Agricultural areas with little or no riparian buffers can also have increased sedimentation. Freestone streams, such as Stony Creek, tend to be supplied by runoff from small streams that flow off ridges. Riparian vegetation provides favorable habitat conditions by shading the stream and reducing sedimentation. Limestone streams, like Bachman Run, are supplied by springs that have nearly constant ambient temperatures throughout the year. Agriculture is a dominant land use that can degrade habitat conditions by reducing riparian vegetation and increasing sedimentation.
Habitat degradation can offset the natural benefits of having a supply of cool water from springs.
Freestone streams tend to be fed from runoff and by small feeder-type streams and gain water a little at a time. The flow and temperature in these streams is more variable. Freestone streams do not have as much dissolved calcium as the limestone streams and are vulnerable to changes in pH. These streams also tend to flow off ridges and through areas with hilly topography, making the riparian zones less likely to be cultivated. Although freestone streams do not have the large springs discharging to the stream, the absence of alterations to the riparian habitat is favorable for fish communities. The habitat characteristics that proved most influential in defining fish communities in the seven long-term monitoring basins were mean channel width, mean water temperature, mean canopy angle, and suspended sediment.