MBSS Site Summary for: AL-A-020-228-95


Located on MAPLE RUN in the Town Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140512.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/28/1995 and again in the summer on 6/21/1995.

Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) Results:

An Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) is a scientific tool used to identify and classify stream health. An IBI associates anthropogenic influences on a stream or with biological condition in the stream, and is formulated using data developed from biosurveys.
Details on the development and application of MBSS IBIs are in this document.
Fish IBI Fair - 3.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Fair - 3.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 1,335 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 0 %
Agricultural Land Use 1.7 %
Forested Land Use 98 %


Stream showing woody debris, logs, and rocky substrate.
An example of woody debris in a stream.

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 1/20 (Poor)
Epifaunal Substrate 1/20 (Poor)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 2/20 (Poor)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = meters 		1/20 (Poor)
Riffle Quality 0/20 (Poor)
Shading 90 %
Embeddedness 90 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 90%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.
Several measures of instream habitat were considered 'Poor' at this location.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 24.8 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 1.7 mg/L
Dissolved oxygen levels measured in the stream were very low (1.7 mg/L). Many fishes and other aquatic animals cannot tolerate low levels of oxygen in the water.
pH (lab) 6.33
Conductivity 50 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		93.7 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 2 mg/L

Biological Stream Condition:

Surveys of the organisms living within a stream can give indications of stream health. Species richness, or the number of different species present, as well as indicator species (species whose presence, absence or abundance can serve as a measure of environmental conditions) are informative for stream health. 		Close-up of a mayfly indicator species.

Fish Survey Results:
The following 1 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Potomac Sculpin 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
Eastern Box Turtle
Northern Dusky Salamander

Crayfish:
No crayfish noted.

Exotic Plants:
No exotic plants noted.
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Prosimulium Black Fly 61
Ostrocerca Stonefly 7
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 6
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 5
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 5
Ameletus Combmouthed Minnow Mayfly 4
Stegopterna Black Fly 3
Sweltsa Stonefly 2
Nixe 1
Neophylax Caddisfly 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Wormaldia Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Rhyacophila Free-Living Caddisfly 1
Epeorus Mayfly 1
Kick net sampling for macroinvertebrates.
Sampling with a kick net.

Information disclaimer: The information and data on this page is for guidance and general planning purposes only. It should not be used to make decisions on specific matters.