois

and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000. Site abbreviations and species codes are listed in tables 1 and 7, respectively. Only species with a 

weight greater than 100 (42 of 263 taxa) are displayed.

20 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Figure 7. Algal partial canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) biplots of the relations of environmental variables to A) stream sites 

and to B) species, in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01. Site abbreviations, environmental variable codes, and 

species codes are listed in tables 1, 2, and 7, respectively. Environmental variable arrow vectors represent the importance and direction 

of influence. Only species with a weight greater than 100 (42 of 263 taxa) are displayed.

Biological Responses to Urbanization 21
The most total taxa were identified from Boone Creek 

(no. 34) (3.4-percent watershed urban land cover), with 48 

taxa collected from the snag substrate. Additionally, the highest number of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera 

(EPT) taxa on snags (12 taxa) was identified from Boone 

Creek. The sites with the next highest numbers of total taxa 

were Somonauk Creek (45 taxa; no. 44) and Little Rock Creek 

(41; no. 43). The seven stream sites with the highest numbers 

of total taxa (from 35 to 48) were all sites in the Fox River 

Basin, and all but one of these sites was classified as having loamy surficial deposits. Waubansee Creek (37), Jackson 

Creek (34), East Branch Du Page River (34), and Spring Creek 

(33) (nos. 40, 22, 24, 20, respectively), had the highest number 

of taxa for stream sites in clayey deposits. Of these sites, only 

the Boone Creek sample was collected from snag substrate. 

The highest number of EPT taxa was 16 at Blackberry Creek 

(no. 41), 14 at Little Rock Creek and Jackson Creek, and 13 

at Big Rock Creek (no. 42); samples at these sites were collected from rocks, and these three sites had less than 7-percent 

watershed urban land cover. The lowest number of macroinvertebrate taxa, 15, was collected from Willow Creek (no. 5) 

and North Creek (no. 15). The lowest number of EPT taxa was 

identified from North Creek (one EPT taxon) and there were 

three sites with only two EPT taxa identified: Willow Creek, 

Addison Creek (no. 7) and Midlothian Creek (no. 16). 

Sites in the LO and ML urban land-cover categories had 

higher numbers of EPT taxa than the two categories of sites 

with greater than 25-percent urban land (fig. 5j). This pattern 

was also found for number of macroinvertebrate taxa, tolerance value based on richness, number of Ephemeroptera taxa, 

number of Trichoptera taxa, and percent Ephemeroptera. Of 

the 7 sites with 12 or more EPT taxa, 6 had less than 7-percent 

urban land and Waubansee Creek (no. 40) had 21-percent 

urban land (fig. 4j). The greatest range of EPT scores and the 

highest standard deviation of EPT scores was in the LO landcover category.

Various macroinvertebrate indices had strong correlations 

with percent watershed urban land cover (tables 4 and 8). In 

order of strength of correlation, these indices were the number 

of EPT taxa (rho = -0.72), the number of macroinvertebrate 

taxa (rho = -0.68), and the tolerance value based on richness 

(rho = 0.66). Other indices that were strongly negatively correlated (p < 0.001) with increasing urban land included number 

of Ephemeroptera taxa, percent Ephemeroptera, number of 

Trichoptera taxa, and all three macroinvertebrate diversity 

indices. The dominance of the top three taxa in a sample was 

positively correlated with increasing urban land. 

Considering only the 34 samples where rock substrate 

was sampled (as opposed to woody snags), some correlations between macroinvertebrate indices and percent urban 

land were higher than correlations when both rock and woody 

snag samples were used (table 8). The strongest correlations 

(p < 0.001) were number of EPT taxa (rho = -0.80), number of 

taxa (rho = -0.82), and tolerance value based on richness 

(rho = 0.74). Other indices that decreased with increasing 

urban land were number of Ephemeroptera taxa, percent 

Ephemeroptera, number of Trichoptera taxa, and Margalef 

and Shannon diversity. Indices that increased with increasing 

urban land were dominance of the top three taxa and percent 

noninsects. 

In samples that were collected off only woody snags (14 

samples, Spearman significance level 0.538, p = 0.05), the 

percent Coleoptera (rho = -0.60) decreased with percent urban 

land. The smaller sample size of number of snag samples compared to other data sets may have some effect on the ability to 

detect trends in macroinvertebrate indices. 

For a sampler comparison (data not shown), at three 

sites, two samples were collected, one from cobble and the 

other from submerged woody snags (Bassett Creek (no. 31), 

dropped from analyses, was a fourth site where two samples 

were collected). Density was at least twice as great in the rock 

samples as in the woody snag samples. (At Bassett Creek, the 

opposite was true). The number of EPT taxa in the rock samples was equal to or greater than in the woody snag samples; 

however, the total number of taxa identified in the woody snag 

samples was greater than or equal to the number of taxa in the 

rock samples. This result was mostly due to a greater number 

of chironomid taxa collected in the woody snag samples.

Eigenvalues for the first three DCA axes were 0.23, 0.15, 

and 0.10, respectively (table 9), and the cumulative variance 

explained was 13, 21, and 27 percent, respectively. The sites 

that were scored highest on the axis were North Branch Nippersink Creek, Blackberry Creek, Big Rock Creek and Little 

Rock Creek (fig. 8; nos. 33, 41, 42, 43, respectively); all these 

sites had less than 7-percent urban watershed land. The taxa 

that had high scores on the macroinvertebrate DCA axis 1 

were: the mayflies Tricorythodes and Isonychia; the midges 

Tvetenia and Rheotanytarsus; and the caddisfly Ceratopsyche. 

The sites that were scored lowest on the macroinvertebrate 

DCA axis 1 were North Creek, North Branch Chicago River, 

Addison Creek, and Willow Creek (nos. 15, 10, 7, 5, respectively). All these sites had greater than 33-percent urban watershed land. The taxa that scored low on the macroinvertebrate 

DCA axis 1 were: the snail Ferrissia; the isopod Caecidotea; 

the fingernail clams, Pisidium; the annelid worms Tubifididae; 

and the flatworm Turbellaria. 

Macroinvertebrate DCA axis 1 had strong negative correlations (p < 0.001) with sediment metal variables and urban 

land-use variables (table 10b). The bankfull-channel area 

area divided by drainage area (AREABFDA) and instantaneous discharge/estimated low flow (FLOWVAR2) was also 

negatively correlated to the macroinvertebrate DCA axis 1. 

Sodium and potassium in water were negatively correlated 

with this axis, and calcium and magnesium ion concentrations 

were positively correlated to this axis. Higher soil permeability was positively related to the axis by various variables 

(percent moderately permeable soils in the watershed (WATMOPER) and in a stream buffer (BUFMOPER), and percent 

outwash (WATOUT)) and variables indicating larger drainage 

size (drainage area (DRAIN) and cumulative stream length 

(CSTLE)) were positively related to the axis.

22 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
The highest macroinvertebrate DCA axis 2 score was at 

Jericho Creek (no. 30). Variables indicating higher basin relief 

and runoff were correlated with higher DCA axis 2 scores. 

These variables included a higher transport index (TRANSIN) 

(calculated by multiplying the relief by the drainage density 

and indicates how fast the runoff is drained), higher basin 

relief ratio (RELIEF), and higher slope (WATSLOP1, WATSLOP2, SLOPEBF, SLOPELO). The midge Tvetenia and the 

net-spinning caddisflies Ceratopsyche and Cheumatopsyche

had high macroinvertebrate DCA axis 2 scores. Des Plaines 

River (no. 2) and Jackson Creek (no. 22) had the lowest 

macroinvertebrate DCA axis 2 scores. Larger channel size, 

indicated by higher bankfull-channel area and bankfull crosssectional area (AREABF, BKFXSAR), and higher concentrations of the trace elements aluminum, chromium, and nickel 

in sediment were correlated with lower scores on the axis. The 

mayfly Tricorythodes had low macroinvertebrate DCA axis 2 

scores.

Macroinvertebrate CCA axis 1 was negatively correlated with urban land use (URBANLU) and percent clay 

(WATCLAY) in the watershed, and positively correlated with 

drainage area, (DRAIN), the transport index (TRANSIN), and 

periphyton chlorophyll (chlper_a) (fig. 9). The second axis 

negatively related to stream size and amount of clay in the 

basin. Variables related to the third axis were standing crop of 

periphyton (chlper_a) and urban land cover.

The loamy surficial deposit sites scored highly on the 

macroinvertebrate CCA axis 1 and were separated from the 

clayey surficial deposit sites. The loamy sites were characterized by high transport index values (TRANSIN), high standing 

crop of periphyton (chlper_a), and low urban land cover. The 

loamy sites were characterized by the mayflies Isonychia and 

Tricorythodes, the midges Tvetenia and Rheotanytarsus, and 

the net-spinning caddisflies Ceratopsyche. The macroinvertebrates associated with negative axis 1 scores were the snail 

Ferrissia; the isopod Caecidotea; the fingernail clams Musculium, and the annelid worms Tubificidae.

Fish

Seventy fish species from 16 families were identified at 

the 45 sites. Four of these species were not native to the UIRB. 

The number of native fish species identified at a particular site 

ranged from a low of 2 at Midlothian Creek (no. 16) to a high 

of 31 at Genesee Creek (no. 29). The median number of native 

fish at a site was 13. 

Green sunfish (Centrarchidae) was the species identified 

from the most sites; it was present at 39 sites (table 13). The 

bluntnose minnow (Cyprinidae) and white sucker (Catostomidae) were the next most commonly encountered species, at 

36 and 35 sites, respectively. Other species that were found 

at more than one-third of the sites were the sunfish (Centrarchidae) bluegill (27 sites) and largemouth bass (26); a darter 

(Percidae), johnny darter (30); a bullhead catfish (Ictaluridae) 

yellow bullhead (25); and seven other minnows (Cyprinidae). 

In addition to bluntnose minnow, the most common minnows 

were creek chub (31 sites), central stoneroller (25), hornyhead 

chub (24), spotfin shiner (21), common carp (21), sand shiner 

(20), and common shiner (17). 

Common carp is a widespread non-native species and 

was identified at 21 sites. Three other non-native species were 

identified during fish sampling. The oriental weatherfish was 

found at Midlothian Creek (72-percent urban land in basin; no. 

16) and the western mosquitofish and goldfish were identified 

from the Skokie River (60-percent urban land cover; no. 11).

Of the three biological components, fish metrics and 

indices had the strongest correlations with urban land cover. 

The revised Illinois IBI was strongly negatively correlated 

(rho = -0.81) with amount of watershed urban land (fig. 4k). 

Only one site with less than 25-percent urban land had a score 

less than 30; Des Plaines River at Russell (no. 2), a low-gradient site, scored 27. Only one site with greater than 25-percent 

urban land had a score of greater than 26; Poplar Creek (no. 

37), 38-percent urban land, had a score of 40. Of the nine 

sites that scored 45 or better, seven had less than 7-percent 

urban land; all these sites were in basins with loamy surficial 

deposits.

In the revised Illinois IBI, eight metrics are expected to 

decrease with disturbance and two are expected to increase. 

With respect to urban land cover, 9 of the 10 metrics were 

consistent with this hypothesis. Eight metrics had Spearman 

rho values greater than ± 0.48 (p < 0.001), and the ninth, 

proportion of generalist feeders, had a Spearman rho of 0.44 

(p < 0.01) (table 4). The number of native sunfish species 

metric showed no correlation with the urban gradient. The IBI 

itself had a higher correlation value with urban land than any 

of the individual metrics.

Sites in the LO and ML urban land-cover categories had 

higher Illinois IBI scores than the two categories of sites with 

greater than 25-percent urban land (fig. 5k).The following 

metrics had a similar pattern: number of native intolerant species; number of native benthic invertivore species; proportion 

of obligate coarse-mineral-substrate spawners; and proportion 

of tolerant species (data not shown). The number of native 

minnow species followed a similar pattern, but, in addition, the 

LO was higher than ML. The number of native fish was higher 

in the LO category than in the other categories. The proportion 

of specialist benthic invertivores in the HI category was lower 

than in all the other categories. The proportion of individuals of species that are generalist feeders was lowest in the 

ML category. The greatest variability in IBI scores was in the 

LO (from 0- to 10-percent urban land) category (interquartile 

range = 13; standard deviation = 8.5), and the lowest variability of IBI scores was found in the greater than 50-percent 

urban land category (interquartile range = 3; standard deviation = 4.9) (fig. 5k). 

Eigenvalues for the first three fish DCA axes were 0.30 

0.20, and 0.10, respectively (table 9), and the cumulative variance explained was 14, 24, and 29 percent, respectively. The 

lowest fish DCA axis 1 scores were found at North Branch 

Chicago River, Deer Creek, Salt Creek, Des Plaines River, 

Biological Responses to Urbanization 23
Figure 8. Macroinvertebrate partial detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) by A) site and by B) taxon for 45 stream sites in 

northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000. Site abbreviations and taxa codes are listed in tables 1 and 12, respectively. 

Only taxa with a species weight greater than 11 (38 of 61 taxa) are displayed.

24  Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Figure 9. Macroinvertebrate partial canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) biplots of the relations of environmental variables to A) 

stream sites and B) species in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01. Site abbreviations, environmental variable 

codes, and taxa codes are listed in tables 1, 2, and 12, respectively. Environmental variable arrow vectors represent the importance and 

direction of influence. The environmental variables shown are significantly related to one or more of the CCA axes (table 11). Only taxa 

with a species weight greater than 11 (38 of 61 taxa) are displayed.

Biological Responses to Urbanization 25
and Skokie River (fig. 10; nos. 10, 13, 6, 2, 11, respectively). 

Of these sites, four had greater than 25-percent urban land 

cover, and all of these sites were among the sites with the 

lowest stream slopes. Black bullhead (Amei mel), blackstripe 

topminnow (Fund not), and bluegill (Lepo mac) scored low on 

the DCA axis 1. Conversely, the highest scoring sites on the 

DCA axis 1, including Buck Creek, Spring Creek, and Sugar 

Run (nos. 46, 20, 21, respectively), had less than 20-percent 

urban watershed land and relatively medium to high slopes 

(SLOPESE ≥ 0.0029). Among the fish with high axis 1 scores 

were striped shiner (Luxi chr), orangethroat darter (Ethe spe), 

fantail darter (Ethe fla), and northern hogsucker (Hype nig). 

