Davey: Lancaster, Ohio:


Lancaster, Ohio: State Route 793 Ecological Survey


	View of S.R. 793 over Tarhe Run

State Route 793 spans Tarhe Run in Lancaster, Ohio. Current plans include the realignment of this bridge and the associated stream through a mixed residential and rural area.

Davey Resource Group conducted an Ecological Survey to characterize the existing natural resources and determine the potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed realignment of this bridge. This study was structured to conform to standards set forth by the Ohio Department of Transportation in their Ecological Guidelines. The parameters that were studied in this survey included fish and macroinvertebrate communities, wetlands, terrestrial plant communities, endangered species, and terrestrial wildlife. Aquatic habitat within the study area was evaluated using Ohio EPA's Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI). Fish communities were sampled according to Ohio EPA protocols and qualitative samples of macroinvertebrates were collected to characterize the quality of water within the study area. Aquatic data collected during this survey were compared to historical Ohio EPA data from nearby reference sites.


State Route 793

Special emphasis was placed on locating habitat for the federally endangered Indiana bat, and instream surveys were conducted to locate populations of the federally protected clubshell mussel.

When appropriate, natural resources were located using global positioning system (GPS) technology and illustrated on base maps of the site.