Tarr Creek is a small woodland stream with a shifting sand bottom. It is a cold water, Class I brown trout stream except in the extreme lower portion. An investigation was undertaken during 1979-1980 to determine the effects of canopy removal on macroinvertebrate communities. The dense brushy canopy (Alnus rugosa) was removed along a 1,100 m section in 1976 and along a 91 m section in 1979.