Associated with fish DCA axis 1 were environmental 

variables associated with land use, ions, sediment metal, 

substrate composition, and stream slope and power (table 10c). 

Lower fish DCA axis 1 scores were correlated with higher 

urban land use indicators, higher concentrations of sodium, 

potassium, and chloride ions, higher concentrations of TKN 

and total phosphorus, and concentrations of various sediment 

trace elements (including chromium, zinc, mercury, nickel and 

cadmium). Higher scoring sites were associated with larger 

substrate particles (roughness, ROUGH; average substrate 

size/depth SUBST; and amount of gravel, GRAVEL). Higher 

scoring sites also were correlated with many variables indicating greater slopes and stream power (including three slope 

variables and stream power, stress and competence variables). 

The highest scoring sites on fish DCA axis 2 were Indian 

Creek, Mill Creek (Fox Basin), Big Rock Creek, Mill Creek 

(Des Plaines Basin), and Jackson Creek (nos. 45, 39, 42, 39, 

22, respectively). These sites were all among the larger sites 

sampled. The lowest scoring sites on the DCA axis 2 were 

Bull Creek, Spring Creek, Boone Creek, Midlothian Creek, 

Jericho Creek, and Sugar Run (nos. 4, 20, 34, 16, 30, 21, 

respectively). High values on fish DCA axis 2 were correlated to environmental variables indicating large stream size, 

including drainage area (DRAIN), cumulative stream length 

(CSTLE), and bankfull cross-sectional area (BKSURAR). 

Variables related to canopy cover were also correlated to the 

DCA axis 2 and lower correlation values were found for variables related to urban land use and slope.

Urban land (URBANLU), percent clayey surficial deposits (WATCLAY), and percent fines (FINES) were the most 

important significant variables on the fish CCA axis 1 (fig. 

11). Five sites with over 30-percent urban land scored highest 

on this axis. Also scoring highly were stream sites associated 

with more fines (FINES), lower stream slope, and lower current velocity, such as Des Plaines River, Fox River, and Mill 

Creek (Des Plaines Basin) (nos. 2, 27, 3, respectively). Representative species included black bullhead (Amei mel), blackstripe topminnow (Fund not), fathead minnow (Pime pro), and 

three sunfishes, bluegill (Lepo mac), green sunfish (Lepo cya), 

and largemouth bass (Micr sal). Lower scoring sites were low 

urban sites, such as Somonauk Creek (no. 44) and Buck Creek 

(no. 46), and moderately urban, higher gradient sites, such as 

Hickory Creek, and characterized by species such as striped 

shiner (Luxi chr), golden redhorse (Moxo ery), stonecat (Notu 

fla), northern hogsucker (Hype nig), banded darter (Ethe zon), 

and smallmouth bass (Micr dol).

High scoring sites on the second axis were associated 

with larger stream size. These sites, such as Des Plaines River 

(no. 2) and Indian Creek (no. 45), were characterized by species such as blackstripe topminnow (Fund not), black bullhead 

(Amei mel), channel catfish (Icta pun), golden redhorse (Moxo 

ery), and banded darter (Ethe zon). The third axis was primarily related to periphyton (chlper_a) (table 11).

Comparison of Biological Community Reponses 

to Urbanization 

The macroinvertebrate EPT index and fish IBI both 

declined with increasing urbanization, whereas the urbanization effects on the diatom pollution-tolerance index were more 

complex (figs. 4i-k). The macroinvertebrate EPT index and 

fish IBI trend lines parallel each other, each having a steep 

initial decline from 0- to 30-percent urban land, an inflection 

point at about 30-percent watershed urban land, and then a 

shallow decline or no trend at higher percent urban land. In 

this study, 30-percent urban land was roughly equivalent to 

9-percent impervious surface, 0.035 km2/km2 road density, and 

500 people/km2 (1,300 people/mi2). An initial decline in the 

diatom pollution-tolerance index was present but there was 

more scatter about the trend line than there was for the other 

two community indices. 

The steep decline in the biotic indices at the low end of 

the land-cover gradient is similar to other studies that found 

large decreases in biotic integrity with increasing urban indicators (Klein, 1979; Dreher, 1997; Wang and others, 1997). 

Some studies have suggested specific levels of urbanization 

where appreciable impairment occurs. Near the Chicago area, 

for example, fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scores tended 

to be low in watersheds with greater than 10- to 20-percent 

urban land and 200 people/m2 (Dreher, 1997; Wang and others, 1997; Fitzpatrick and others, 2004). Other studies have 

suggested that biotic integrity degrades at about 10-percent 

effective impervious area (for example, Booth and Reinelt, 

1993; Booth and Jackson, 1997; Maxted and Shaver, 1997; 

Wang and others, 2000, 2001). Some researchers have identified a second threshold where stream-quality impairments are 

severe (Klein, 1979; Kennen and Ayers, 2002); the inflection 

point of the macroinvertebrate EPT index and fish IBI trend 

lines in this study may reflect this second threshold. 

Values for the diatom pollution-tolerance index, number 

of macroinvertebrate EPT taxa, and the fish IBI were lower 

in watershed urban land-cover categories LO and ML than 

in MH and HI (fig. 5). For both the fish IBI and macroinvertebrate EPT indices, the majority of the highest scores were 

found in samples from sites with less than 10-percent urban 

land (LO watershed land -cover category). In both of these 

cases, however, the variability of the scores in the LO category 

were greater than that of the ML category. Beyond 20 to 25-

percent urban land, macroinvertebrate and fish index values 

26 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
were uniformly low, with a few exceptions. These findings are 

similar to Fitzpatrick and others (2004) for historic fish and 

macroinvertebrate indices.

Summary

Urbanization is one of the major causes of stream impairment in the United Sates and Europe. Urban development 

modifies land surfaces and increases the amount of impervious 

surface in watersheds. Altered stream channels in urban areas 

result in increased surface runoff; modified peak-flow characteristics; modified sediment erosion and deposition characteristics; modification of annual flooding; and reduced infiltration 

and lower base flows. Point and nonpoint sources in urban 

areas contribute chemical contaminants to streams and, in general, concentrations of nutrients and other ions, metals, pesticides, and organic compounds increase with increasing urban 

land. Decreases in biotic diversity and integrity of invertebrate 

and fish communities have been related to urbanization. 

Agriculture is the predominant land use in northeastern 

Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin in terms of land area, but 

the populated areas of Chicago, Ill. and Milwaukee, Wis. are 

large and rapidly expanding. Watersheds are being converted 

from agriculture to urban and stream conditions may reflect 

these changes in land use. As part of the USGS UIRB - 

NAWQA study, physical, chemical, and biological data were 

collected from sites in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins 

along an agricultural to urban land-cover gradient to better 

understand the effects of urbanization on the physical, chemical, and biological condition of streams in northeastern Illinois 

and southeastern Wisconsin. Forty-five stream sites in the 

study area were sampled. Urbanization indicators and watershed characteristics were calculated for each stream site. Correlation, nonparametric analysis of variance, and multivariate 

analyses were used to assess interactions among the watershed 

characteristics. 

Study watersheds are located in the Fox and Des Plaines 

River Basins of northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin. The study area is approximately 12,400 km2

. The 

climate is humid with an average temperature of 9°C and 

average annual precipitation of about 890 mm. Topography 

is relatively flat. Quaternary deposits are highly variable and 

complex but generally consist of till and outwash sand and 

gravel. A variety of stormwater-control techniques are used in 

the study area. Historically, the capacity of combined sewer 

systems was often exceeded during summer thunderstorms 

resulting in the release of untreated sewage directly to streams. 

Physical characteristics of stream sites were affected by 

landscape characteristics, including stream slope, land-use 

practices, such as different kinds of stormwater-control techniques, as well as by urbanization. Sites with greater stream 

slope were positively correlated with substrate size, amount of 

riffle area, and stream depth variation. Bankfull-channel area 

was smaller and less variable for stream sites with 10-percent or less watershed urban land, than for stream sites with 

more watershed urban land. Results from a concurrent study 

found that the size of 2-year flood peaks increased as urban 

land cover increased from 0 to about 30 percent. The RBP 

Habitat Index was not correlated to percent urban land cover, 

but stream sites with 10- to 25-percent urban land had higher 

scores than stream sites with less than 10-percent urban land 

and stream sites with greater than 25-percent urban land. 

Concentrations of dissolved chloride and sodium, number 

of organic wastewater compounds detected, and concentrations 

of various metals in sediment all had strong positive correlations with increasing urban land. Concentrations of nutrients 

were related to urban and agricultural land use, and possibly 

point sources. Chloride concentrations increased along the 

entire gradient, and would serve as a good surrogate as an 

urban land indicator. Conductivity, which has been used as an 

urban indicator in other studies, was only weakly correlated 

to urban land cover in the study area. Number of detections 

of wastewater compounds was more variable at sites with less 

than 25-percent urban land cover than at sites with greater than 

25-percent urban land. The number of detections ranged from 

0 to 19 compounds, but no sites with greater than 25-percent 

watershed urban land had fewer than 6 detections. A variety 

of types of compounds were commonly detected, including 

PAHs, detergents, disinfectants, insecticides, plasticizers and 

a flame retardant. The sediment trace-element concentrations 

with highest correlations with urban land use were lead, zinc, 

and copper. Concentrations of these trace elements, in particular, appeared to rapidly increase at lower urban levels, level 

off, and then rapidly increase at higher urban land-cover percentages. Nitrate concentrations decreased as agricultural land 

cover decreased and urban land cover increased; this result 

contrasts with some other urban gradient studies that examined 

urban development in undeveloped areas. Total phosphorus 

and nitrate concentrations were particularly high at 6 of 11 

sites with greater than 50-percent urban land cover, indicating 

point-source contributions. 

Biological indices, such as the diatom pollution-tolerance 

index, percent pollution-tolerant diatoms, number of EPT taxa, 

number of macroinvertebrate taxa, and tolerance value based 

on richness, and fish IBI and most of its component metrics, 

indicated decreasing water quality with increasing urban land. 

The majority of the highest scores of the macroinvertebrate 

EPT and the fish IBI indices were found in samples from 

sites with less than 10-percent urban land. More variability 

of the values of these two indices were found at the sites with 

less than 10-percent urban land cover compared to sites with 

between 10 and 25 percent and sites with greater than 25-percent urban land cover. At sites with greater than about 25-percent urban land cover, these index values were uniformly low, 

with a few exceptions.

The algal diatom pollution-tolerance index, macroinvertebrate EPT index, and fish IBI all declined with increasing 

urban land cover. Macroinvertebrate EPT index and fish IBI 

values declined sharply from 0- to 30-percent urban land 

cover. The steep decline in the biotic indices at the low end 

Summary 27
Figure 10. Fish partial detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) by A) stream site and by B) species in northeastern Illinois and 

southeastern Wisconsin, 1995–2001. Site abbreviations and species codes are listed in tables 1 and 13, respectively. Only species with a 

species weight greater than 5 (30 of 72 species) are displayed.

28 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Figure 11. Fish partial canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) biplots of the relations of environmental variables to A) stream sites 

and to B) species, in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 1995–2001. Site abbreviations, environmental variable codes, 

and species codes are listed in tables 1, 2, and 13, respectively. Environmental variable arrow vectors represent the importance and 

direction of influence. The environmental variables shown are significantly related to one or more of the CCA axes (table 11). Only 

species with a species weight greater than 5 (30 of 72 species) are displayed.

Summary 29
of the gradient is similar to other studies that found large 

decreases in biotic integrity with increasing urban indicators. 

The change in slope of the macroinvertebrate EPT index and 

fish IBI trend lines is similar to a second threshold reported in 

other studies, where stream-quality impairments are severe. 

In comparison to macroinvertebrate and fish responses to 

urbanization, algal community indices often were highly 

variable at lower levels of urbanization as some algal species 

increase with urban development; however, at sites with higher 

amounts of watershed urban land, the percent pollution-tolerant diatoms appeared to respond similarly to invertebrates and 

fish.

Primary axes defined in indirect gradient analysis (DCA) 

and direct gradient analysis (CCA) were largely related to 

urban indicators and variables associated with urban indicators, such as concentrations of trace elements in streambed 

sediment and dissolved ions in water. Percent clay in watershed and stream size were correlated with urban land because 

of the site selection and patterns of urban development. Other 

environmental variables important to biological communities 

were related to stream slope, stream power and the transport 

index, percent fines in the substrate, canopy cover, and nutrient 

concentrations.

Physical, chemical, and biological stream attributes are 

altered concurrently as predominantly agricultural lands are 

urbanized; however, there are different patterns of changes 

in these attributes. In general, whereas chloride and sediment trace-element concentrations increased over the entire 

urban gradient, increased point sources (contemporaneous 

with urban development) affected nutrient concentrations 

and the presence of wastewater compounds. Pattern of nitrate 

concentrations reflect both the decrease of watershed agricultural land cover as well as site-specific sources in urban 

areas. Many macroinvertebrate and fish community indices 

declined rapidly with urban development in the study area, 

but then reached a threshold beyond which indices at most 

sites reflected high community impairment. Variability was 

highest for the macroinvertebrate EPT index and the fish IBI at 

low levels of watershed urban land cover (and high amount of 

agricultural land cover), but the variability of bankfull-channel 

area/drainage area at sites with less than 10-percent watershed 

urban land cover was lower than at sites with higher amount 

amounts of urban land cover. 

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the private and public landowners, 

State cooperators, and USGS staff, who contributed to this 

work. Debbie [Adolphson] Murphy, formerly of the USGS, 

played a vital role in organizing and conducting the sampling 

effort, and organizing data. Kevin Richards (USGS) was 

invaluable in many areas of planning, field work, data collection and organization. Other USGS staff involved in this study 

included Rebecca Ashton, Matthew Diebel, David Dupré, 

Brett Esser, Janice Fuller, Phillip Gaebler, David Housner, 

Mindy Mathias, Morgan Schneider, Lawrence Shelton, 

Steven Stammer, Krista Stensvold, Daniel Sullivan, Sarah 

Tegt, Heather Schwar, and Julie Wolf. Fish-species data were 

provided by Steve Pescitelli (Illinois Department of Natural 

Resources) and John Lyons (Wisconsin Department of Natural 

Resources). Christopher Taylor (Illinois Natural History 

Survey) provided fish identification. Cathy M. Tate and John 

Lesnak (Illinois Environmental Protection Agency) provided 

reviews that improved the consistency and readability of this 

report. We extend a special thanks to the private and public 

landowners that allowed us access to the sampling sites. 

