The various types of environmental variations which occur in sufficient quantity to provide habitat diversity to support a wide range of species in the stream.
Sinuosity is defined formally as the ratio of the stream distance between two points on the channel of a stream and the straight-line distance between these same two points, taken from a topographic map. It can also be evaluated in the field.
More than two or three well-defined bends visible from the sample site, with deep areas on the outside portions of the bend and shallow areas on the inside portions.
More than 2 outside bends visible from the sample site, with at least one bend well defined.
Channel with only 1 or 2 poorly defined bends visible from the sample site, or perhaps slight meandering within modified banks.
Straight Channel