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34  Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
TABLES 1–13

Tables 1–13  35
36 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Map reference 

number 

(see 

fig. 2) Site name

Site 

abbreviation

USGS Station 

Number

Drainage area 

(km2)

Watershed 

urban 

land cover 

(percent)

Road 

density 

(km2/ km2)

Estimated 

impervious cover 

(percent)

Population 

density 

(people/ 

km2)

1 Brighton Creek at State Highway 

45 near Bristol, Wis.

BRIGHTON 05527675 66 6.9 0.014 1.5 100

2 Des Plaines River at Russell, Ill. DESPRUSS 05527800 318 4.5 .015 .9 70

3 Mill Creek at Wadsworth, Ill. MILLWADS 05527960 169 9.5 .029 2.7 311

4 Bull Creek below Milwaukee Ave 

near Libertyville, Ill.

BULL 05528032 20 27 .035 7.1 453

5 Willow Creek at Des Plaines R Rd 

near Rosemont, Ill.

WILLOW 05530510 56 86.1 .043 41.1 510

6 Salt Creek at Elk Grove Village, Ill. SALT 05531045 128 73.4 .062 23.3 1,240

7 Addison Creek at Bellwood, Ill. ADDISON 05532000 47 92.4 .079 38 1,690

8 Flag Creek near Willow Springs, Ill. FLAG 05533000 43 86.7 .081 22.2 1,300

9 Sawmill Creek near Lemont, Ill. SAWMILL 05533400 33 73.6 .061 20.9 900

10 N Br Chicago River at Deerfield Rd 

at Deerfield, Ill.

NBCHICAG 05534460 48 33.3 .039 9.5 334

11 Skokie River at Glencoe, Ill. SKOKIE 05535100 62 60 .05 18.4 756

12 Plum Cr at Richton Rd near Sauk 

Village, Ill.

PLUM 05536176 85 8.1 .016 1.7 88

13 Deer Creek near Glenwood, Ill. DEER 05536236 62 25.8 .031 5.7 311

14 Butterfield Cr at Country Club Rd 

near Flossmoor, Ill.

BUTTRF 05536248 48 38.3 .045 11.4 667

15 North Creek Below 183rd Street 

near Thornton, Ill.

NORTH 05536272 58 35 .041 11.4 710

16 Midlothian Creek at Blue Island, 

Ill.

MIDLOTHN 05536355 51 71.7 .072 25.1 1,450

17 Tinley Creek near Palos Park, Ill. TINLEY 05536500 29 56.5 .055 18.7 1,120

18 Long Run Cr at Smith Rd near 

Lemont, Ill.

LONG_RUN 05537550 61 28.5 .038 4.7 473

19 Hickory Creek at Schmuhl Rd near 

New Lenox, Ill.

HICKORY 05538270 127 20.6 .034 6.2 352

20 Spring Creek near Joliet, Ill. SPRING 05538490 47 11.1 .026 2.2 204

21 Sugar Run at Mills Road at Joliet, 

Ill.

SUGAR_RU 05539335 33 17 .026 4.4 253

22 Jackson Cr at Manhattan Rd near 

Elwood, Ill.

JACKSON 05539632 113 3.5 .017 .9 133

23 W Br DuPage R at Garys Mill Rd 

near W Chicago, Ill.

WBDUPAGE 05540032 157 58.1 .056 17.1 1,290

24 East Branch Du Page River near 

Naperville, Ill.

EBDUPAGE 05540260 206 72.9 .062 20.8 1,300

25 Lily Cache Creek above Caton 

Farm Rd near Lily Cache, Ill.

LILYCACH 05540440 114 19 .04 5.6 636

26 Rock Run near Shorewood, Ill. ROCK_RUN 05540660 37 51.8 .054 16.6 909

Table 1. Sampling sites, locations, drainage area, percent watershed urban land, and population density for 45 stream sites in 

northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01.

[USGS, U.S. Geological Survey; km2, square kilometers]

Tables 1–13  37
Map reference 

number 

(see 

fig. 2) Site name

Site 

abbreviation

USGS Station 

Number

Drainage area 

(km2)

Watershed 

urban 

land cover 

(percent)

Road 

density 

(km2/ km2)

Estimated 

impervious cover 

(percent)

Population 

density 

(people/ 

km2)

27 Fox River at Watertown Rd near 

Waukesha, Wis.

FOXWATER 05543800 203 29.7 0.031 7.7 320

28 Pewaukee River near Pewaukee, 

Wis.

PEWAUK 055438135 98 18.8 .032 4.3 290

29 Genesee Creek at Saylesville, Wis. GENESEE 055438845 72 6.6 .021 1 110

30 Jericho Creek near Jericho, Wis. JERICHO 05544080 32 3.1 .019 .6 96

31 Basset Creek near Twin Lakes, Wis. Site Dropped

32 Nippersink Creek above Wonder 

Lake, Ill.

NIPPRSNK 05548105 219 4.4 .014 1.4 100

33 North Branch Nippersink Creek 

near Richmond, Ill.

NBNIPPR 05548200 167 5.7 .017 1.3 83

34 Boone Creek near McHenry, Ill. BOONE 05549000 40 3.4 .016 .4 56

35 Flint Creek near Fox River Grove, 

Ill.

FLINT 05549850 96 30.8 .036 6.8 341

36 Tyler Creek at Randall Road near 

Elgin, Ill.

TYLER 05550290 81 2.9 .013 1 49

37 Poplar Creek at Elgin, Ill. POPLAR 05550500 94 37.7 .044 10.7 881

38 Ferson Creek near St. Charles, Ill. FERSON 05551200 134 16.6 .025 3.1 242

39 Mill Creek at Mooseheart, Ill. MILLMOOS 05551340 80 16.4 .029 3.4 311

40 Waubansee Creek at Oswego, Ill. WAUBANSE 05551548 77 21.2 .037 6.9 646

41 Blackberry Cr at Bristol Ridge Rd 

near Bristol, Ill.

BLACKBRY 05551695 174 6.8 .021 1.7 155

42 Big Rock Creek at Jericho Road 

near Sugar Grove, Ill.

BIG_ROCK 05551931 273 1 .011 .3 24

43 Little Rock Creek at Milhurst Road 

near Plano, Ill.

LTL_ROCK 05551939 196 3.8 .013 1 60

44 Somonauk Creek at Somonauk Rd 

near Sandwich, Ill.

SOMONAUK 05551985 96 .9 .01 .3 18

45 Indian Creek below Shabbona 

County Park near Harding, Ill.

INDIAN 05552190 326 1.1 .01 .3 16

46 Buck Creek near Wedron, Ill. BUCK 05552450 103 0 .008 0 5

Table 1. Sampling sites, locations, drainage area, percent watershed urban land, and population density for 45 stream sites in 

northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01—continued.

[USGS, U.S. Geological Survey; km2, square kilometers]

38 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Variable Abbreviation Median Minimum Maximum

Urban Indicators

Watershed urban land (percent) URBANLU 19 0 92

Road density (km2/km2) ROADDEN .031 .008 .081

Estimated impervious cover (percent) IMPERV 5 0 41

2000 population density (people/km2) POPDEN00 311 5 1,690

Agricultural land (percent) AGRICUL 59 0 99

Industrial land (percent) INDUSLU 2 0 47

1990 population density (people/km2) POPDEN90 252 5 1,600

1990-2000 population density change (percent) POPDENCH 20 3 104

1980 population density, estimated (people/km2) POPDEN80 196 6 1,610

1980-2000 population density change, estimated (percent) POPDENC2 39 -27 215

1999 housing unit density (houses/km2) HOUSE 94 2 574

Landscape Characteristics

Drainage area (km2) DRAIN 81 20 326

Drainage density (km2/km2) DRAINDEN 1.34 1.08 1.44

Basin relief ratio RELIEF .004 .001 .007

Very low and low permeability (percent) WATLOPER 99 2 100

Moderate permeability (percent) WATMOPER 1 0 98

Average basin slope from Basinsoft (feet/mile) WATSLOP1 111 38.3 240

Mean slope in watershed from DEM data (percent) WATSLOP2 1.31 .2 3.36

Percent of basin with ≤1 percent slope (percent) TOPOFLAT 68 36 98

Cumulative stream length (km) CSTLE 112 27 470

Clayey surficial deposits (clay till + lake clay/silt) (percent) WATCLAY 71.2 0 100

Outwash (percent) WATOUT 2 0 86

Transport index TRANSIN .005 .001 .01

Depth of bedrock <50 ft, within 60-m buffer (percent) BUFBEDRO 3.8 0 98.2

Depth of bedrock <50 ft in watershed (percent) WATBEDRO 5.3 0 93.9

Soil permeability high-moderate, within 60-m buffer (percent) BUFMOPER .8 0 99.6

Forest/wetland within 60-m buffer (percent) BUFFOWE 19.1 2.4 49.3

Coarse Quaternary deposits within 60-m buffer (outwash, alluvium, 

lake S/G, ice contact S/G, and sand) (percent)

BUFCOARS 1.8 0 96.1

Latitude (degrees,minutes,seconds) LATITU 41o44’20” 41o25’47” 43o03’12”

Degree days DEGDAY 6,612 6,260 7,415

Geomorphology and Hydrology

Slope, segment (m/m) SLOPESE .0015 0 .0098

Sinuosity (m/m) SINUOS 1.3 1.1 2

Slope, low-flow water surface (m/m) SLOPELO .002 .0001 .0079

Slope, bankfull water surface (m/m) SLOPEBF .002 .0001 .0079

Table 2. Variables, abbreviations, and median, minimum, and maximum of variables used in analysis of effects related to urbanization, 

for 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01. 

[km2, square kilometers; DEM, digital elevation model; ≤, less than or equal to; km, kilometers; <, less than; m, meters; S/G, sand and gravel; m2, square 

meters; N/m s, Newtons per meters per second; m3/s, cubic meters per second; mm, millimeters; m3, cubic meters; m/s, meters per second; >, greater than; cm, 

centimeters; cm2, square centimeters; USEPA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; mg/L, milligrams per liter; μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter; mg/kg, 

milligrams per kilogram; mg/m2, milligrams per square meters; g/m2, grams per square meters; μg/L, micrograms per liter; EPT, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, 

Trichoptera]

Tables 1–13  39
Variable Abbreviation Median Minimum Maximum

Geomorphology and Hydrology (cont.)

Bankfull-channel area (m2) AREABF 10 2 24

Bankfull-channel area/drainage area (m2/km2) AREABFDA .11 .03 .43

Stream power (N/m s) POWERBF 12.1 .1 149

Manning’s n for bankfull flow MANNBF .035 .030 .045

Bankfull flow (m3/s) BFLOW 8.5 1.8 31.1

Bankfull flow/drainage area (m3/s / km2) BFLOWDA .103 .011 .422

Stream competence, bankfull (mm) COMPETBF 19.8 1 108

Erosivity potential at bankfull flow (ratio) EROSBF 1.5 .3 88.7

Instantaneous discharge at time of biological sampling (m3/s) FLOW .59 .06 3.51

Estimated base flow at time of cross-section surveys (m3/s) FLOWXS .4 .1 2.4

Estimated base flow/drainage area (m3/s / km2) FLOWXSDA .0044 .0006 .030

Bankfull flow/estimated low flow (ratio) FLOWVAR1 24 2 154

Instantaneous discharge/estimated low flow FLOWVAR2 1 .7 23.2

Reach-Scale Habitat

Riffle (percent) RIFFLE 20 0 59

Run (percent) RUN 74 28 100

Habitat cover (percent) HABCOVER 24 0 75

Woody debris (percent) WOODDEBR 11 0 71

Microhabitat heterogeniety MICHETER 93 33 326

Average wetted width/depth ratio (m/m) WDRAT 25 12 72

Coefficient of variation of wetted width/depth ratio WDRATCO 33 15 95

Channel-shape index CHANSH 14 7 29

Coefficient of variation of shape index CHANSHCO 36 13 87

Average bankfull channel width/depth ratio (in runs only) (m/m) BWDRATRU 10 3 31

Coefficient of variation of bankfull channel width/depth ratio in runs BWDRUCO 23 8 67

Average bankfull channel width/depth ratio (m/m) BWDRAT 11 3 31

Coefficient of variation of bankfull channel width/depth ratio BWDRATCO 25 9 86

Bankfull stream surface area (m2) BKFSURAR 2,140 923 8,130

Wetted stream surface area (m2) WETSURAR 1,620 617 7,370

Wetted stream volume (m3) WETVOL 672 161 4,290

Wetted cross sectional area (m2) WETXSAR 4 1 17

Bankfull cross sectional area (m2) BKFXSAR 13 4 43

Mean maximum depth (m) DEPMAX .49 .29 1.1

Mean depth (m) DEPAVG .39 .22 .98

Coefficient of variation of mean depth DEPCO 39 15 103

Mean velocity at biological sampling points (m/s) VELBIO 2 0 3

Number of transect points with substrate particle size > gravel GRAVEL 23 0 32

Table 2. Variables, abbreviations, and median, minimum, and maximum of variables used in analysis of effects related to urbanization, 

for 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01—continued.

[km2, square kilometers; DEM, digital elevation model; ≤, less than or equal to; km, kilometers; <, less than; m, meters; S/G, sand and gravel; m2, square 

meters; N/m s, Newtons per meters per second; m3/s, cubic meters per second; mm, millimeters; m3, cubic meters; m/s, meters per second; >, greater than; cm, 

centimeters; cm2, square centimeters; USEPA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; mg/L, milligrams per liter; μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter; mg/kg, 

milligrams per kilogram; mg/m2, milligrams per square meters; g/m2, grams per square meters; μg/L, micrograms per liter; EPT, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, 

Trichoptera]

40 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Variable Abbreviation Median Minimum Maximum

Reach-Scale Habitat (cont.)

Average embeddedness (percent) EMBED 42 6 100

Average embeddedness in gravel (percent) EMBEDGR 23 0 67

Average substrate (with 1 as small) (mm) SUBST 22 0 105

Coefficient of variation of substrate (with 1 as small) SUBSTCO 123 0 454

Average substrate (with 1 as large) (mm) SUBSTMOD 37 0 553

Coefficient of variation of substrate (with 1 as large) SUBSTMCO 120 0 454

Percent of fine substrate (percent) FINES 27 3 100

Percent sand (percent) SAND 15 0 77

Average silt depth (cm) SILTDEP 0 0 22

Coefficient of variation of silt depth SILTDEPCO 147 0 574

Roughness ROUGH .07 .00 .36

Average erosion length of banks (m) EROSION 1 0 3

Bank-stability index BSI 12 10 16

Flow stability (m/m) FLOWSTAB 0 0 1

Average open-canopy angle (degrees) CANOPY 48 2 145

Coefficient of variation of open canopy angle CANOPYCO 56 13 332

Average riparian canopy closure (percent) RIPCLO 63 9 95

Coefficient of variation of canopy closure RIPCLOCO 30 5 140

Disturbed riparian land use index (percent) RIPLU 5 0 100

Wisconsin habitat index WIHABIN 45 20 68

USEPA rapid bioassessment protocol index RBPHABIN 118 67 154

Coefficient of variation of aspect ASPCO 20 0 160

Water Chemistry

Phosphorus, total (mg/L) PHOTOT_W .12 .02 2.5

Nitrogen, nitrite and nitrate, dissolved (mg/L) NITRAT_W 2.6 .7 13.6

Nitrogen, Kjeldahl, total (mg/L) NITTKN_W .8 .5 2.2

Sodium, dissolved (mg/L) NA_W 38 7 108

Chloride, dissolved (mg/L) CL_W 72 24 186

Potassium, dissolved (mg/L) K_W 3 1.2 12.9

Calcium, dissolved (mg/L) CA_W 65 36 100

Magnesium, dissolved (mg/L) MG_W 33 17 45

Specific conductance (μS/cm at 25 degrees Celsius) COND_W 760 548 1,250

Fluoride, dissolved (mg/L) F_W .2 .05 .8

Silica, dissolved (mg/L) SI_W 7 2.8 15.1

Sulfate, dissolved (mg/L) SO4_W 52.7 17.7 154

Iron, dissolved (mg/L) FE_W 10 5 60

Manganese, dissolved (mg/L) MN_W 18 2 93

Table 2. Variables, abbreviations, and median, minimum, and maximum of variables used in analysis of effects related to urbanization, 

for 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01—continued.

[km2, square kilometers; DEM, digital elevation model; ≤, less than or equal to; km, kilometers; <, less than; m, meters; S/G, sand and gravel; m2, square 

meters; N/m s, Newtons per meters per second; m3/s, cubic meters per second; mm, millimeters; m3, cubic meters; m/s, meters per second; >, greater than; cm, 

centimeters; cm2, square centimeters; USEPA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; mg/L, milligrams per liter; μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter; mg/kg, 

milligrams per kilogram; mg/m2, milligrams per square meters; g/m2, grams per square meters; μg/L, micrograms per liter; EPT, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, 

Trichoptera]

Tables 1–13  41
Variable Abbreviation Median Minimum Maximum

Water Chemistry (cont.)

Number of wastewater compounds detected WWTPDET 8 0 19

Trace Elements in Streambed Sediment

Lead (mg/kg) PB_S 28 15 160

Zinc (mg/kg) ZN_S 120 68 330

Copper (mg/kg) CU_S 29 17 85

Cadmium (mg/kg) CD_S .4 .2 1.7

Nickel (mg/kg) NI_S 28 16 110

Mercury (mg/kg) HG_S .07 .02 .25

Chromium (mg/kg) CR_S 59 36 150

Arsenic (mg/kg) AS_S 9 3.5 18

Standardized sum of Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Ag, Zn METSUM_S 2.2 1.3 6.2

Algae and Chlorophyll

Diatom pollution tolerance index pollut_d 2.3 1.7 2.8

Diatom siltation index silt_d 55 18 80

Diatom diversity (Shannon-Wiener) index divers_d 3.7 2.5 5.0

Diatom – Pollution Sensitive (percent) psens_d 44 5 81

Diatom – Pollution Tolerant (percent) ptoler_d 17 1 48

Algal abundance (cells/cm2) aalltx_a 545,000 41,200 4,698,000

Diatom abundance (percent) adiatm_a 64 22 100

Yellow-green algae abundance (percent) aylgrn_a 0 0 1

Blue-green algae abundance (percent) ablugr_a 16 0 65

Green algae abundance (percent) agreen_a 1 0 21

Red algae abundance (percent) ared_a 11 0 39

Euglenoid algae abundance (percent) aeugld_a 0 0 0

Diatom biovolume (percent) bdiatm_a 40 0 100

Yellow-green algae biovolume (percent) bylgrn_a 0 0 0

Blue-green algae biovolume (percent) bblugr_a 1 0 16

Green algae biovolume (percent) bgreen_a 0 0 98

Red algae biovolume (percent) bred_a 45 0 90

Algae Biovolume Euglenoid (percent) beugld_a 0 0 5

Dinoflagellates biovolume (percent) bdino_a 0 0 0

Algal taxa richness taxa_a 37 19 65

Diatom taxa richness diatax_a 34 16 62

Diatom – Molloy Guild 1 (percent) gild1_d 1 0 8

Diatom – Molloy Guild 2 (percent) gild2_d 9 0 68

Diatom – Molloy Guild 3 (percent) gild3_d 1 0 23

Diatom – Molloy Guild 4 (percent) gild4_d 4 0 70

Table 2. Variables, abbreviations, and median, minimum, and maximum of variables used in analysis of effects related to urbanization, 

for 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01—continued.

[km2, square kilometers; DEM, digital elevation model; ≤, less than or equal to; km, kilometers; <, less than; m, meters; S/G, sand and gravel; m2, square 

meters; N/m s, Newtons per meters per second; m3/s, cubic meters per second; mm, millimeters; m3, cubic meters; m/s, meters per second; >, greater than; cm, 

centimeters; cm2, square centimeters; USEPA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; mg/L, milligrams per liter; μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter; mg/kg, 

milligrams per kilogram; mg/m2, milligrams per square meters; g/m2, grams per square meters; μg/L, micrograms per liter; EPT, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, 

Trichoptera]

42 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Variable Abbreviation Median Minimum Maximum

Algae and chlorophyll (cont.)

Diatom – Molloy Guild 5 (percent) gild5_d 25 0 94

Diatom – Molloy Guild 6 (percent) gild6_d 0 0 30

Diatom – Molloy Guild 7 (percent) gild7_d 10 1 41

Diatom – Molloy Guild 8 (percent) gild8_d 20 2 65

Diatom – Molloy Guild 9 (percent) gild9_d 2 0 11

Diatom – Molloy Guild 10 (percent) gild10_d 0 0 5

Chlorophyll-a, periphyton (mg/m2) chlper_a 27 1.1 262

Ash-free dry mass, periphyton (g/m2) afdm_a 14 1.8 62.4

Pheophytin-a, periphyton (mg/m2) pheper_a 14 .75 190

Chlorophyll-a, phytoplankton (μg/L) chlphy_a 5.4 .3 99.7

Pheophytin-a, phytoplankton (μg/L) phephy_a 5.2 1 27

Macroinvertebrates

Density (number organisms/m2) dens_i 10,600 2,630 60,900

Organisms (number) invno_i 3,950 1,260 26,000

Invertebrate taxa richness taxa_i 28 15 48

EPT taxa richness ept_i 8 1 16

Mayfly (Ephemeroptera) taxa richness ephem_i 3 0 9

Caddisfly (Trichoptera) taxa richness trich_i 4 0 8

True-fly (Diptera) taxa richness dipt_i 10 3 20

Midge (Chironomidae) taxa richness chir_i 8 3 17

Non-insect taxa richness nonins_i 7 3 13

EPT (percent) eptp_i 37 0 83

Mayflies (percent) ephemp_i 9 0 49

Caddisflies (percent) trichp_i 20 0 69

Beetles (Coleoptera) (percent) coleop_i 9 0 42

True flies (percent) diptp_i 21 1 84

Midges (percent) chirp_i 16 1 84

Orthoclad midges (percent) orthop_i 3 0 40

Tanytarsini midges (percent) tanyp_i 1 0 18

Non-insects (percent) nninsp_i 18 1 92

Aquatic worms (Oligochaeta) (percent) oligop_i 5 0 80

Non-chironomid dipterans (percent) nchdip_i 3 0 21

Non-chironomid dipterans and noninsects (percent) nchnip_i 20 4 92

Mollusks and crustaceans (percent) mlcrp_i 6 0 70

EPT/Chironomidae abundance ratio eptchr_i 3 0 27

Orthocladiinae/Chironomidae abundance ratio ortchr_i 0 0 1

Tanytarsini/Chironomidae abundance ratio tnychr_i 0 0 1

Table 2. Variables, abbreviations, and median, minimum, and maximum of variables used in analysis of effects related to urbanization, 

for 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01—continued.

[km2, square kilometers; DEM, digital elevation model; ≤, less than or equal to; km, kilometers; <, less than; m, meters; S/G, sand and gravel; m2, square 

meters; N/m s, Newtons per meters per second; m3/s, cubic meters per second; mm, millimeters; m3, cubic meters; m/s, meters per second; >, greater than; cm, 

centimeters; cm2, square centimeters; USEPA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; mg/L, milligrams per liter; μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter; mg/kg, 

milligrams per kilogram; mg/m2, milligrams per square meters; g/m2, grams per square meters; μg/L, micrograms per liter; EPT, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, 

Trichoptera]

Tables 1–13  43
Variable Abbreviation Median Minimum Maximum

Macroinvertebrates (cont.)

Predator (percent) predp_i 6 1 16

Omnivores (percent) omnp_i 11 0 49

Collector-gatherer (percent) cgp_i 27 1 87

Collector-filterer (percent) cfp_i 27 0 70

Scraper (percent) scrp_i 6 0 49

Shredder (percent) shp_i 6 0 83

Most abundant three taxa (percent) dom3p_i 58 28 90

Margalef diversity index margdv_i 7.1 3.7 13.4

Simpson diversity index simpdv_i .86 .34 .95

Shannon diversity index shandv_i 1 .4 1.4

Tolerance value, based on richness tolrch_i 5.5 4.8 6.6

Tolerance value, based on abundance tolabd_i 5.3 4.1 8.5

Fish

Revised Illinois Index of Biotic Integrity revIBI 33 6 57

Native fish species (number) NFSH01 13 2 31

Native sucker species (Catosmidae) (number) NSUC02 1 0 7

Native sunfish species (Centrarchidae) (number) NSUN03 3 0 7

Native intolerant species (number) INTOL04 1 0 7

Native minnow species (Cyprinidae) (number) NIMN05 6 1 12

Native benthic invertivore species (number) NBINV06 2 0 11

Specialist benthic invertivores (percent) SIB07 6 0 52

Generalist feeders (percent) GEN08 72 21 100

Obligate coarse-mineral-substrate spawner and not tolerant (percent) LITOT09 13 0 71

Tolerant species (percent) PRTOL10 38 5 99

Table 2. Variables, abbreviations, and median, minimum, and maximum of variables used in analysis of effects related to urbanization, 

for 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01—continued.

[km2, square kilometers; DEM, digital elevation model; ≤, less than or equal to; km, kilometers; <, less than; m, meters; S/G, sand and gravel; m2, square 

meters; N/m s, Newtons per meters per second; m3/s, cubic meters per second; mm, millimeters; m3, cubic meters; m/s, meters per second; >, greater than; cm, 

centimeters; cm2, square centimeters; USEPA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; mg/L, milligrams per liter; μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter; mg/kg, 

milligrams per kilogram; mg/m2, milligrams per square meters; g/m2, grams per square meters; μg/L, micrograms per liter; EPT, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, 

Trichoptera]

44  Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Watershed urban 

land-cover 

category Code Number of sites

Watershed urban 

land cover 

(percent)

Road density 

(km2/km2)

Estimated 

impervious cover 

(percent)

Population 

density 

(people/km2)

Low LO 17 0–10 0.008–0 .029 0–3 5–311

Middle-low ML 8 >10–25 .025–.040 2–7 204–646

Middle-high MH 9 >25–50 .031–.044 5–11 311–881

High HI 11 >50–100 .043–.081 17–41 510–1,689

Table 3. Watershed land-cover categories and ranges of other urban indicators for 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and 

southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01.

[km2, square kilometers; >, greater than]

Tables 1–13  45
Abbreviation

Correlation coefficient

Watershed urban 

land cover Road density 

Estimated 

impervious cover Population density

Watershed agricultural land cover

Urban Indicator

ROADDEN 0.97 na 0.96 0.99 -0.91

IMPERV .99 0.96 na .96 -.91

POPDEN00 .95 .99 .96 na -.86

AGRICUL -.94 -.91 -.91 -.86 na

INDUSLU .95 .90 .97 .89 -.87

POPDEN90 .97 .98 .96 .99 -.88

POPDENCH -.31 - -.30 - .36

POPDEN80 .96 .97 .96 .97 -.89

HOUSE .97 .98 .97 .98 -.89

Landscape Characteristics

DRAIN -.39 -.42 -.39 -.37 .47

WATLOPER .33 - .32 - -.30

WATMOPER -.34 - -.33 - .31

CSTLE -.39 -.41 -.38 -.36 .47

WATCLAY .58 .52 .55 .51 -.55

BUFBEDRO - .30 - .30 -

WATBEDRO - .30 - .31 -

BUFMOPER -.32 - -.30 - .31

BUFFOWE - - - - -.44

Geomorphology and Hydrology

SINUOS - - - - .37

AREABFDA .59 .56 .59 .53 -.56

BFLOWDA .46 .44 .46 .42 -.40

FLOWXS - - - - .30

FLOWVAR2 .32 .30 - .30 -.31

Reach-Scale Habitat

WDRAT - - - - .30

WDRATCO -.33 -.34 -.33 -.33 .31

CHANSHCO -.35 -.33 -.35 -.31 .35

BWDRATRU -.33 -.32 -.34 -.31 .39

BWDRAT -.33 -.33 -.34 -.31 .40

RIPCLOCO -.31 -.33 -.35 -.32 -

ASPCO -.29 -.34 - - -

Water Chemistry

PHOTOT_W .56 .46 .53 .47 -.53

NITRAT_W -.37 -.40 -.36 -.37 .47

NITTKN_W .46 .38 .43 .38 -.52

Table 4. Variables with significant (p <0.05) Spearman rank correlation coefficients with variables and urban indicators for 45 stream 

sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01. See table 2 for definition of variable abbreviations.

[Correlation coefficients in bold have p-values < 0.001; na, not applicable; -, not significant, p-value > 0.05; <, less than; >, greater than]

46 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Abbreviation

Correlation coefficient

Watershed urban 

land cover Road density 

Estimated 

impervious cover Population density

Watershed agricultural land cover

Water Chemistry (cont.)

NA_W 0.87 0.80 0.86 0.80 -0.86

CL_W .82 .76 .81 .75 -.80

K_W .78 .70 .75 .70 -.78

CA_W -.55 -.61 -.53 -.57 .56

MG_W -.67 -.66 -.66 -.64 .62

COND_W .31 - .32 - -.30

F_W .48 .40 .49 .42 -.47

SI_W -.40 -.45 -.42 -.45 .31

SO4_W .33 .32 .35 .35 -

FE_W .37 .33 .33 - -.52

WWTPDET .61 .54 .61 .49 -.63

Trace Elements in Streambed Sediment

PB_S .87 .86 .86 .84 -.80

ZN_S .81 .76 .81 .77 -.73

CU_S .76 .73 .77 .74 -.72

CD_S .64 .62 .64 .60 -.61

NI_S .57 .53 .59 .57 -.49

HG_S .58 .54 .56 .52 -.58

CR_S .55 .50 .56 .54 -.48

AS_S .46 .46 .45 .47 -.41

METSUM_S .76 .72 .76 .72 -.72

Algae and Chlorophyll

pollut_d -.39 -.32 -.35 -.35 .34

psens_d -.30 - - - -

ptoler_d .34 - .34 .31 -.30

aalltx_a -.30 - - - .34

gild1_d - - - - -.29

gild4_d -.40 -.46 -.37 -.42 .41

gild9_d - - - - .32

chlphy_a .40 .37 .37 .41 -.37

phephy_a .31 .30 - .34 -.34

Macroinvertebrates

taxa_i -.68 -.62 -.68 -.60 .66

ept_i -.72 -.64 -.72 -.63 .75

ephem_i -.65 -.59 -.64 -.56 .74

trich_i -.59 -.51 -.60 -.51 .53

dipt_i -.37 -.38 -.38 -.40 -

Table 4. Variables with significant (p <0.05) Spearman rank correlation coefficients with variables and urban indicators for 45 stream 

sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01. See table 2 for definition of variable abbreviations—continued.

[Correlation coefficients in bold have p-values < 0.001; na, not applicable; -, not significant, p-value > 0.05; <, less than; >, greater than]

Tables 1–13  47
Abbreviation

Correlation coefficient

Watershed urban 

land cover Road density 

Estimated 

impervious cover Population density

Watershed agricultural land cover

Macroinvertebrates (cont.)

ephemp_i -0.54 -0.48 -0.53 -0.45 0.64

coleop_i - - - - .30

tanyp_i -.37 -.33 -.38 -.35 -

nninsp_i .42 .44 .43 .42 -.38

oligop_i .34 .35 .35 .37 -.35

nchdip_i -.30 -.29 -.32 -.33 -

nchnip_i .45 .47 .45 .43 -.42

mlcrp_i .35 .40 .35 .37 -.31

tnychr_i -.33 - -.34 - -

scrp_i -.35 - -.32 - .40

dom3p_i .57 .49 .56 .49 -.56

margdv_i -.61 -.56 -.61 -.54 .61

simpdv_i -.56 -.48 -.56 -.48 .54

shandv_i -.60 -.53 -.60 -.52 .58

tolrch_i .66 .58 .63 .57 -.68

tolabd_i .50 .45 .47 .41 -.54

Fish

revIBI -.81 -.77 -.80 -.74 .80

NFSH01 -.70 -.70 -.71 -.66 .72

NSUC02 -.50 -.45 -.49 -.42 .54

INTOL04 -.75 -.71 -.74 -.68 .75

NIMN05 -.66 -.66 -.66 -.61 .68

NBINV06 -.75 -.75 -.73 -.72 .75

SIB07 -.58 -.53 -.55 -.49 .61

GEN08 .44 .42 .42 .39 -.52

LITOT09 -.63 -.59 -.65 -.58 .59

PRTOL10 .57 .53 .59 .53 -.54

Table 4. Variables with significant (p <0.05) Spearman rank correlation coefficients with variables and urban indicators for 45 stream 

sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01. See table 2 for definition of variable abbreviations—continued.

[Correlation coefficients in bold have p-values < 0.001; na, not applicable; -, not significant, p-value > 0.05; <, less than; >, greater than]

48 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Abbreviation Correlation Coefficient

ROUGH 0.74

RIFFLE .71

DEPCO .65

SUBST .62

WDRATCO .50

GRAVEL .49

BWDRATCO .47

SUBSTMOD .47

BWDRUCO .46

RBPHABIN .37

ASPCO .32

WIHABIN .32

CHANSHCO .31

RIPCLO .30

HABCOVER -.32

WOODDEBR -.32

WETSURAR -.38

BKFSURAR -.41

DEPMAX -.50

WETVOL -.51

RUN -.52

BKFXSAR -.53

DEPAVG -.55

FINES -.55

EMBED -.56

WETXSAR -.56

Table 5. Reach-scale habitat characteristics with significant (p < 

0.05) Spearman rank correlation coefficients with low-flow watersurface slope (SLOPELO) for 45 stream sites in northeastern 

Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01. See table 2 for 

definition of abbreviations.

[Correlation coefficients in bold have p-values < 0.001; <, less than]

Tables 1–13  49
Analyte name Category

Number of 

detections

Percent detections

Watershed urban land-cover category

All sites LO ML MH HI

n=44 n=17 n=8 n=9 n=10

Octylphenol, diethoxylate Detergent 31 59 50 89 90

Naphthalene PAH 30 47 50 100 90

Diazinon Insecticide 26 24 38 100 100

Tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate Flame retardant 26 47 25 78 90

Fluoranthene PAH 24 18 25 100 100

Phthalic anhdride Plasticizer 24 35 38 78 80

Pyrene PAH 22 18 13 100 90

Triclosan Disinfectant 20 24 50 67 60

ethanol, 2-butoxy, phosphate Plasticizer 18 29 25 56 60

Bisphenol A PAH 14 24 25 44 40

5-Methyl-1H-benzotriazole Antioxidant 14 12 25 33 70

bis(2-ethylhexyl) pthalate Plasticizer 10 24 13 22 30

Caffeine Pharmaceutical 10 12 0 44 40

2, 6-di-tert-para-benzoquinone Antioxidant 9 18 13 44 10

Cotinine Pharmaceutical 9 6 0 33 50

Nonylphenol, monoethoxyate 

(total)

Detergent 8 12 0 22 40

Benzo[a]pyrene PAH 6 6 0 22 30

para-Cresol PAH 6 12 0 33 10

Nonylphenol, diethoxylate 

(total)

Detergent 4 6 0 0 30

Carbaryl Herbicide 4 6 0 22 10

Diethlyphthalate Plasticizer 4 12 13 0 10

1, 4-diclorobenzene PAH 3 6 0 0 20

bis(2-ethylhexyl) adipate Plasticizer 3 6 0 11 10

Phenanthrene PAH 3 0 0 0 30

Phenol Disinfectant 3 12 0 11 0

Chlorpyrifos Insecticide 3 6 0 0 20

para-Nonylphenol (total) Detergent 2 0 0 11 10

3-tert-Butyl-4-hydroxytoluene 

(BHT)

Antioxidant 2 6 0 11 0

3-beta-Coprostanol Sterol 2 6 0 0 10

Anthracene PAH 1 0 0 0 10

Tetrachloroethylene PAH 1 6 0 0 0

Triphenyl phosphate Plasticizer 1 6 0 0 0

17 beta-estradiol Hormone 1 0 0 0 10

Cholesterol Sterol 1 6 0 0 0

Table 6. Number of total detections of each wastewater compound and percent detections in each watershed urban land-cover 

category for 44 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01.

[Watershed urban land-cover category: LO, Low; ML, Middle-low; MH, Middle-high; HI, High; N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) was detected at every 

site and is not listed; sample was lost for Flag Creek; n, number of samples; PAH, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon]

50 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Analyte name Category

Number of 

detections

Percent detections

Watershed urban land-cover category

All sites LO ML MH HI

n=44 n=17 n=8 n=9 n=10

Codeine Pharmaceutical 1 6 0 0 0

Acetophenone PAH 0 0 0 0 0

Octylphenol, monoethoxylate Detergent 0 0 0 0 0

cis-chlordane Pesticide 0 0 0 0 0

Dieldren Pesticide 0 0 0 0 0

Lindane Pesticide 0 0 0 0 0

Methyl parathion Pesticide 0 0 0 0 0

2, 6-ditert-butylphenol Antioxidant 0 0 0 0 0

3-tert-Butyl-4-hydroxyanisole 

(BHA)

Antioxidant 0 0 0 0 0

beta-Stigmastanol Sterol 0 0 0 0 0

Table 6. Number of total detections of each wastewater compound and percent detections in each watershed urban land-cover 

category for 44 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01—continued.

[Watershed urban land-cover category: LO, Low; ML, Middle-low; MH, Middle-high; HI, High; N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) was detected at every 

site and is not listed; sample was lost for Flag Creek; n, number of samples; PAH, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon]

Tables 1–13  51
Phylum (Algae Group)

Code

Number

of Sites

Mean

Abundance

(percent)

Maximum

Abundance 

Scientific Name (percent)

Chrysophyta (Diatoms)

Achnanthes affinis Grunow ACaffini 14 0.36 6.65

Achnanthes amoena Hustedt ACamoena 2 .03 .75

Achnanthes deflexa Reimer ACdeflex 1 .00 .18

Achnanthes delicatula (Kützing) Grunow ACdelica 12 .17 1.66

Achnanthes exigua Grunow ACexigua 2 .05 1.93

Achnanthes exigua var. elliptica Hustedt ACexiell 1 .00 .17

Achnanthes exilis Kützing ACexilis 5 .11 4.01

Achnanthes hungarica (Grunow) Grunow AChungar 2 .01 .30

Achnanthes lanceolata (Brébisson in Kützing) Grunow AClanceo 38 1.37 6.13

Achnanthes lanceolata subsp. rostrata (Øestrup) Lange-Bertalot AClanros 1 .00 .18

Achnanthes lanceolata var. dubia Grunow AClandub 9 .07 .69

Achnanthes marginulata Grunow ACmargin 2 .01 .23

Achnanthes minutissima Kützing ACminuti 23 .69 17.41

Achnanthes minutissima var. saprophila Kobayasi & Mayama ACminsap 1 .00 .21

Achnanthes pinnata Hustedt ACpinnat 19 .27 2.82

Achnanthes ploenensis Hustedt ACploene 1 .04 1.86

Achnanthes rupestoides Hohn ACrupest 1 .00 .18

Achnanthes sp. 1 ACsp1 3 .02 .42

Achnanthes sublaevis Hustedt ACsublae 1 .01 .41

Amphora inariensis Krammer AMinarie 9 .13 1.78

Amphora libyca Ehrenberg Amlibyca 6 .05 .86

Amphora montana Krasske AMmontan 4 .04 .73

Amphora ovalis (Kützing) Kützing Amovalis 5 .07 .88

Amphora pediculus (Kützing) Grunow AMpedicu 45 11.32 34.73

Amphora veneta Kützing AMveneta 1 .01 .33

Anomoeoneis vitrea (Grunow) Ross ANvitrea 1 .00 .21

Aulacoseira alpigena (Grunow) Krammer AUalpige 2 .01 .26

Aulacoseira ambigua (Grunow) Simonsen AUambig 1 .01 .63

Aulacoseira granulata (Ehrenberg) Simonsen AUgranlt 4 .02 .23

Aulacoseira muzzanensis (Meister) Krammer AUmuzzan 4 .05 1.32

Caloneis amphisbaena (Bory) Cleve CAamphis 1 .01 .33

Caloneis bacillum (Grunow) Cleve CAbacill 16 .17 1.79

Cocconeis neothumensis Krammer CCneothu 2 .03 1.10

Cocconeis pediculus Ehrenberg CCpedcls 27 .73 9.43

Cocconeis placentula Ehrenberg CCplacen 38 .81 4.03

Cocconeis placentula var. euglypta (Ehrenberg) Cleve CCplaeug 39 .73 3.82

Cocconeis placentula var. lineata (Ehrenberg) Van Heurck CCplalin 41 .89 4.33

Cyclotella atomus Hustedt CYatomus 8 .28 4.77

Table 7. Algal species, taxon, code, number of sites found, mean abundance and maximum abundance of algae collected from 45 

stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000.

52 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Table 7. Algal species, taxon, code, number of sites found, mean abundance and maximum abundance of algae collected from 45 

stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000—continued.

Phylum (Algae Group)

Code

Number

of Sites

Mean

Abundance

(percent)

Maximum

Abundance 

(percent) Scientific Name

Cyclotella bodanica Grunow CYbodani 2 0.01 0.31

Cyclotella bodanica var. affinis (Grunow) Cleve-Euler Cybodaff 1 .00 .19

Cyclotella comensis Grunow et Van Heurck CYcomens 1 .01 .33

Cyclotella meneghiniana Kützing CYmenegh 27 .92 11.20

Cyclotella michiganiana Skvortzow CYmichig 1 .00 .21

Cyclotella nana Hustedt CYnana 1 .01 .26

Cyclotella ocellata Pantosek CYocella 5 .04 .66

Cyclotella pseudostelligera Hustedt CYpsdste 4 .05 1.05

Cyclotella stelligera (Cleve et Grunow) Van Heurck CYstelli 2 .01 .33

Cymatopleura solea var. apiculata (Smith) Ralfs CTsolapc 2 .01 .21

Cymbella affinis Kützing CMaffins 2 .02 .64

Cymbella caespitosa Brun CMcaespi 2 .01 .28

Cymbella cuspidata Kützing CMcuspid 1 .01 .43

Cymbella mesiana Cholnoky CMmesian 1 .00 .22

Cymbella microcephala Grunow CMmicroc 1 .00 .18

Diatoma mesodon (Ehrenberg) Kützing DAmesodo 1 .00 .13

Diatoma tenuis Agardh DAtenuis 1 .03 1.32

Diatoma vulgare Bory DAvulgar 2 .05 2.18

Diploneis parma Cleve DPparma 5 .07 1.34

Diploneis peterseni Hustedt DPpeters 1 .01 .39

Encyonema minutum (Hilse in Rabenhorst) Mann ECminutu 8 .12 1.41

Encyonema prostrata (Berk.) Mann ECprostr 2 .03 .76

Eunotia formica Ehrenberg EUformic 1 .01 .26

Eunotia soleirolii (Kützing) Rabenhorst EUsoleir 1 .01 .28

Eunotia sudetica Müller EUsudeti 1 .01 .60

Fallacia pygmaea (Kützing) Stickle & Mann FApygmae 3 .02 .42

Fragilaria capucina var. mesolepta Rabenhorst FRcapmes 2 .19 8.15

Fragilaria capucina var. rumpens (Kützing) Lange-Bertalot FRcaprum 2 .01 .33

Fragilaria constricta Ehrenberg FRctastr 1 .01 .26

Fragilaria crotonensis Kitton FRcroton 1 .02 1.07

Fragilaria pinnata Ehrenberg FRpinnat 2 .02 .53

Fragilaria vaucheriae (Kützing) Peterson FRvauche 9 .10 1.22

Frustulia vulgaris (Thwaites) DeT. FSvulgar 1 .01 .63

Gomphonema affine Kützing GOaffine 1 .01 .28

Gomphonema affine var. insigne (Greg.) Andrews GOaffins 1 .00 .21

Gomphonema angustatum (Kützing) Rabenhorst GOangstt 9 .08 1.24

Gomphonema clavatum Ehrenberg GMclvtm 2 .01 .33

Gomphonema gibba Wallace GOgibba 1 .01 .26

Gomphonema gracile Ehrenberg emend. V. H. GOgracil 1 .01 .25

Tables 1–13  53
Phylum (Algae Group)

Code

Number

of Sites

Mean

Abundance

(percent)

Maximum

Abundance 

(percent) Scientific Name

Gomphonema kobayasii Kociolek & Kingston GOkobaya 27 0.69 7.14

Gomphonema minutum (C.A. Agardh) C.A. Agardh GOminut 23 .30 1.66

Gomphonema olivaceum (Lyngb.) Kützing GOolivcm 12 .08 .52

Gomphonema parvulum (Kützing) Kützing GOparvul 26 .36 2.09

Gyrosigma acuminatum (Kützing) Rabenhorst GYacumin 5 .03 .58

Gyrosigma attenuatum (Kützing) Rabenhorst GYattenu 1 .01 .44

Gyrosigma scalproides (Rabenhorst) Cleve GYscalpd 6 .04 .42

Hantzschia amphioxys (Ehrenberg) Grunow HAamphio 2 .01 .42

Karayevia Clevei Grunow in Cleve et Grunow KVclevei 4 .03 .66

Luticola goeppertiana (Bleisch in Rabenhorst) Mann LUgoeppe 3 .03 .57

Luticola mutica (Kutzing) Mann LUmutica 2 .02 .84

Melosira varians Agardh MEvarian 23 .71 7.62

Navicula atomus (Kützing) Grunow NAatomus 2 .02 .66

Navicula atomus var. permitis (Hustedt) Lange-Bertalot NAatoper 10 .23 4.60

Navicula bicephala Hustedt NAbiceph 1 .00 .17

Navicula canalis Patr. NAcanals 2 .01 .17

Navicula capitata Ehrenberg NAcapita 9 .08 1.02

Navicula capitata var. lueneburgensis (Grunow) Patr. NAcaplun 1 .01 .31

Navicula capitatoradiata Germain NAcaprad 16 .33 4.85

Navicula cari Ehrenberg NAcari 3 .07 2.98

Navicula circumtexta Meist. ex Hustedt NAcircum 1 .00 .21

Navicula confervacea (Kützing) Grunow NAconfer 3 .02 .28

Navicula contenta Grunow ex V. H. NAconten 1 .00 .21

Navicula cryptocephala Kützing NAcrypto 11 .12 .99

Navicula cryptotenella L.B. in Krammer & L.-B. NAcryten 41 3.46 18.67

Navicula decussis Øestrup NAdecuss 1 .00 .21

Navicula erifuga Lange-Bertalot NAerifga 15 .47 7.47

Navicula gastrum (Ehrenberg) Kützing NAgastru 1 .01 .29

Navicula germainii Wallace NAgermii 16 .19 1.31

Navicula gregaria Donk. NAgregar 32 2.11 15.54

Navicula ingenua Hustedt NAingnua 15 .47 4.03

Navicula integra (Smith) Ralfs NAintgra 1 .00 .17

Navicula lenzii Hustedt in A.S. NAlenzii 2 .02 .88

Navicula microcephala Grunow NAmicroc 1 .01 .33

Navicula minima Grunow NAminima 43 7.54 27.68

Navicula molestiformis Hustedt NAmolest 5 .17 4.77

Navicula monoculata var. omissa (Hustedt) Lange-Bertalot NAmnomis 2 .01 .33

Navicula phyllepta Kützing NAphylpt 2 .05 1.67

Navicula pseudoventralis Hustedt NApseven 8 .16 1.75

Table 7. Algal species, taxon, code, number of sites found, mean abundance and maximum abundance of algae collected from 45 

stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000—continued.

54  Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Phylum (Algae Group)

Code

Number

of Sites

Mean

Abundance

(percent)

Maximum

Abundance 

Scientific Name (percent)

Navicula radiosa Kützing NAradios 2 0.01 0.44

Navicula recens Lange-Bertalot NArecens 30 2.55 25.00

Navicula reichardtiana Lange-Bertalot NAreichd 14 .28 3.54

Navicula rhynchocephala Kützing NArhynch 1 .01 .28

Navicula salinarum Grunow NAsalinm 4 .09 2.01

Navicula seminulum Grunow NAsemlum 26 .70 5.38

Navicula sp. 0 NAkmnq0B 1 .01 .30

Navicula sp. 1 NA1 1 .02 .74

Navicula subhamulata Grunow NAsubham 2 .02 .55

Navicula sublucidula Hustedt NAlucdla 2 .08 3.26

Navicula subminuscula Mang. NAsubmin 20 .73 9.26

Navicula symmetrica Patr. NAsymtrc 8 .10 1.20

Navicula tantula Hustedt NAtantul 26 .37 1.87

Navicula tenelloides Hustedt NAtenell 5 .02 .31

Navicula tenera Hustedt NAtenera 5 .04 .84

Navicula tripunctata (Müller) Bory NAtripun 34 1.04 7.92

Navicula trivialis Lange-Bertalot NAtrivia 18 .27 2.89

Navicula veneta Kützing NAveneta 32 .91 5.95

Navicula viridula (Kützing) Kützing emend. V. H. NAvirdla 1 .01 .24

Navicula viridula var. linearis Hustedt NAvirlin 1 .00 .22

Navicula viridula var. rostellata (Kützing) Cleve NAvirros 11 .08 .98

Neidium bisulcatum (Lagerst.) Cleve NEbisulc 1 .01 .26

Nitzschia acicularis (Kützing) Smith NIacicul 8 .09 1.11

Nitzschia aequorea Hustedt Niaeqrea 1 .01 .28

Nitzschia agnita Hustedt NIagnita 3 .01 .33

Nitzschia ambigua Mang. NIambigu 1 .01 .26

Nitzschia amphibia Grunow NIamphib 32 .46 4.01

Nitzschia calida Grunow in Cleve et Grunow Nicalid 6 .05 .60

Nitzschia capitellata Hustedt NIcapite 3 .01 .33

Nitzschia clausii Hantz. NIclausi 3 .04 1.00

Nitzschia constricta (Kützing) Ralfs NIconstr 16 .16 1.67

Nitzschia debilis Arnott NIdebili 1 .01 .33

Nitzschia desertorum Hustedt NAdesert 2 .02 .57

Nitzschia dissipata (Kützing) Grunow NIdissip 30 1.69 10.52

Nitzschia dissipata var. media (Hantz.) Grunow NIdismed 2 .02 .48

Nitzschia dubia W. Sm. NIdubia 2 .02 .53

Nitzschia filiformis var. conferta (Reich.) Lange-Betralot NLfilcon 1 .01 .26

Nitzschia frustulum (Kützing) Grunow NIfrustu 41 6.77 38.20

Table 7. Algal species, taxon, code, number of sites found, mean abundance and maximum abundance of algae collected from 45 

stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000—continued.

Tables 1–13  55
Phylum (Algae Group)

Code

Number

of Sites

Mean

Abundance

(percent)

Maximum

Abundance 

(percent) Scientific Name

Nitzschia gracilis Hantz. ex Rabenhorst NIgracil 4 0.03 0.53

Nitzschia hungarica Grunow NIhungrc 7 .05 .62

Nitzschia inconspicua Grunow NIincons 6 .15 3.33

Nitzschia intermedia Hantz. ex Cleve et Grunow NIinterm 1 .01 .29

Nitzschia levidensis (Smith) Grunow in V.H. NIlevdns 1 .01 .26

Nitzschia levidensis var. salinarum Grunow NIlevsal 2 .01 .33

Nitzschia levidensis var. victoriae Grunow NIlevvic 10 .07 .62

Nitzschia liebethruthii Rabenhorst NIliebrt 1 .01 .23

Nitzschia linearis (Agardh ex Smith) Smith NIlinear 4 .02 .26

Nitzschia microcephala Grunow NImicroc 1 .00 .14

Nitzschia palea (Kützing) Smith NIpalea 22 .70 8.16

Nitzschia palea var. debilis (Kützing) Grunow NIpaldeb 17 .41 3.32

Nitzschia perminuta (Grunow) Peragallo NIpermin 2 .02 .62

Nitzschia recta Hantz. ex Rabenhorst NIrecta 2 .02 .65

Nitzschia reversa Smith NIrevers 2 .02 .62

Nitzschia sociabilis Hustedt NIsociab 9 .09 1.00

Nitzschia solita Hustedt NIsolita 3 .02 .28

Nitzschia sp. 1 NI1 1 .00 .11

Nitzschia sublinearis Hustedt NIsublin 1 .00 .17

Nitzschia supralitorea Lange-Bertalot NIsupral 8 .09 1.71

Nitzschia thermaloides Hustedt NIthermd 1 .01 .33

Nitzschia tropica Hustedt NItropic 6 .04 .73

Nitzschia valdecostata Lange-Bertalot & Simon. NIvaldec 1 .01 .33

Nitzschia valdestriata Aleem & Hustedt NIvaldes 1 .00 .12

Pleurosira laevis (Ehrenberg) Compere PRlaevis 3 .12 3.33

Pseudostaurosira brevistriata (Grunow in V.H.) Williams & 

Round

PDbrevis 2 .05 1.50

Reimeria sinuata (Greg.) Kociolek & Stoermer REsinuta 30 .41 2.33

Rhoicosphenia curvata (Kützing) Grunow ex Rabenhorst ROcurvat 44 5.41 28.29

Rhopalodia musculus (Kützing) Müller Rpmuscul 1 .02 .74

Sellaphora pupula (Kützing) Meresckowsky SFpupula 9 .05 .51

Simonsenia delognei (Grunow) Lange-Bertalot SIdelog 14 .31 4.85

Skeletonema potamos (Weber) Hasle SKpotamo 2 .10 4.28

Stauroneis obtusa Lagerst. SSobtusa 1 .00 .18

Stauroneis smithii var. incisa Pantosek SSsmiinc 1 .01 .33

Staurosira construens (Ehrenberg) Williams & Round SRconstr 1 .01 .64

Staurosira construens var. venter SRconven 3 .02 .35

Staurosirella lapponica (Grunow In V.H.) Williams & Round SAlappon 2 .02 .88

Stephanodiscus dubius (Fricke) Hustedt STdubius 5 .06 1.06

Table 7. Algal species, taxon, code, number of sites found, mean abundance and maximum abundance of algae collected from 45 

stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000—continued.

56 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Phylum (Algae Group)

Code

Number

of Sites

Mean

Abundance

(percent)

Maximum

Abundance 

Scientific Name (percent)

Stephanodiscus hantzschii Grunow SThantzs 2 0.02 0.66

Stephanodiscus minutus H. L. Sm. STminut 1 .02 .97

Stephanodiscus parvus Stoerm. & Håkansson STparvus 1 .00 .21

Stephanodiscus tenuis Hustedt STtenuis 2 .01 .33

Surirella angusta Kützing SUangust 3 .04 1.34

Surirella bifrons Ehrenberg SUbifron 1 .01 .52

Surirella brebissonii Krammer & Lange-Bertalot SUbreb 2 .03 1.00

Surirella brebissonii var. kuetzingii Kramm. & Lange-Bertalot SUbrekut 2 .07 2.84

Surirella minuta Brébisson Suminuta 10 .20 1.96

Surirella ovata var. salina Smith SUovasal 2 .01 .24

Surirella splendida (Ehrenberg) Kützing SUsplen 1 .00 .17

Surirella subsalsa Smith SUsubsal 1 .01 .33

Synedra acus Kützing SYacus 3 .01 .26

Synedra parasitica (Smith) Hustedt SYparasi 3 .02 .33

Synedra parasitica var. subconstricta (Grunow) Hustedt SYparsub 1 .00 .21

Synedra pulchella Ralfs ex Kützing SYpulche 3 .04 1.24

Synedra tabulata (Agardh) Kützing SYtabula 4 .04 .84

Synedra tenera Smith SYtenera 2 .01 .43

Synedra ulna (Nitz.) Ehrenberg SYulna 3 .05 1.11

Thalassiosira pseudonana Hasle & Heimdal THpsnana 7 .09 1.64

Thalassiosira weissflogii (Grunow) Fryxell & Hasle THweiss 3 .01 .28

Chrysophyta (Yellow-Green Algae)

Dinobryon divergens Imhof DNDIVERG 3 .04 .64

Ophiocytium cochleare (Eichwald) Braun OPCOCHLE 1 .02 1.11

Cyanophyta (Blue-Green Algae)

Amphithrix janthina (Mont.) Born. and Flah. AMJANTHI 10 3.65 32.98

Aphanocapsa grevillei Rabenhorst APGREVIL 1 .28 12.48

Chamaesiphon incrustans Grunow CSINCRUS 2 .13 5.18

Chroococcus limneticus Lemmermann CHLIMNET 7 1.71 25.27

Chroococcus limneticus var. distans G.M. Sm. CHLIMDIS 1 .22 9.90

Chroococcus limneticus var. subsalsus Lemmermann CHLIMSUB 1 .18 8.30

Chroococcus minor (Kützing) Nägeli CHMINOR 2 .14 3.23

Chroococcus pallidus Nägeli CHPALLID 1 .09 4.04

Dactylococcopsis rhaphidioides Hansg. DCRHAPID 1 .01 .47

Gomphosphaeria aponina Kützing GOAPONIN 4 1.30 23.53

Lyngbya hieronymusii Lemm. LYHIERON 2 .36 9.84

Lyngbya major Meneghini LYMAJOR 2 .56 21.83

Lyngbya sp. 1 LY1 5 1.11 21.54

Merismopedia tenuissima Lemmermann MMTENUIS 2 .33 10.43

Microcystis aeruginosa Kützing MIAERUGI 3 1.70 50.34

Table 7. Algal species, taxon, code, number of sites found, mean abundance and maximum abundance of algae collected from 45 

stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000—continued.

Tables 1–13  57
Phylum (Algae Group)

Code

Number

of Sites

Mean

Abundance

(percent)

Maximum

Abundance 

(percent) Scientific Name

Oscillatoria amoena (Kützing) Gom. OSAMOENA 3 0.45 10.53

Oscillatoria formosa Bory OSFORMOS 1 .14 6.08

Oscillatoria granulata Gardner OSGRANUL 11 2.92 23.33

Oscillatoria limosa (Dillw.) Agardh OSLIMOSA 4 .37 8.06

Oscillatoria minnesotensis Tilden OSMINNES 2 .62 20.69

Oscillatoria princeps Vauch. OSPRINCE 2 .82 34.06

Oscillatoria prolifica (Grev.) Gom. OSPROLIF 2 .36 9.02

Oscillatoria sp. 1 OSEJNQ0B 9 1.22 30.54

Oscillatoria tenuis C.A. Agardh OSTENUIS 4 .43 6.61

Chlorophyta (Green Algae)

Actinastrum hantzschii var. fluviatile Schröd. ACTHNSTB 1 .02 1.11

Ankistrodesmus falcatus (Corda) Ralfs ANFALCAT 1 .01 .24

Cladophora glomerata (L.) Kützing CFGLOMER 1 .06 2.61

Cladophora sp. CFSP 4 .07 1.47

Closterium moniliferum Ehrenberg CUMONILI 3 .02 .50

Coelastrum microporum Nägeli COMICROP 2 .23 6.14

Cosmarium circulare Reinsch COCIRCUL 2 .02 .50

Cosmarium granatum Brébisson ex Ralfs COGRANUL 2 .01 .27

Crucigenia rectangularis (A. Braun) Gay CRRECTAN 1 .13 6.02

Crucigenia sp. CRsp 1 .10 4.43

Kirchneriella obesa (W. West) Schmidle KIOBESA 2 .07 1.89

Scenedesmus acuminatus (Lagerh.) Chodat SCACUMIN 4 .17 3.87

Scenedesmus arcuatus Lemmermann SCARCUAT 1 .02 .70

Scenedesmus ecornis (Ralfs) Chodat SCECORNI 4 .08 1.28

Scenedesmus opoliensis Richt. SCOPOLIE 1 .02 1.04

Scenedesmus quadricauda (Turpin) Brébisson SCQUADRI 5 .16 3.60

Scenedesmus spinosus Chodat SCSPINOS 6 .14 1.52

Staurastrum tetracerum Ralfs SMTETRAC 1 .00 .22

Stigeoclonium lubricum (Dillw.) Kützing SGLUBRIC 3 .60 15.16

Pyrrhophyta (Dinoflagellates)

Glenodinium pulvisculus (Ehrenberg) Stein GLPULVIS 1 .01 .38

Euglenophyta (Euglenoids)

Euglena proxima Dangeard EUPROXIM 1 .01 .29

Phacus orbicularis Huebner PHORBICU 1 .00 .19

Phacus pseudoswirenkoi Prescott PHPSEUDO 1 .01 .28

Rhodophyta (Red Algae)

Unknown Rhodophyte Florideophycidae (chantransia) XRHchant 32 14.64 39.21

Table 7. Algal species, taxon, code, number of sites found, mean abundance and maximum abundance of algae collected from 45 

stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000—continued.

58 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Statistic Algae Macroinvertebrate Fish

Length of gradient 2.77 2.10 3.00

Axis 1 eigenvalue .29 .23 .30

Axis 2 eigenvalue .23 .15 .20

Axis 3 eigenvalue .20 .10 .10

Axis 4 eigenvalue .16 .07 .08

Table 9. Gradient length and eigenvalues for algae, 

macroinvertebrate, and fish detrended correspondence analysis 

for 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern 

Wisconsin, 2000–01.

Abbreviation

Correlation coefficient

All sites Cobble Snag

n=45 n=34 n=14

Algae and periphyton chlorophyll

pollut_d -0.39 -0.40 -

psens_d -.30 - -

ptoler_d .34 - -

aalltx_a -.30 -.49 -

gild3_d - - 0.58

gild4_d -.40 -.48 -

phephy_a .31 - -

Macroinvertebrates

taxa_i -.68 -.82 -

ept_i -.72 -.80 -

ephem_i -.65 -.68 -

trich_i -.59 -.68 -

dipt_i -.37 -.48 -

ephemp_i -.54 -.59 -

coleop_i - - -.60

tanyp_i -.37 -.44 -

nninsp_i .42 .62 -

oligop_i .34 .46 -

nchdip_i -.30 -.37 -

nchnip_i .45 .62 -

mlcrp_i .35 .53 -

tnychr_i -.33 -.36 -

scrp_i -.35 -.46 -

dom3p_i .57 .68 -

margdv_i -.61 -.73 -

simpdv_i -.56 -.68 -

shandv_i -.60 -.72 -

tolrch_i .66 .74 -

tolabd_i .50 .58 -

Table 8. Spearman rank correlations for algal and 

macroinvertebrate variables with urban land cover, for two 

sampling substrates, for 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois 

and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01. See table 2 for definition of 

variable abbreviations.

[Correlation coefficients in bold have p-values < 0.001; n, number of samples; 

-, not significant, p-value > 0.05; <, less than; >, greater than]

Tables 1–13  59
Abbreviation DCA Axis 1 DCA Axis 2

Algae

MG_W 0.56 -

WATMOPER .43 -

BUFMOPER .40 -

CA_W .39 0.45

ASPCO .31 -

WDRATCO .31 -

WATOUT .30 -

NITRAT_W - .37

DEPCO - .31

POPDEN90 -.74 -.37

HOUSE -.74 -.33

URBANLU -.73 -.37

POPDEN80 -.73 -.34

ROADDEN -.73 -.41

POPDEN00 -.72 -.37

K_W -.72 -.29

IMPERV -.72 -.37

NA_W -.69 -

PB_S -.69 -.31

WATCLAY -.66 -

ZN_S -.65 -

INDUSLU -.64 -

CL_W -.64 -

PHOTOT_W -.63 -

CU_S -.61 -

F_W -.55 -

CR_S -.55 -

NI_S -.53 -

CD_S -.52 -.32

NITTKN_W -.51 -.31

AS_S -.47 -

WATLOPER -.42 -

FLOWVAR2 -.39 -

HG_S -.37 -.35

AREABFDA -.34 -

MN_W -.31 -

Table 10a. Spearman Rank correlations of environmental 

variables with algae DCA axes for samples collected in 45 stream 

sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01. 

See table 2 for definitions of abbreviations.

[Correlation coefficients in bold have p-values < 0.001; -, not significant, pvalue > 0.05; <, less than; >, greater than]

60 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Abbreviation DCA Axis 1 DCA Axis 2

AREABFDA -0.67 -

ROADDEN -.66 -

METSUM_S -.65 -

POPDEN90 -.64 -

HOUSE -.64 -

POPDEN00 -.63 -

K_W -.62 -

NA_W -.57 -

AS_S -.54 -

WATLOPER -.54 -

F_W -.52 -

PHOTOT_W -.48 -

FLOWVAR2 -.48 -

BFLOWDA -.48 -

CL_W -.47 -

CD_S -.41 -

NITTKN_W -.41 -

HG_S -.32 -

MN_W -.32 -

HABCOVER -.31 -

FE_W -.31 -

Abbreviation DCA Axis 1 DCA Axis 2

Macroinvertebrates

MG_W 0.71 -

WATMOPER .58 -

CA_W .57 -

BUFMOPER .54 -

CSTLE .52 -

DRAIN .52 -

WATOUT .51 0.34

MG_W .71 -

BUFCOARS .46 .32

POPDENC2 .34 -

WDRAT .34 -

BWDRAT .33 -

POPDENCH .32 -

BWDRATRU .31 -

GRAVEL .31 -

DEPCO .31 -

TRANSIN .30 .49

RELIEF - .50

WATSLOP1 - .43

LATITU - .36

WATSLOP2 - .33

SLOPEBF - .32

DEGDAY - .31

SLOPELO - .31

WETSURAR - -.31

FLOW - -.35

BKFSURAR - -.37

AREABF - -.37

BKFXSAR - -.37

PB_S -.76 -

WATCLAY -.76 -.31

CR_S -.72 -.38

CU_S -.69 -

URBANLU -.69 -

NI_S -.69 -.33

POPDEN80 -.69 -

IMPERV -.68 -

INDUSLU -.68 -

ZN_S -.68 -

Table 10b. Spearman Rank correlations of environmental variables with macroinvertebrate DCA axes for samples collected in 45 stream 

sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000–01. See table 2 for definitions of abbreviations.

[Correlation coefficients in bold have p-values < 0.001; -, not significant, p-value > 0.05; <, less than; >, greater than]

Tables 1–13  61
Abbreviation DCA Axis 1 DCA Axis 2

Fish

POWERBF 0.61 -

ROUGH .59 -

COMPETBF .57 -

SLOPESE .54 -0.35

SUBST .51 -

SLOPELO .43 -.32

GRAVEL .42 -

SLOPEBF .40 -.34

WDRATCO .40 -

DEPCO .39 -

RIFFLE .37 -

NITRAT_W .35 -

MG_W .35 .31

SUBSTMOD .34 -

SINUOS .34 -

WDRAT .33 .35

BFLOW .33 -

MANNBF .30 -

ASPCO .30 -

DRAIN - .70

CSTLE - .69

BWDRAT - .57

WETSURAR - .56

BKFSURAR - .55

FLOWXS - .50

BWDRATRU - .49

AREABF - .47

CANOPY - .46

WETVOL - .43

RIPCLOCO - .42

CHANSH - .42

WETXSAR - .41

FLOW - .36

BKFXSAR - .35

FLOWSTAB - .33

NA_W -.57 -

URBANLU -.56 -.30

NITTKN_W -.56 -

INDUSLU -.55 -.31

Table 10c. Spearman Rank correlations of environmental variables with fish DCA axes for samples collected in 45 stream sites in 

northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 1995–2001. See table 2 for definitions of abbreviations.

[Correlation coefficients in bold have p-values < 0.001; -, not significant, p-value > 0.05; <, less than; >, greater than]

Abbreviation DCA Axis 1 DCA Axis 2

PHOTOT_W -0.55 -

IMPERV -.55 -0.31

K_W -.54 -.31

POPDEN80 -.52 -.33

HOUSE -.52 -.30

CL_W -.52 -

METSUM_S -.51 -

ROADDEN -.51 -.30

POPDEN90 -.49 -.32

POPDEN00 -.49 -

CR_S -.48 -

ZN_S -.47 -

FE_W -.47 -.33

HG_S -.46 -

PB_S -.45 -

CD_S -.38 -

NI_S -.38 -

FLOWVAR2 -.36 -

LATITU -.35 -

EMBED -.33 -

WATCLAY -.33 -.33

HABCOVER -.32 -

DEPAVG -.32 -

BUFFOWE -.31 -.38

DEPMAX -.30 -

COND_W -.30 -

CANOPYCO - -.61

BFLOWDA - -.42

AREABFDA - -.41

RIPCLO - -.39

FLOWVAR1 - -.33

AS_S - -.30

62 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Abbreviation Axis 1 Axis 2 Axis 3 Axis 4

Algae

AS_S 0.52 -1.00 -0.10 0.03

 BUFFOWE .39 -.14 -.27 -.07

 CANOPY .08 -.07 -.39 .46

 EROSION -.28 -.15 .05 -.30

 HABCOVER .07 .10 .07 -.66

 NITRAT_W .50 -.46 -.66 -.91

 PHOTOT_W .25 .13 .27 .54

 SLOPELO -.45 -.27 -.35 .06

 SUBSTCO .46 -.04 -.27 .32

 URBANLU .42 .24 -.48 .08

 WATCLAY -.16 .30 .60 -.11

 WATSLOP2 -.10 .53 -.56 -.72

 WDRAT -.21 -.49 .19 .03

 WIHABIN -.21 -.09 .25 .28

 WWTPDET -.18 -.14 .13 -.38

Macroinvertebrates

 DRAIN .22 -.80 .09 .39

 DEGDAY -.02 .44 .17 .76

 TRANSIN .35 .15 -.14 .65

 WATCLAY -.36 -.43 -.16 1.46

 URBANLU -.36 .30 .72 -.41

 chlper_a .34 .12 1.01 .55

 Fish

 DRAIN -.06 .97 -.69 .13

 DEGDAY .92 .08 1.41 .03

 WATCLAY .93 -.25 .30 1.53

 URBANLU .42 .10 -.40 -.52

 FINES .41 .10 -.13 .42

 NITTKN_W -.28 .22 .00 -.78

 chlper_a .15 .06 .90 .59

Table 11. Canonical correlation coefficients of environmental variables with the first four partial canonical correspondence analysis 

axes for the algal, macroinvertebrate and fish communities in 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 

1995–2001. See table 2 for definitions of abbreviations.

[Correlation coefficients in bold have t-values greater than 2, indicating a significant relation to the axis]

Tables 1–13  63
Phylum

Code Number of sites

Mean 

abundance 

(percent)

Maximum 

abundance 

(percent)

Class

Order

Suborder

Family

Subfamily

Tribe

Taxon

Platyhelminthes

Turbellaria

Turbellaria Turbella 39 2.3 14.1

Nematoda

Nematoda Nematoda 12 .4 3.3

Mollusca

Gastropoda

Mesogastropoda

Pleuroceridae

Elimia Elimia 7 .3 7.5

Basommatophora

Ancylidae

Ferrissia Ferrissi 21 .6 8.7

Physidae

Physinae

Physella Physella 6 .1 4.6

Bivalvia

Veneroida

Corbiculidae

Corbicula Corbicul 5 .3 5.1

Sphaeriidae

Pisidiinae

Pisidium Pisidium 21 2.4 52.1

Sphaeriinae

Musculium Musculiu 12 .7 14.6

Sphaerium Sphaeriu 16 .3 2.5

Annelida

Oligochaeta

Tubificida

Tubificina

Naididae

Naididae Naididae 14 .5 4.6

Table 12. Macroinvertebrate genera, taxon, codes, number of sites found, mean abundance, and maximum abundance of 

macroinvertebrates collected from 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000. Taxa reduced to genus 

level for multivariate analysis.

64  Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Phylum

Code Number of sites

Mean 

abundance 

(percent)

Maximum 

abundance 

(percent)

Class

Order

Suborder

Family

Subfamily

Tribe

Taxon

Tubificidae

Tubificidae Tubifici 39 9.8 79.7

Enchytraeida

Enchytraeidae

Enchytraeidae Enchytra 13 .2 1.7

Hirudinea

Rhynchobdellae

Glossiphoniidae

Helobdella Helobdel 8 .1 .8

Arhynchobdellae

Erpobdellidae

Erpobdellidae Erpobdel 18 .3 3.4

Arthropoda

Arachnida

Arachnida Arachnid 35 2.0 10.3

Malacostraca

Decapoda

Pleocyemata

Cambaridae

Cambarinae

Orconectes Orconect 21 .0 .3

Isopoda

Asellota

Asellidae

Caecidotea Caecidot 34 6.6 72.4

Amphipoda

Gammaridea

Gammaridae

Gammarus Gammarus 8 .3 8.6

Hyalellidae

Hyalella Hyalella 5 .6 24.8

Insecta

Collembola

Table 12. Macroinvertebrate genera, taxon, codes, number of sites found, mean abundance, and maximum abundance of 

macroinvertebrates collected from 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000. Taxa reduced to genus 

level for multivariate analysis—continued.

Tables 1–13  65
Phylum

Code Number of sites

Mean 

abundance 

(percent)

Maximum 

abundance 

(percent)

Class

Order

Suborder

Family

Subfamily

Tribe

Taxon

Collembola Collembo 4 0.0 0.4

Ephemeroptera

Furcatergalia

Caenidae

Caenis Caenis 9 .7 26.0

Leptohyphidae

Tricorythodes Tricoryt 15 1.5 25.7

Pisciforma

Baetidae

Baetis Baetis 38 7.3 48.1

Setisura

Heptageniidae

Leucrocuta Leucrocu 13 .6 7.9

Stenacron Stenacro 30 .7 4.3

Stenonema Stenonem 9 .1 2.3

Isonychiidae

Isonychia Isonychi 13 .4 6.2

Odonata

Zygoptera

Calopterygidae

Hetaerina Hetaerin 3 .0 .3

Coenagrionidae

Argia Argia 7 .1 .7

Plecoptera

Plecoptera Plecopte 4 .0 1.0

Megaloptera

Sialidae

Sialis Sialis 6 .1 2.5

Trichoptera

Spicipalpia

Hydroptilidae

Hydroptilinae

Hydroptila Hydropti 32 1.8 12.9

Table 12. Macroinvertebrate genera, taxon, codes, number of sites found, mean abundance, and maximum abundance of 

macroinvertebrates collected from 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000. Taxa reduced to genus 

level for multivariate analysis—continued.

66 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Phylum

Code Number of sites

Mean 

abundance 

(percent)

Maximum 

abundance 

(percent)

Class

Order

Suborder

Family

Subfamily

Tribe

Taxon

Annulipalpia

Philopotamidae

Chimarrinae

Chimarra Chimarra 12 0.7 9.1

Hydropsychidae

Hydropsychinae

Ceratopsyche Ceratops 23 2.5 21.0

Cheumatopsyche Cheumato 41 10.2 33.5

Hydropsyche Hydropsy 37 6.6 38.4

Integripalpia

Limnephilidae

Limnephilinae

Pycnopsyche Pycnopsy 5 .0 .7

Leptoceridae

Leptocerinae

Oecetis Oecetis 8 .1 .6

Helicopsychidae

Helicopsyche Helicops 10 .3 3.9

Lepidoptera

Pyralidae

Nymphulinae

Argyactini

Petrophila Petrophi 9 .1 1.7

Coleoptera

Polyphaga

Elmidae

Dubiraphia Dubiraph 18 .4 3.5

Macronychus Macronyc 7 .7 9.5

Optioservus Optioser 14 .6 5.7

Stenelmis Stenelmi 37 10.6 38.4

Coleoptera

Polyphaga

Psephenidae

Table 12. Macroinvertebrate genera, taxon, codes, number of sites found, mean abundance, and maximum abundance of 

macroinvertebrates collected from 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000. Taxa reduced to genus 

level for multivariate analysis—continued.

Tables 1–13  67
Phylum

Code Number of sites

Mean 

abundance 

(percent)

Maximum 

abundance 

(percent)

Class

Order

Suborder

Family

Subfamily

Tribe

Taxon

Ectopria Ectopria 5 0.0 0.7

Psephenus Psephenu 5 .2 3.2

Diptera

Nematocera

Chironomidae

Chironominae

Chironomini

Cryptochironomus Cryptoch 13 .1 1.1

Dicrotendipes Dicroten 16 .4 4.1

Glyptotendipes Glyptote 7 .2 2.1

Microtendipes Microten 22 1.1 13.0

Phaenopsectra Phaenops 6 .2 5.0

Polypedilum Polypedi 44 8.0 83.6

Stenochironomus Stenochi 12 .3 3.0

Chironomidae

Chironominae

Tanytarsini

Cladotanytarsus Cladotan 6 .3 7.0

Paratanytarsus Paratany 18 .6 8.4

Rheotanytarsus Rheotany 25 1.1 12.4

Tanytarsus Tanytars 15 .4 4.2

Orthocladiinae

Brillia Brillia 5 .1 1.2

Corynoneura Corynone 3 .0 .4

Cricotopus Cricotop 34 4.0 40.3

Eukiefferiella Eukieffe 6 .1 2.2

Nanocladius Nanoclad 10 .1 2.2

Parakiefferiella Parakief 4 .1 3.0

Parametriocnemus Parametr 6 .5 16.8

Rheocricotopus Rheocric 13 .4 4.3

Thienemanniella Thienema 16 .6 7.5

Tvetenia Tvetenia 14 1.4 26.9

Tanypodinae

Table 12. Macroinvertebrate genera, taxon, codes, number of sites found, mean abundance, and maximum abundance of 

macroinvertebrates collected from 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000. Taxa reduced to genus 

level for multivariate analysis—continued.

68 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Phylum

Code Number of sites

Mean 

abundance 

(percent)

Maximum 

abundance 

(percent)

Class

Order

Suborder

Family

Subfamily

Tribe

Taxon

Natarsiini

Natarsia Natarsia 5 0.1 1.0

Pentaneurini

Ablabesmyia Ablabesm 42 1.6 7.9

Simuliidae

Simulium Simulium 33 3.3 22.4

Tipulidae

Tipulinae

Tipula Tipula 7 .0 .8

Limoniinae

Antocha Antocha 9 .2 2.6

Table 12. Macroinvertebrate genera, taxon, codes, number of sites found, mean abundance, and maximum abundance of 

macroinvertebrates collected from 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, 2000. Taxa reduced to genus 

level for multivariate analysis—continued.

Tables 1–13  69
Order

Number 

of fish 

collected

Number of 

sites

Family

Genus species Common name Code

Petromyzontiformes

Petromyzontidae

Lampetra appendix American brook 

lamprey

Lamp app 10 1

Amiiformes

Amiidae

Amia calva bowfin Amia cal 2 1

Clupeiformes

Clupeidae

Dorosoma cepedianum gizzard shad Doro cep 7 3

Cypriniformes

Cyprinidae

Campostoma anomalum central stoneroller Camp ano 1,114 25

Campostoma oligolepis largescale stoneroller Camp oli 95 5

Carassius auratus goldfish Cara aur 1 1

Cyprinella spiloptera spotfin shiner Cypr car 686 21

Cyprinus carpio common carp Cypr spi 159 21

Ericymba buccata silverjaw minnow Eric buc 2 1

Luxilus chrysocephalus striped shiner Luxi chr 345 8

Luxilus cornutus common shiner Luxi cor 2,333 17

Lythrurus umbratilis redfin shiner Lyth umb 148 5

Nocomis biguttatus hornyhead chub Noco big 837 24

Notemigonus crysoleucas golden shiner Note cry 33 5

Notropis atherinoides emerald shiner Notr ath 1 1

Notropis dorsalis bigmouth shiner Notr dor 321 9

Notropis hudsonius spottail shiner Notr hud 5 4

Notropis ludibundus sand shiner Notr lud 1,231 20

Notropis rubellus rosyface shiner Notr rub 63 5

Phenacobius mirabilis suckermouth minnow Phen mir 36 4

Phoxinus erythrogaster southern redbelly dace Phox ery 1 1

Pimephales notatus bluntnose minnow Pime not 2,096 36

Pimephales promelas fathead minnow Pime pro 40 13

Rhinichthys atratulus blacknose dace Rhin atr 49 5

Semotilus atromaculatus creek chub Semo atr 637 31

Catostomidae

Carpiodes cyprinus quillback Carp cyp 36 3

Carpiodes velifer highfin carpsucker Carp vel 5 2

Catostomus commersoni white sucker Cato com 814 35

Hypentelium nigricans northern hogsucker Hype nig 159 10

Minytrema melanops spotted sucker Miny mel 1 1

Table 13. Fish species, taxon codes, number of fish collected, and number of sites from 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and 

southeastern Wisconsin, 1995–2001.

70 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins
Order

Number 

of fish 

collected

Number of 

sites

Family

Genus species Common name Code

Moxostoma duquesnei black redhorse Moxo duq 160 2

Moxostoma erythrurum golden redhorse Moxo ery 184 10

Moxostoma macrolepidotum

shorthead redhorse Moxo mac 32 4

Moxostoma valenciennesi greater redhorse Moxo val 1 1

Cobitidae

Misgurnus anguillicaudatus

oriental weatherfish Misg ang 1 1

Siluriformes

Ictaluridae

Ameiurus melas black bullhead Amei mel 152 9

Ameiurus natalis yellow bullhead Amei nat 190 25

Ictalurus punctatus channel catfish Icta pun 43 10

Noturus exilis slender madtom Notu exi 40 1

Noturus flavus stonecat Notu fla 74 8

Noturus gyrinus tadpole madtom Notu gyr 3 3

Noturus nocturnus freckled madtom Notu noc 1 1

Pylodictis olivaris flathead catfish Pylo oli 1 1

Salmoniformes

Esocidae

Esox americanus grass pickerel Esox ame 22 5

Esox hybrid Esox hybrid Esox hyb 1 1

Esox lucius northern pike Esox luc 5 2

Umbridae

Umbra limi central mudminnow Umbr lim 46 7

Atheriniformes

Atherinidae

Labidesthes sicculus brook silverside Labi sic 1 1

Cyprinodontiformes

Fundulidae

Fundulus notatus blackstripe topminnow Fund not 128 9

Cyprinodontiformes

Poeciliidae

Gambusia affinis western mosquitofish Gamb aff 23 1

Gasterosteiformes

Gasterosteidae

Culaea inconstans brook stickleback Cula inc 1 1

Scorpaeniformes

Cottidae

Cottus bairdi mottled sculpin Cott bai 11 3

Table 13. Fish species, taxon codes, number of fish collected, and number of sites from from 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and 

southeastern Wisconsin, 1995–2001—continued.

Tables 1–13  71
Order

Number 

of fish 

collected

Number of 

sites

Family

Genus species Common name Code

Perciformes

Centrarchidae

Ambloplites rupestris rock bass Ambl rup 48 9

Lepomis cyanellus green sunfish Lepo cya 999 39

Lepomis gibbosus pumpkinseed Lepo gib 18 4

Lepomis gulosus warmouth Lepo gul 1 1

Lepomis humilis orangespotted sunfish Lepo hum 26 4

Lepomis hybrid Lepomis hybrid Lepo hyb 11 9

Lepomis macrochirus bluegill Lepo mac 358 27

Lepomis megalotis longear sunfish Lepo meg 66 2

Micropterus dolomieu smallmouth bass Micr dol 84 14

Micropterus salmoides largemouth bass Micr sal 169 26

Pomoxis nigromaculatus black crappie Pomo nig 15 5

Percidae

Etheostoma caeruleum rainbow darter Ethe cae 14 1

Etheostoma chlorosomum bluntnose darter Ethe chl 49 3

Etheostoma flabellare fantail darter Ethe fla 235 11

Etheostoma nigrum johnny darter Ethe nig 508 30

Etheostoma spectabile orangethroat darter Ethe spe 96 8

Etheostoma zonale banded darter Ethe zon 109 8

Perca flavescens yellow perch Perc fla 2 1

Percina caprodes logperch Perc cap 58 3

Percina maculata blackside darter Perc mac 102 9

Table 13. Fish species, taxon codes, number of fish collected, and number of sites from from 45 stream sites in northeastern Illinois and 

southeastern Wisconsin, 1995–2001—continued.

72 Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins

Harris and others—Physical, Chemical, and Biological Responses to Urbanization in the Fox and Des Plaines River Basins 

of Northeastern Illinois and Southeastern Wisconsin—Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5218

Science Center Director

USGS Illinois Water Science Center

1201 W. University Ave., Suite 100

Urbana, IL 61801

http://il.water.usgs.gov